Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea (Vita Edition) Reviews
The amount of extra content and inclusion of DLC is reason enough to pick this up for sheer value alone.
Overall Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea was a great re-entry into the series for me. Not only is the story a good one, the dialog from both a written and verbal standpoint is highly enjoyable. Best of all, the gameplay is a return to a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea brings the Dusk Trilogy to a close and joins its predecessors on the PlayStation Vita. With the lack of a Time Limit system, Atelier has never suited the handheld device better than with this instalment. The pick-up and play nature of the device works brilliantly with this entry and I can’t help but love the game even more for that. While I may be new to the Atelier series I can’t wait for more and I’ll definitely be picking up some of the other titles available on the PlayStation Vita.
Complaints aside, Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a barrel of fun that any fan will love.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a satisfactory addition to the franchise. It smooths out a lot of Shallie's PS3 weaknesses and is a genuinely fun game, though it suffers from being the weakest in the Dusk trilogy. Anyone looking for a solid and enjoyable lighthearted JRPG will find a lot to like here, and almost every improvement is for the better. Some nagging performance issues prevent it from being better than the PS3 release in every way. Shallie Plus is a good buy for fans of the franchise, though newcomers may want to start with Ayesha or Escha & Logy instead.
Intrinsically addictive, relaxingly laid back and completely charming. The Atelier games are hard to sell to those who have never played them, but once you start, you'll be tearing through the back catalogue to experience them all. The removal of the time-based objectives does negatively impact the final product, but left in its wake is a game to put your feet up and unwind with.
I love any excuse to step back into an Atelier game, and the Dusk trilogy is an especially heartfelt and wonderful series. I’m glad Koei Tecmo got around to localising the Vita version of this game. It’s more a concession to the fans who bought the first two on the Vita than anything else, I suspect, and I’d be surprised if Koei expected this to make any kind of money, but it is a good gesture by the company to allow us to finish our collection for Atelier games on the go.
The truth of the matter is that this game is a great look into the concept of relationships, sure there are some bizarre annoyances here and there but ultimately this is a great RPG and something every Vita owner should play at least once.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea makes amends for the mistakes of the original by wrapping up the Dusk trilogy nicely. The addition of Ayesha and Logy to the mix is not only fun for combat but vital to the entire narrative. Longtime fans will find plenty to love here while newcomers will find the item synthesis engaging and the combat dynamic.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea brings the marvellous personalities of the duo Shallies to a handheld, allowing people to take the relaxing Japanese RPG on the go – a perfect fit for turning that frown into a smile after a hard days work.
From personal experience, it can be said that Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is the perfect place for series newcomers to start.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a pretty shoddy port, but the game itself is a charming, arresting adventure with loads of content and depth.
Atelier Shallie Plus has its ups and downs. As a newcomer, I wasn't necessarily disappointed, but I definitely would not say I was too impressed either.
Two all-new ambitious and focused girls in another Atelier game. Nothing innovative, but it’s still solid entry from PlayStation 3, now in comfortable handheld version.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A technically inferior version of the original Atelier Shallie, but its narrative additions are worth seeking out for hardcore fans.
Technical issues aside, this is clearly the best version of the game that does a lot to improve the main complaints of the original release.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea makes up for a lack of challenge by oozing charm through its beautiful characters, fun combat, and big crafting list. It successfully manages to both patch up problems from the original, while providing newcomers with an endearing entryway into the franchise.
All in all, though, Atelier Shallie Plus is a fantastic package that fans of the series definitely shouldn’t miss out on. If you were sorely disappointed with the main story in the original PS3 release, Atelier Shallie Plus is a good attempt at making amends and closing things out in the Dusk trilogy.
Atelier Shallie Plus features a rich extra content and a more complete storyline, however it also presents various flaws, even severe ones, that were not present in its original PS3 version, leading this PS Vita port far from being perfect.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is great way to wrap up the trilogy. This is a perfect choice for someone looking to try their hand at a JRPG, but still offers enough meaty battle challenges and huge crafting possibilities for devout fans of the series. This Plus version is one of the best entries in the series to date, and while Atelier as a whole may not quite measure up to the genre's classics, this is still a very enjoyable handheld adventure that will keep you coming back for more.