Koei Delivers Atelier Iris This Summer
The surprisingly run of RPGs inbound for the region continues, this time with the first game in the Atelier series, coming soon.
RPGs were once a rare beast in Europe, but the region's growing prominence means that it can't be ignored anymore. The latest in an obscene string of announcements is for the first game in Gust's long-running Atelier series.
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, the sixth in the franchise, casts you as Klein Kiesling, a young alchemist-in-training. With alchemy becoming something of a forgotten skill in the game world of Regallzine, you'll have to gather a gaggle of compatriots to roam the kingdom, slay evil and, yes, return order to the world.
The game's storyline may be trite, but at least the gameplay brings something new. This is the Mana system, which allows you to combine objects to make more than 300 types of items. Purists will also enjoy the ability to switch to the Japanese voice track if or when the English dub starts to grate.
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana will be out only for PlayStation 2 on 17 March. For more, check out publisher Koei's official RPG-only site.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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