Atelier Iris 3

Back in the early days of my life as a paid video gamer, I remember doing a feature on a new RPG from Japan called Atelier Marie. The game looked quite interesting, but also like something we'd never get in America. You have to understand... back then, games like that just didn't come to this country, at least not without a huge amount of begging, pleading, letter-writing, and sacrificing of Hello Kitty stuffed toys to the deities of the Land of the Rising Sun.

My poor Hello Kitty collection never did recover, by the way.

Now days, however, companies like NIS America exist to see that we humble Americans get some love too. Showing their support for fans of alchemy-infused RPG gaming, NIS America is hard at work prepping what will be the third Atelier title to be released over here, Atelier Iris 3: Grand Fantasm. While the preview copy that found its way into my lap is obviously an early build, it is clear to see that said fans of the series can take comfort in knowing that the heart and soul of this game is still classic Atelier. Since part two, however, it seems our dear Iris has paid a visit to a sorcerer packing a spellbook of magical makeovers.

First is the RPG upgrade that I'll never tire of seeing: the end of random battles. While the previous game sought to lessen the annoyance of the classic RPG tradition, Atelier Iris 3 drop-kicks the entire idea into the nearest bottomless pit. Instead, slime-like creatures are used as visual representations of monster encounters in the various worlds of the game, and their color will tell you how hard the fight would be compared to your current level. For the blue encounters–monsters that are weaker than you–you can even dispatch them with a swing of your sword without ever having to be whisked away to a battle scene.

When you do end up facing off against one of the game's many fiends, you'll find a battle system that has been upgraded from previous outings. Turns in combat are now determined by the new Active Cost Card Battle system, which deals cards representing you, your opponents, and various other events. By pulling off well timed attacks or actions, you can re-shuffle the cards to give yourself better strategic positioning. You can also gain the upper hand by making use of Bust Chains, where your characters are sent into a sort of hyper-powered mode by successfully pulling off enough attacks in succession.

Atelier Iris 3 won't just have new features to show in combat, however. Taking a cue from what's become a popular trend in RPGs lately, the game looks to center heavily around a guild house, offering players the chance to choose for themselves what next to tackle. Expeditions will vary from simple fetch quests to more involving tasks, and the rewards to be earned will put money in your pocket, experience in your stats, and ingredients into Iris's smelting cauldron for some alchemical fun.

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