Libra: Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX (Switch)

Libra is a series which provides first impressions of games before their full review. These are generally spoiler free, however some base plot points – as well as some mechanic/system reveals – likely lurk ahead.

Atelier Totori is the second entry into the Arland subseries, part of the much larger Atelier franchise. Prior to my playthrough of Rorona, I had no experience with the series whatsoever. The enjoyment I got out of the first game, however, made me excited for the other entries on Switch. I’m only a few hours into Totori so far, but it is – as I had hoped – shaping up to be even better than Rorona. Here are my initial thoughts:

The Gist

Atelier Totori, like Rorona before it, is a JRPG that focuses on completing various tasks, most of which involve fighting, alchemy, and/or relationship building. Thanks to the time limit, things like gathering, hunting, and synthesis become much more interactive as you always have to keep your allotted days in the forefront of your mind as to ensure that you meet certain deadlines. The main protagonist, Totori, is a fledgling alchemist that also dreams of becoming an adventurer in order to find her mother – also an adventurer – that disappeared many years ago.

Note: This pros/cons section will bring up some points of comparison with the first two Arland titles.

+

• The overall pacing here – so far – is much smoother than it was in Rorona.
• The idea around the hopes of finding Totori’s alchemy teacher – a recurring character – as well as her mother, while not groundbreaking, is more intriguing than the base plot in Rorona.
• Set in a new area with new characters, but still features some key characters and locations from the first game.
• Gameplay mechanics are great and, for the most part, feel more refined than that of their predecessor.

–

• No longer being able to preview/examine traits on items is a bit annoying.
• The departure from a tab-based (capable of sorting/filter) container in favor of an exclusively filter-based one is not so great.
• Personally, I could have done without the obvious…fan service…of some of the character’s designs.

Be on the lookout for my full review of Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX soon!