Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk
Game information
Developer	Gust
Publisher	Gust Tecmo Koei Tecmo Koei Tecmo Koei
Released	June 28, 2012 June 28, 2012 (Japanese), August 23, 2012 (Chinese) March 5 2013 March 8 2013 May 23, 2013 (Best Price)
Modes	Offline Single Player
Rating	CERO: Ages 12+ ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI Ages 16+ USK: Ages 6+ CSRR: Ages 12+
Platforms	PlayStation 3
Genre	Role Playing Game

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk (アーシャのアトリエ～黄昏の大地の錬金術士～, Aasha no Atorie ~Tasogare no Daichi no Renkinjutsushi~ ) is a Japanese role-playing video game developed by the Japanese gaming company Gust.

Atelier Ayesha is the fourteenth installment of the main Atelier series. It is the fourth game released on the Playstation 3, although it is in an entire new universe from the Arland Series. It is the first game in the Twilight Series, and the prequel to Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky.

Hidari, also known as Left Side, is the new main character designer. Animal and monster designs were made by Ryota Murayama and the background concept art was made by Aquamary Images. The game was directed by Yoshito Okamura.

Plot

The game's story revolves around the main protagonist Ayesha's search for a way to save her younger sister, Nio. The game has ten possible endings that become available depending on the players actions and choices.

The story takes place in a remote land(usually referred to as Ground/Land of Dusk, as in the game's Japanese title). The land that doesn't have one shared government, but yet it is united. This area was once home to an advanced civilization, and the world prospered exceedingly with the art of alchemy. But as time passed, the art of alchemy was forgotten and the civilization declined. However, the land is still full of ruins from the civilization.

The main character, Ayesha Altugle, is a girl living in a remote workshop, making a living by creating medicine. After her grandfather passed away and her younger sister Nio went missing, she lives alone together with her pet, the cow Pana.

After one day seeing a ghost-like appearance of her missing sister in the ruin Altugle Herb Garden and encountering the alchemist Keithgriff Hazeldine, Ayesha sets out on a journey together with Pana to find a way to save her sister.

Gameplay

Workshops

In workshops, it's possible to save, load, change music, sleep, perform synthesis, access the container, and write diary entries. Many events also take place in the workshops. There are four places the player can use as workshops and they will all share the same functions, except that certain events might only occur in certain workshops.

Synthesizing

With the synthesis system, the player can combine different items to create a new item(s). The synthesis system is a key function in the game, and several times a specific item must be synthesized to progress in the game. Synthesis can be performed in the workshops. 

Synthesizing will consume days. The synthesis time differs depending on the choosen item and quantity. Often there are several different ingredients that can be choosen to be used for the same item. The effects and traits of ingredients of different kinds might vary.

Putting in ingredients will cost CP, different ingredients have different costs. It's possible to continue adding in ingredients in a synthesis even if the player runs out of CP, but the ingredient wont be able to affect the item's traits or effects. While synthesizing, special skills can be used to affect the synthesis and the items traits and effects. Most such skills will consume CP as well.

Battle

Atelier Ayesha features a new battle system that allows players to move the characters around the battlefield. Distance and position plays a key role in battle, characters in the same area can assist each other and attacking enemies from the backside will deal a more powerful attack. 

Battles are turn based, and the player can use up to three characters in battle, with two of them being optional and changable. As the "AC(Active Command)" gauge fills up, the characters gain use to special assist actions, such as protecting another character, follow-up "pursuit" attacks, and special AC skills unique to the character.

A battle can occur through events or when coming in contact with an enemy in a gathering area.

Diary

In Atelier Ayesha, the diary feature was introduced to the series. After certain events, the player can choose to unlock a diary entry of an event with obtained memory points for bonuses such as recipies or status changes. Memory points can be obtained from finishing quests, events, and finding flyers.

Gathering

In gathering areas there are glowing spots the player can obtain items from. These items can mainly be used as synthesis ingredients. The player can also obtain different liquids from wells in city areas. Gathering in a gathering area will consume time(indicated by a gauge), obtaining items from city areas will not.

World Map

The player will mainly travel to destinations through the world map. All locations that can be visited appears as points at the world map. To be able to travel to a point, it must be connected with a line to a point the player can already travel to. Traveling between points will consume days. There are 71 points at the world map.

On the world map, the player can also run into several characters that appear on the world map, which can trigger an event. After certain points it's also possible to buy, sell, and sometimes register items from the characters appearing on the world map.

Characters

Playable Characters

Main article: List of Characters in Atelier Ayesha

• Ayesha Altugle
• Nio Altugle
• Regina Curtis
• Wilbell voll Erslied
• Juris Gruden
• Linca
• Keithgriff Hazeldine
• Marion Quinn
• Odelia
•  Note: Marion Quinn & Odelia are the only two playable characters that can be obtained through downloadable content.

Non Playable Characters

• Ernie Lyttelton
• Nanaca Gruden
• Marietta Muir
• Harry Olson
• Ranun Etts
• Fred Rodfork
• Kyle Tarenbert
• Tanya Volta

Reception

In Japan, the game was the second best-selling title on its release week and sold 60,548 copies between June 25th and July 1st, 2012, selling more than Atelier Totori but less than Atelier Meruru.

Atelier Ayesha received generally positive reviews, receiving a score of 9/8/9/8 for a total of 34 out of 40 in the Famitsu magazine and a score of 90/95/95/85 in the Dengeki PlayStation magazine.

Music

The music is composed by Daisuke Achiwa, Kazuki Yanagawa, and Yu Shimoda. The theme song Hanashirube is sung by Mutsumi Nomiyama, who also performed the Atelier Meruru in-game song "Little Crown".

Atelier Ayesha Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk Original Soundtrack

See Atelier Ayesha Original Soundtrack for main article and a complete listing of tracks.

Twilight Hour Atelier Ayesha - Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk - Vocal Album

See Twilight Hour - Atelier Ayesha: Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk (Vocal Album) for main article and a complete listing of tracks.

Atelier Ayesha Recollection Archives

Atelier Ayesha Recollection Archives is an album that was exclusively available from Gust Shop. The album includes unused music made for Atelier Ayesha, as well as music used in downloadable content for Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.

Editions

The game was released as a "standard edition" release, and a "Premium Box" limited edition release in Japan and Taiwan. First-print copies of both editions in Japan and Taiwan came with a CD called "World Guide CD". It contains several stories and introductions to places of the game narrated by Ayesha's voice actress, Marina Inoue and Nio's voice actress, Mariya Ise. Several stores in Japan also offered exclusive bonuses with purchase of the game, such as telephone cards.

In North America and Europe the game can be bought in downloadable form, as well as on disc. Buyers who pre-ordered the downloadable version from the US Playstation Store between February 26, 2013 to March 5, 2013 recieved an exclusive Atelier Ayesha themed theme for Playstation 3 for free. GAME in United Kingdom offered a "limited edition art book" with pre-orders of the game.

In May 23, 2013 the game was re-released with a lower price than the original release under the "Gust Best Price" label in Japan.

Other Media

Atelier Ayesha: From a Certain Alchemist's Travel Diary

A novel written by Toru Shizuki featuring eight side stories for the game was published by Koei Tecmo Games under the name Atelier Ayesha: From a certain Alchemist's Travel Diary(アーシャのアトリエ ~ある錬金術士の旅の日記より~ ). It featured new illustrations made for the novel by Hiroki Haruse, as well as the character illustrations made by Hidari.

It's the second part of the "Gust Official Novels" line, with the first being Atelier Meruru: The Three Alchemists(メルルのアトリエ ~3人の錬金術士~), released only a few days earlier.

Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ Official Visual Book

Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ Official Visual Book is a book published by Ascii Media Works, originally released in December 14, 2012. The book features promotional artwork, character and monster artwork, concept art, event artwork, and other artwork and information related to the game. It also features an interview with the game's character designer and illustrator Hidari, and all parts of the short story series Nio's Diary.

Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ The Complete Guide

Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ The Complete Guide(アーシャのアトリエ ～黄昏の大地の錬金術士～ ザ・コンプリートガイド) is a strategy guide to the game, published by Ascii Media Works on August 3, 2012.

Explosive! Ayesha-chan Next Doors Atelier Ayesha Play Diary Comic

A "play diary comic" called "Explosive! Ayesha-chan Next Doors Atelier Ayesha Play Diary Comic(爆発! となりのアーシャちゃん アーシャのアトリエプレイ日記マンガ)" of the game by Yunomi Hisamatsu ran on Famitsu.com, and was later published as a book by Enterbrain.

The comic usually consists of Yunomi Hisamatsu herself interacting with various characters of the game, introducing the game's system and features, as well as showing several events and the characters of the game in a more comedic way.

Nio's Diary

Nio's Diary is a series of short stories that ran in Dengeki Playstation(電撃PlayStation, dengeki playstation), from issue 515 to 521. The story of Nio's Diary is told through diary entries, written by Nio before her disappearance. The whole series was later collected in Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ Official Visual Book.

Trivia

• Atelier Ayesha illustrations was at the cover of vol. 515, and 522 of the magazine Dengeki Playstation(電撃PlayStation).
• The theme of the work is "The promise begins (約束が、はじまる)".
• The "Gust Calendar" for 2013 was Atelier Ayesha themed.
• Several official works translated the title to "Atelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~". 

Gallery

Promotional Art

Promotional Art

External links

• Official Site(Japanese)
• Official site(North America)
• Official site(Europe)
• Official site(Taiwan)
• Dengekionline's "Dusk Portal"
• Gamer's special "Twilight Series" installation site