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Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (メルルのアトリエ~アーランドの錬金術士3~) is the 13th game in the main Atelier series. It was released for PlayStation 3 on June 23, 2011 in Japan and the North American version was released on May 22, 2012.

It is the sequel to Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland and is the last game in the Arland trilogy. It features a brand new story in the world of the Arland trilogy, many new and recurring characters, and an updated battle system.

Plot

Arls is a small rural kingdom far from the republic of Arland. Arls is governed by Lord Dessier whom wishes to merge with Arland and become a republic in three years time. Unlike her father, princess Merurulince Rede Arls pays no attention to Arls' politics. The young princess often sneaks out of the castle and has taken up a new interest in alchemy.

Unlike Arland, Arls doesn't utilize alchemy or see its widespread practice. The town's alchemist Totooria Helmold runs a small workshop on the outskirts of town. Meruru often visits "Miss Totori" to learn more about alchemy. During the game's prologue, Totori will send Meruru and her best friend Keina Swaya to gather alchemy ingredients. While out, Keina is attacked by a group of carrot bunnies. After their victory, the girls return to Arls.

As they approach town, Meruru is confronted by the castle's royal butler Rufus Falken. Rufus makes Meruru return to the castle, and Meruru is forced to confront her father. Angry that she's escaped the castle yet again and even left town, Lord Dessier refuses to listen to her dream of becoming an alchemist. He insists that she must perform her royal duties as a princess, and that they must prepare for the merging in three years time. Meruru disagrees, and the two argue. She eventually storms out of the throne room, frustrated. She is still determined to become an alchemist, much to her father's chagrin. 

Meruru goes to Totori's workshop to bring the gathered ingriedents from the forest and to also inform her of the bad news. Although Meruru wishes to be an alchemist and considers herself Totori's apprentice, Totori reminds her that she will be unable to become an alchemist without her father's blessing. Meruru vows to stay in the workshop until her father agrees to let her become an alchemist. 

Meruru mentions that her father is concerned about her royal duty to Arls. Totori decides that she'll go and talk to Meruru's father. She ensures Meruru that speaking to Lord Dessier and Rufus will give her some ideas of how to fufill her duties, and possibly convince them that Meruru should be an alchemist. Although skeptical, Meruru gives in to the idea, and Totori goes to the castle. A short time later, Totori returns to the workshop after speaking to Lord Dessier. She tells Meruru that her father has summoned her and to return to the castle immediately.  Upon her return, Meruru is confronted by Rufus. He has found a way for Meruru to not only perform her royal duties, but to also include her love of alchemy. Rufus explains that through developing the kingdom and helping it's people with the power of alchemy, she will be fufilling her royal duties. Rufus hands Meruru her first "task", which is to deliver a Plain Pie to a soldier in Moyori Forest. Although she doesn't quite understand, she goes with her gut and heads straight to the workshop!

After synthesizing the pie and delivering it to the solider in Moyori Forest, she returns to the castle to inform Rufus of a job well done. Rufus compliments her on completing the task, but also reminds her that she has yet to talk to her father. When Meruru speaks to her father, she is pleased to hear that he realizes how serious she is about alchemy. He even gives her a blessing to practice alchemy, under the condition that alchemy be used to develop the Kingdom. If Arls' population fails to reach 30,000 people in three years time, Meruru will have failed her royal duty and will be forced to quit alchemy. If she succeeds, then she will be allowed to continue practicing alchemy.

Gameplay

Atelier Meruru introduces the Cost Turn Battle System, where a character's speed and the "wait" (abbreviated as WT in-game) assigned to individual actions influence how soon a character's next turn will come. Turn order is displayed in a qeueu of 16 spaces.

The Assist System has also been adjusted around two of Meruru's skills, Power Item and Potentialize. After two offensive assists, Meruru may use an item again with a more powerful effect. After a Power Item use, a Coordinated Attack is possible, a special assist attack involving both of Meruru's companions at once, further allowing a follow-up from Meruru of a third item use even more powerful than a Power Item.

Specials now change depending on whether they finish off an enemy; specials that finish off enemies are accompanied by character-dependant musical themes and flashier, more elaborate animations.

Also, during synthesis, two traits may now combine to form more powerful or multi-faceted traits at the expense of being disallowed a choice between the two (unless those traits are applied to the item multiple times) and being relatively costly

Characters

Main article: List of Characters in Atelier Meruru

Playable Characters

Non Playable Characters

Atelier Meruru Plus

As with its predecessor Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland, an enchanced version of the game was released for PlayStation Vita under the name Atelier Meruru Plus: The Alchemist of Arland 3 (メルルのアトリエPlus ~アーランドの錬金術士3~). The game includes all the DLC for the Playstation 3 version, a new Dressing Room feature where the player can change the appearance of Meruru, Totori ,and Rorona, and various gameplay and mechanics changes from the Playstation 3 game. The "お待たせ" ending was originally exclusive to Atelier Meruru Plus, but was later added for the Playstation 3 version in a downloadable patch (Patch ver 2.02).

If the player possesses a Atelier Totori Plus save data, they can unlock a special dress and accessory for the Dressing Room and obtain the strongest weapon for Totori at the start of the game.

Atelier Meruru Plus is available in "standard edition", "Premium Box/Limited edition", and downloadable form for Japan and Asian regions.

Downloadable content

The first press edition of Atelier Meruru Plus came with a download code for an in-game accessory and outfit. There was also exclusive outfits for Famitsu and Dengeki. Some tracks from Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky (called "A15" and "Newest Atelier work" in Atelier Meruru Plus) can be downloaded for use in Atelier Meruru Plus for free.

Premium Box

A limited edition of the game, called Atelier Meruru Plus: The Alchemist of Arland 3 Premium Box(ルルのアトリエPlus ~アーランドの錬金術士3' プレミアムボックス) was released for Japan and Asian regions. It contains the game, a "mini crystal paperweight", and a Atelier Meruru Plus custom skin shell for Playstation Vita.

Trivia

  • The game was adapted into a two volume comic series with the same name as the game by Hideyu Tohgarashi and published by Kadokawa Shoten.

References


Gallery

External links

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