The Atelier series has been around since 1997 in Japan and 2004 in North America, spanning 13 games. The latest game now out in North America, Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland is the first to bring alchemy into HD for the PlayStation 3.

While this is certainly my first experience with the Atelier series and I have nothing to really compare it to, Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland is one of the best turn-based RPGs that I have played in awhile.

Given that she's apparently responsible for the prosperity of Arland – for reasons too complex and frankly uninteresting to detail here – junior alchemist Rorolina Frixell isn't particularly well treated by its residents.

The Atelier series is a bit of a black sheep in the JRPG scene, well-known for being a middle-ground for multiple genres. Even a brief glance speaks volumes about the game: a cast of cute, young girls knocks many of the more extreme forms of conflict from the narrative checklist; its colorful art...

It's been quite a few years since the Japanese release and it didn't even make it here before the sequel came out in Japan but Atelier Rorona has finally made it to the West. Fans of Gust's previous games know that they emphasize item creation more than most other JRPG series but I was surprised how...

2010's Atelier Rorona gets an overhaul with an all-new Plus version. Cheap cash-in or an opportunity to fix the issues of the original? Pete takes an in-depth look. Having been around since 1997, Atelier is one of the more long-running Japanese game series.

Salutations, everyone! It's time for a history lesson with Prof. Josh (I wanted to go for the eminently cooler Dr. J , but I think that's been taken already). The real world art of alchemy had less to do with one-armed or suit-of-armor brothers (shocking, I know) and more with turning base metals...

A different kind of JRPG for a change; Infectious soundtrack; Multiple endings with varying requirements

Time mechanic controls everything; Repetition can set in

It's so addictive… It's so cute! Just the way I like my games :)

I'm going to sound like an ass saying this but I think it's safe to say that the NIS efforts for the PS3 have been a little bit, underwhelming. was a slight improvement, and I don't even want to talk about .