Oh, Totori, you're too cute for words. You've got a heart of gold and we can't help but root for you. You capture the essentials that make a JRPG tick perfectly – tons of exploration, quirky party banter intermingled with deep characterization, and you pull us in with your addictive time management...

Fun with alchemy; Bonding cast members; The beautiful art-style

Repetitive quests; Slow pacing; Boring battles

Last year, I reviewed Atelier Rorona. It was the first game of the long-running series that I had played. I found it to be a refreshing take on the standard turn based RPG. Now, a year later, almost to the date...

+ Alchemy is complex and fun; + Simple turn-based battles; + Decent story

Characters can become annoying; Quests can get old after a while

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+Quirky Characters and Interesting Story Once it Really Gets Going; +/-Combat is Good but Lacks Anything to Make it Great

+/-Combat is Good but Lacks Anything to Make it Great; -Quests are Repetitive and Get Boring Fast; Leaving a Sometimes Boring Grind

Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland is unique. It is a follow-up to an already good game with issues. Though it makes a couple of changes, they mean little in the grander scheme.

The Atelier series has been around for some time, but it only recently debuted on the PlayStation 3 with Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland . The adventures of the lead character, Rorona, tie directly into this sequel, Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland .

Growing up as a social outcast in the god-forsaken 90s, I found myself quickly drawn into the world of Japanese animation, helping to brand myself as a mega-nerd for the rest of time.

Over the last few years or so I've come to realize how bored I am of the constant "epic" atmosphere that the majority of RPGs tend to attempt constantly. What I've slowly learned about myself as an RPGamer is the satisfaction that comes from a million little successes.

The Atelier series is truly a strange beast. Simplistic battle systems and minimal story make room for the almost disturbingly complex item creation system that is the hallmark of the series.

The Atelier series is loved by many and I think those very fans will be really pleased with NISA and Gust's efforts in this latest adventure.

A treat for fans and the perfect place for newcomers to start with the Atelier series.

Addictive achievement-like system; gorgeous graphics and art; improved combat; open-ended gameplay

Some recycled music; some bad voice acting; noticeable absence of overarching plot