Dengeki PlayStation magazine revealed the latest title in the Atelier series, Atelier Raiza: The Queen of Eternal Darkness and the Secret Hideout. The game will launch in Japan this fall for PS4 (it’s unclear at this time if the game will come out for PC and Nintendo Switch).
Gust, the studio behind the series, also released a teaser site featuring a short, 30 second trailer of who seems to be the protagonist alongside other characters — a male soldier, a female priest, and a child scholar. Both the video and website state that more information will be coming on May 28th.
The protagonist is Raizalin Staud, an ordinary girl who feels uneasy in a peaceful lifestyle. Seeking excitement, she’s always looking for something interesting to do with her friends. She’s free-spirited and has a strong sense of justice. When she believes she’s right, it’s not easy to convince her otherwise. Her story is about finding something she never thought would be important to her, after discovering alchemy and a chance encounter with a certain someone.
The game features greatly enhance visuals, realistic proportions, and expressions that make use of natural shadows. The scenario is written by both Gust and Shakugan no Shana manga creator Yashichiro Takahashi. Character designs are by Toridamono.
Fields are more realistically portrayed, such as the height of the sky and flower bushes, so to better represent everyday life and adventure in a deeper sense, as well as to feel more expansive. Combat is completely revamped and turn-based, which evolves into something more aggressive and tense. There is also a new system where you can create bonds with your friends.
Synthesis uses a new system in which “creation” is the keyword. Instead of the current tile-based skill system of other Atelier titles, Atelier Raiza uses a skill tree-like tree system. In terms of item gathering, acquired items change depending on the tool used, even at the same gathering points.
Producer Junzo Hosoi revealed some interesting factoids about Atelier Raiza in his interview with Dengeki:
- Development is led by Gust’s Nagano studio, with myself as the sole producer. The concept itself was developed alongside Atelier Lulua. Full-blown development began around July 2018 at about the same time as Atelier Lulua.
- For the concept, I wanted to depict a coming of age story of boys and girls. So the concept of this game is something like,’summer memories.’
- The graphics are more realistic and have life-like proportions, which is a significant change from our visual expression on PlayStation
- 4 thus far starting with Atelier Sophie, but this time we are doing a complete overhaul.
- We’re working hard on the visual side to depict summer memories and the new expressions we want to see.
- We’re also trying to find a balance between photo-realism and ‘toon rendering’ using graphics we are capable of making.
- There won’t be any romance, but there are some more or less bittersweet moments. They won’t develop into love though (laughs).
- There are character episode and side story-like elements, but there won’t be any individual endings.
- Development is simply difficult all around! (Laughs.) From here on it will be even more rigorous as we continue to polish the game to ensure it’s fun.
- We chose Toridamono as character designer because he is able to draw appealing illustrations, but also because his art has a certain charm that’s unique to himself.
- Raiza is a lively one! She is similar to Lulua in a way, but not as impulsive as her. She’s a lively child who really doesn’t know much about the world.
- The three others aside from Raiza are her friends who she spends her time with. This is a story of these children growing up.
- Toridamono really fixated on getting Raiza’s thighs right. There were even staff on the Gust side that followed his lead (laughs).
- The catch copy (Bye-bye, Atelier. I will never forget this adventure.) is a reference to the Atelier in which Raiza and her friends spend their days, not a goodbye to the Atelier series.
- The scenario is being produced in the way that we did Blue Reflection. The plot feels like it was written by Takahashi while coming up with it at Gust.
- For the subtitle, we wanted to sound fresh and new, so our subtitle is made up of the game’s keywords.
- For the music, we’ve asked for those charge of previous Atelier games, as well as new folks to create high-quality music befitting of the game.
- Synthesis, gathering, and battle being the core three elements of the game has not changed.
- For players, the feelings of familiarity and relief [in games staying the same] have gradually become a groove that haven’t been able to get out of, so this time there is big change at the core of the game.
- Our goal is for Atelier Raiza to utilize all of our experience thus far, what makes our games interesting, and what we do best, while also challenging the game systems. Since we are evolving and revising various parts, I think it will be a game of considerable change.”
- Since both the story and systems are changing, some players might be dissatisfied, but we’re prepared for that. But this is the first step towards a new Atelier, so we want people to experience it.
- We want to release it before it gets cold out. Development is currently 45 percent complete.
Atelier Lulua, the previous entry in the series, released on May 21st for Switch, PS4, and PC.
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