Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea Review (PlayStation Vita)

"Subtle but awesome!"

Title: Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea

Genre: Turn-Based JRPG

Developer: Gust Co. Ltd.

Publisher: Koei Tecmo

Price: $39.99 (US.Digital) / £34.99 (EU.Digital) / SGD 56.90 (SG.Digital)

PlayStation Network Page: US / EU / SG

Release Date: January 17, 2017

We had braced the sails as the wind and tides brought us to the conclusion of the Dusk series, developed by Gust and brought to us by Koei Tecmo, the game harnesses the essence of what an Atelier game is all about, though not without limitations dangling in the balance, the game still converges as an unforgettable experience.

Shallie introduces a memorable cast of characters along with an engrossing story; in addition to a robust turn-based battle system that is further improved on Shallie Plus. The game redefines a lot of features on the PlayStation 3 Shallie, although minute differences exist between both versions.

The game suffers from the hardware limitations, presenting a range of problems such as frame drops and environments lacking that much needed content in order to immerse the player further. As far as visual presentation is concerned, the game still captures the ambiance that the PlayStation 3 version imparts, a factor that makes every playthrough a nostalgic experience.

Musical scores will be a trip to fantasia as each score juggles from a cheery to a murky atmosphere; instrumentals had been improved and are clearer and crispier on Shallie Plus, contrary to the PlayStation 3 Shallie. English voice-overs ride a downdraft making every spoken dialog imbalanced and unbecoming of the actual message being enacted.

OVERVIEW:

Quality	◆◆◆◇◇
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Verdict: Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemist of the Dusk Sea had taken up arms and put the most effort among the ported series of Atelier, and setting the final nail at the Dusk Trilogy. Though differences in elements are minute as compared to the original, as it will be worth most to the newly introduced players in the Atelier series.	8.2 ◆◆◆◆◇ Overall Score

-REVIEW ACCESS WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER-