Atelier interview: Finding the proper mixture for a niche RPG

The Atelier series has a conceit that’s a bit different from the Final Fantasys, Tales, and just about every other Japanese role-playing games out there — alchemy. Creation is key; you use recipes to make new items as you take on the challenges you find in the series’ gorgeous worlds. From the dev studio Gust, Atelier first hit Japan in 1997, but it took eight years for it to hit the West with Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana in June 2005.

Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings came out in March 2018, and it was the first Atelier game I’d ever played. I wanted to learn more about the series, so I asked Gust’s associate head of development Keisuke Kikuchi some questions about the franchise. He’s working Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, which was just announced for release in Japan on September 26 and in the West on October 29 for PC, PS4, and Switch. Koei-Tecmo has been the series’ publisher over the years.