Atelier Lydie & Soeur: Alchemists of the Mysterious Painting will launch for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PS Vita this winter in Japan, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals. It will cost 7,300 yen on PlayStation 4 and Switch, and 6,300 yen on PS Vita. A limited edition will also be available for 10,300 yen and 9,300 yen, respectively.
The game features two protagonists. Players will not choose between them, however:
- Lydie Marlen (voiced by Maria Naganawa) – Soeur’s older sister. The quiet type.
- Soeur Marlen (voiced by Hikari Akao) – The energetic type, opposite of her older sister.
Lydie and Soeur are twin sisters who run a small atelier in Melveille, the capital city of the Adalett Kingdom. One of the paintings they discover has a mysterious world within it.
The latest Atelier game is an adventure inside a painting. The synthesis system has seen a dramatic evolution with the introduction of “activation items.” Battles are “combination battles” where characters fight in pairs, and during which synthesis is also possible. 3D models have also significantly evolved.
First-print copies will include costume downloadable content that change the characters into Marie from Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg and Elie from Atelier Elie: The Alchemist of Salburg 2.
Thanks, Ryokutya2089 (2).
Update 4:45 a.m.: A few more tidbits of information have come in.
- Battles consist of three pairs of characters for a total of six characters in a party. Command input is only for characters in the front, and characters in the rear will take action automatically. Characters will be able to use super flashy combos.
- Synthesis during battle is called “Battle Mix.” The synthesis itself takes on a simple form, allowing players to instantly create an item using the items they already have in their possession.
- As your Atelier Rank rises, the paintings you can enter will also rise.
- The basics of synthesis are the same as Atelier Firis, but the system has evolved with the use of “activation items.”
- The game will have the feeling of an adventure while still mainaining its Atelier-ness.
Thanks, Ryokutya2089.
Update 8:00 a.m.: A few new details have come in.
- The twins help their father, an alchemist, while aiming to run the country’s top atelier. Their dreams grow closer to reality one day when they come across a painting.
- Both Lydie and Soeur are 14 years old. Lydie is the older twin. She is gentle and a bit of an airhead. She has a unique sense for art. Soeur is the younger twin. She is a cheerful, tomboy genius, and is afraid of insects. Both live in a small, not very well known atelier.
- The concept of the story is “the coexistence of the ordinary and the extraordinary.” It will depict both the story of a warm and comfortable everyday life, and the story of an extraordinary journey in the worlds of paintings.
- The setting of the adventure is the insides of paintings. Players will find many rare materials that they cannot find in the real world, which can be used to brush up their alchemy skills.
- Players can increase their Atelier Rank by taking on requests and tasks in town. By increasing their Atelier Rank, players will gain access to more new painting worlds.
- The familiar synthesis system of the “Mysterious” series carries over to this game. A new element called “activation items” has been added, which has various effects, such as drastically shifting the panel colors when used during synthesis.
- The “combination battle” system sees up to three pairs of characters fight for a maximum total of six party members. Each pair has a member in the front and a member in the back. Players can select commands for members in the front, while members in the back will perform actions automatically depending on the conditions. There is also an in-battle synthesis feature called “Battle Mix,” which lets players synthesize collected materials on the spot.
- Keisuke Kikuchi is the development producer. Junzo Hosoi is the general producer. Development is currently 58 percent complete.
- While producer Kikuchi was away for the development of Atelier Firis, he returned for the completion of the “Mysterious” series and 20th anniversary of the Atelier series.
- Since Atelier Sophie, the quality of the 3D models has been rising. The CG models are being supervised by the illustrators.
- NOCO did the protagonist design for Atelier Sophie, the first title in the “Mysterious” series, and Yuugen did it for Atelier Firis, the second title. For Atelier Lydie & Soeur, the third title, both are designing the protagonists.
- You won’t choose a protagonist. The two characters are always advancing the story together.
- Since you can go inside paintings, there was talk during the early stages of development that it might be nice if you could go to the worlds of Atelier Marie or Blue Reflection. But it was first important to bring the “Mysterious” series to an end, so they dropped that idea, but perhaps there may be something if there is a big enough response.
- Since it is the 20th anniversary of the Atelier series, this is being made as a culmination of everything the Gust Brand has cultivated so far.
- The game can by enjoyed by both first-time Atelier players, as well as fans who played the first two “Mysterious” games.
Thanks, Hachima Kikou.