One of PS Vita's most charming - and often overlooked JRPG's Atelier Totori offers an adventure with a real change of pace and a core of surprising depth.
VGChartz's Adam Cartwright: "the handheld was unable to attract certain types of software – western AAA development quickly evaporated, as did Sony’s own support, because there weren’t enough consoles out there for such titles to be profitable. But that doesn’t mean that every publisher failed to find success. Indeed, there are a number of franchises out there that have been able to appeal to the Vita’s niche and which have seen positive sales numbers and critical reception, leading to them becoming mainstays on the handheld.
It’s these series that I intend to examine in more depth this article – what they are, what entries we’ve seen, what success they’ve had, and what it’s meant for the console’s future. I’ll be using known sales figures where possible to back things up, hopefully demonstrating that the Vita has been a solid home for a number of great series despite its otherwise weak commercial performance on the market."
Michibiku's Jenni Lada writes, "JRPGs become more predictable as they age. The mechanics are still sound, the stories still good, and the general concept still appreciated in a world where open-world everything is becoming the norm. Think of it as perpetual familiarity. We now what’s going to happen. Gust’s Atelier chronicles can fall within the bounds of predictable, but the series’ focus on individuals sets it apart."
Grant from Denkiphile: "After the last Atelier game – which came to America about two months ago – the Vita port of Atelier Totori came almost out of the blue and in this way, it seems that the titular Totori has come to take after her father. While one of the first of the series to come to Vita, this game is a nearly a direct port of the original from PS3. However, the addition of a new dungeon, a number of new enemies, costumes, and accessories are definitely worth a buy for newcomers as well as hardcore fans of the series, though it is recommended that first-timers play the prequel, Atelier Rorona before this one. "
I really enjoyed it and will be getting the next once I've got rid of some of my backlog.