Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack

Genre: Compilation / Turn-Based JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack is a Compilation of JRPGs that includes the original “trilogy” of games in the Atelier Dusk sub-series of the overarching Atelier franchise of crafting-focused JRPGs, with the Dusk series being the sixth series in the franchise (check out this helpful guide on BarrelWisdom.com if you’d like a good overview of the Atelier franchise). However, here’s the short version:

The Dusk series gradually gets away from the overarching time limits the Atelier games are known for, with each successive game in the series having a more casual overall time limit compared to earlier entries in the series, and Shallie removing this limit entirely. They’re also slightly darker in tone than the Arland series.

This Compilation includes Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemists of Dusk DX, Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX, and Atelier Shallie: Alchemist of the Dusk Sea DX, the updated and modernized versions of the three games in this series, originally released on PlayStation 3 in 2013 through 2015.

Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C+
tl;dr Atelier Ayesha is the first game in the sixth series of Atelier games (the Dusk series), a franchise of JRPGs with a focus on crafting. Even though Atelier Ayesha is the start of a new trilogy, it feels very similar to the prior game, Atelier Meruru. And while this game’s excellent soundtrack and improved visuals are a point in its favor, the terrible story, bad voice acting, and performance issues on Nintendo Switch pair with the series’ focus on deadlines to make for a game that’s not only niche in its appeal, but on balance a worse game than its predecessor. Fans of the Atelier series will likely enjoy this game, but most JRPG players are better off aiming for one of the better games in the franchise.
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX	Turn-Based JRPG	1	B-
tl;dr Atelier Escha & Logy is the second game in the sixth series of Atelier games (the Dusk series), a franchise of JRPGs with a focus on crafting. Escha & Logy isn’t as visually impressive as Atelier Ayesha was, nor is its soundtrack all that memorable, but its relaxed approach to the series’ quest deadlines, more streamlined game design, and improved writing make this a better game overall, and a good entry point for players looking to try a “time limit”-era entry in the Atelier franchise.
Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX	Turn-Based JRPG	1	B+
tl;dr Atelier Shallie is the third game in the sixth series of Atelier games (the Dusk series), a franchise of JRPGs with a focus on crafting. Shallie is a strong entry in this series that improves on numerous elements of the franchise without having any glaring weak points compared to prior entries. The replacement of the series’ looming deadlines with the “Life Task System” is key among those improvements, but overall this game manages to hit all the right notes. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but if you’re looking for a great item-crafting Turn-Based JRPG, or searching for a good entry point to the Atelier series, Atelier Shallie is a fantastic choice.

In short, this is a series that gets better with each installment, with Atelier Shallie being in my opinion the best Atelier game in the series thus far. However, each game in this trilogy has something to offer, and each provides a different level of intensity with the series’ infamous quest deadlines, from an ominous looming 3-year in-game deadline in Ayesha to no deadlines at all in Shallie. Due to this variety, the streamlined gameplay elements in Escha & Logy and especially Shallie, and the overall solid soundtracks and visuals (albeit with performance issues in Ayesha), the Dusk trilogy is an excellent choice for newcomers to the Atelier series wanting a decent sampler of what the franchise has to offer.

So then, the question regarding this Compilation becomes one of value, and in that regard the Atelier Compilations generally tend to make a strong case for buying these games as a group. Each of the individual games in this collection sells individually for $40, while the Deluxe Pack sells for $90, saving you $30 on this trio of games (and even more if you can manage to find these games on sale, something that only happens rarely). And unlike the Arland trilogy, each of the games here has something worthwhile to offer.

In short, the Dusk series is a great entry point into the Atelier series, as its three games provide different levels of intensity regarding the series’ usual quest time limits. The highlights here are Escha & Logy, and especially Atelier Shallie, but Atelier Ayesha has solid visuals and a great soundtrack that make it worthwhile as well. If you’re a fan of JRPGs and curious to try out the Atelier games, this is solid and reasonably-priced package that should help you decide if you enjoy this style of game, and if you enjoy it, the differences in these games should help you to pinpoint where in the series you’d like to go next.

tl;dr – Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack is a Compilation of upgraded versions of the three games in the Dusk series, the sixth series in the Atelier franchise of crafting-focused JRPGs. This package includes Atelier Ayesha DX, Atelier Escha & Logy DX, and Atelier Shallie DX. If you’re looking to get into the Atelier series but not sure what end of the “time limit” pool you want to hop into, or if you’re just looking for a trio of good crafting-focused Turn-Based JRPGs, Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack is a solid choice, and it’s a decent enough deal that it’s well worth taking the plunge, especially if you can get it on sale.

Grade: B

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