Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk Image
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76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 54 Ratings

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  • Summary: Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk tells the stpru of Ayesha Altugle, who after the death of her grandfather and the disappearance of her younger sister Nio, lives alone blending healing cures to sell in her workshop. When she sees a vision of Nio appearing near her empty grave,Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk tells the stpru of Ayesha Altugle, who after the death of her grandfather and the disappearance of her younger sister Nio, lives alone blending healing cures to sell in her workshop. When she sees a vision of Nio appearing near her empty grave, Ayesha, convinced she is still alive begins her search to save her. The enhanced PlayStation Vita version brings new features including dual audio, bosses from Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky, new costumes, a hard mode and the Album missions which unlock exclusive costumes and gameplay features and the ability to change party members at any time. Additionally, almost all content from the original PlayStation 3 version can be carried over. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. 100
    Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk is a more complex game than initially appears, with a nuanced and interesting setting and narrative. At the same time it's supported by likable characters, clean gameplay and a traditional JRPG combat system that hits all the right notes. It's GUST at its most insightful, and it's arguably the finest game on the PlayStation Vita.
  2. Feb 11, 2015
    91
    It may look like all the others that have come before it, but play it for any length of time and you'll quickly find that it's anything but.
  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 24, 2015
    75
    Not the best in the series, but packed full of new exclusive extras that make a return visit well worth it. [March 2015, p80]
  4. Feb 4, 2015
    74
    Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk looks good and has a great crafting system, but it pales in comparison to Atelier Rorona.
  5. 70
    The Alchemist of Dusk manages to stand out from the rest of the Atelier series and serves as an excellent RPG option for anyone with a PS Vita.
  6. Feb 11, 2015
    70
    Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk is a solid port from Gust, which adds another Atelier game to the PlayStation Vita.
  7. Push Square
    Mar 1, 2015
    70
    Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk offers the perfect start for fledgling apothecaries. However, while its features are vastly improved over titles in the previous trilogy, its combat system is outshined by successor Escha & Logy. Thankfully, for those playing exclusively on the Vita, this issue can be cast aside, and you'll find an in-depth storyline with oodles of character development here.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Mar 20, 2015
    10
    I love all the atelier series games from gust and the best one i am waiting for is Atelier Escha a logy plus.Atelier Shallie has been on Ps3,I love all the atelier series games from gust and the best one i am waiting for is Atelier Escha a logy plus.Atelier Shallie has been on Ps3, so i better wait this too.
    Although,Atelier Ayesha plus is a good and splendid one for the Psvita...And i like it must better.Thanks you so much for Vita announcement and for more game on the vita makes it a nice handheld gaming.

    I also like Persona 4 Golden, it is just like the same function as ateliergame. P4D gonna release soon.
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  2. Feb 17, 2015
    10
    You should play this as vita are lacking of good non indie games, especially if you like JRPG or anime style game whatsoever. Great combatYou should play this as vita are lacking of good non indie games, especially if you like JRPG or anime style game whatsoever. Great combat system, great alchemy, good story, good graphic but with some framedrop. But overall its enjoyable Expand
  3. Feb 23, 2017
    9
    Atelier Ayesha is very good JRPG game. The game has really strong and a bit dark main story, which will absolutely devour you and you willAtelier Ayesha is very good JRPG game. The game has really strong and a bit dark main story, which will absolutely devour you and you will want to continue until you finish. There is also one of the best music ever I have heard in games, I really like many songs from this! Graphics are pretty sweet and we can see there one step forward. Gust is leaving visual novel dialogue style and comes to 3D dialogues. This feels really good and it is nice improvement. The game itself offers something for everyone! A must for every RPG fan.

    GRAPHIC - 9
    GAMEPLAY - 8
    LASTING APPEAL - 9
    EXECUTION - 8

    OVERALL - 8,75
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  4. Jan 14, 2015
    9
    epic game trully. the time limit is surely more lenient compared to the arland trio. combat is sleek and the graphics are top notch. soundepic game trully. the time limit is surely more lenient compared to the arland trio. combat is sleek and the graphics are top notch. sound track is AMAZING.

    negatives include the fact it still can take a half day to gather one point and recycling of voice actors (willbels voice actor is the same as ceci's from atelier totori)

    overall greatly recomended as the best atelier game in years.
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  5. Mar 17, 2015
    8
    Beautiful visuals, a mellow time limit and a deep crafting system, Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk is a marvelous experience thatBeautiful visuals, a mellow time limit and a deep crafting system, Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk is a marvelous experience that is only slightly bogged down by a finicky frame rate.

    Atelier Ayesha Plus is a very laidback game. The crux of the game revolves around Ayesha's quest to save her sister Nio, which must be done before three years have passed. Moving around the overworld, gathering ingredients and crafting take time and you'll always have a countdown looming over you. While the in game time limit might initially make its players feel rushed they'll soon realize that they have ample time to complete everything the game has to offer. Even the story progression is relaxed, allowing the player to complete different parts of the main thread in different order. I feel that the time limit doesn't rush the player as much as it reminds them to not lose focus .

    The art of Atelier Ayesha Plus is fantastic. All of the colors of the game are muted but still paint a beautiful world. Ruins are dark, yet dazzling . Forests and fields are lush and seem much bigger than just the small parts that the characters trek though. However, there is a price for all its beauty; the game has a finicky frame rate and long loading times. As other reviews have mentioned, the frame rate can drop significantly in areas with a lot of movement, such as towns, or during transitions, like going into combat. Long load times are common and have caused me more than once to double check to ensure my Vita had not run out of power. Other small gripes I have about the game include the very small text and the default background music volume being too loud to hear dialogue (which can be turned down in the options menu).

    Most of your time in Atelier Ayesha Plus will be spent gathering ingredients and crafting them into new items. Almost all of the stock of the shops are ingredients and other raw materials, so you'll be crafting your own healing items, offensive items and most of your equipment. This isn't a problem because crafting is so engrossing. Craftable items list general categories for their ingredients, such as oil, animal part or paper, rather than specific items. This allows multiple combinations of ingredients to make the same item. Furthermore each ingredient has different traits which can add new effects and properties to the resulting item. This means that every batch of crafted items has the potential to be unique. I've sunk hours trying simply to find out what new properties I can find for my potions and poisons, even going so far as to use high quality ingredients to craft inferior items just to see if I can unlock something new.

    The combat of Atelier Ayesha Plus is simple as it is not meant to overshadow the exploration or crafting portions of the game. Like Personas 3 and 4, enemies show up on the map and having Ayesha hit them with her staff will allow her to attack first in the coming battle. Fights play out similar to other JRPGs, with characters either attacking or using special abilities on their respective turn however it also incorporates the Active Command System; each character has a Support Gage that fills up whenever they perform an action and can be spent in order to execute an action on another character's -or an enemy's- turn if you enter the correct prompt during that character's attacking animation.

    Also worth noting is the importance of items in combat. Only alchemists are allowed to use items and while the potions, bombs and poisons would seem meager in any other game, in the Atelier series they surpass even the most powerful magic. A single item can turn an unwinnable fight into an easy victory and a well stocked party can venture both further and for much longer than those with few items. While the Active Command System and emphasis on items are unique, they're not especially groundbreaking. But, again, the combat takes a backseat to the other elements of this game, meaning you don't have to min/max every character, grind for experience or craft the absolute best weapons in order to get by.

    As my first venture into the Atelier series, I really enjoyed Atelier Ayesha Plus. I always found something that I wanted to complete, not for the reward, but just to see what new property I can add to an item. Or to discover what new ingredients there were. Or to find what happens next in the story. The game is full of stuff you WANT to do, not simply "can do" or are "forced to do." And even with the overhanging time limit, the game gives you enough time to do it all. With its annoying frame rate as the only problem that really bothered me, I have to strongly recommend Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk.
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  6. Jan 22, 2015
    8
    "Additionally, almost all content from the original PlayStation 3 version can be carried over" is actually not accurate. the company itself"Additionally, almost all content from the original PlayStation 3 version can be carried over" is actually not accurate. the company itself from what I've seen on blogs as well as looking in the game has no way of importing what you have had in the PS3 verion to that in the Vita version. There apparently is one outfit you can get, but I don't see a way to integrate one save versus the other. The game itself is fun - but the false advertising hurts the rating. Expand
  7. Oct 13, 2019
    8
    I played this game after playing the 2nd of the trilogy of the The Alchemist of Dusk of series. The reason I played this is I'm quite curiousI played this game after playing the 2nd of the trilogy of the The Alchemist of Dusk of series. The reason I played this is I'm quite curious on the story of the protagonist of the first one after giving some hints and backstory in the cut scenes on the Escha and Logy game.

    Compared to the second one it wasn't that bad. What I hate about it is the loading times on just moving from places to another place. It was quite annoying if you pick incorrectly on the place or location you where going to go.

    The lack of male characters is a downer for me also. I'm okay with the cute waifu and all I mean almost all of them have an allure or unique personality that makes them stand out. However Only Wilbell, Regina. Ernie and Nanaca are the only people that I didn't skip on any of their cutscenes.

    But music on the other hand was always good nothing to complain about that.

    All in all this is a good atelier game. I recommend it to fans of the atelier series.
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See all 8 User Reviews