Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

All in all, Atelier Escha & Logy has made a solid return with its “Plus” version for the PS Vita. While at times the fluffy dialogue and constant state of repetitive work can be a bore, the long-lived Atelier formula with its alchemy, expeditions, and battles keep you trucking along.

Overall, there’s plenty of value to be had in Atelier Escha and Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dark Sky. It just takes quite a bit of time to maintain your patience with the heavy dialogue, bland visuals and a generally boring story.

The combat is a bit predictable to start, but once you get yourself stuck into the more accessible alchemy system, you'll never go into two fights with the same toolset available, which is refreshing.

While I loved Escha & Logy the first time I played it, this time around I did see more blemishes than perhaps I wanted to admit. While it's fun to have a Dressing Room feature where I can make everyone look like pirates, I am still frustrated at how Gust hasn't ironed out the wrinkles in these versions. Flaws aside, I still loved replaying this game, imperfections and all.

While this one can unfortunately get bogged down in repetitive busywork, and lacks the fun sense of exploration that comes with better map design, there’s still plenty to enjoy: the stylized characters and environments look excellent on Vita, the score is impressively eclectic and the gameplay offers a highly satisfying challenge for completionists.

If you’ve played it before and liked it, you’ll enjoy Escha & Logy Plus, but you won’t find much new to be excited about. For everyone else, it’s a stock RPG that’s neither too hard nor too interesting. Have an energy drink before playing so you can stay awake.