Atelier Iris 3 Grand Phantasm is a classic Japanese style RPG game on the PlayStation 2 that is set in the amazing universe of Atelier Iris. According to legend, the power of alchemy once allowed people to travel between worlds through powerful dimensional gates. Unfortunately this civilization was destroyed and the knowledge to cross into other worlds was lost… until now.
 

Features

With the fast paced ACCB system, game battle sequences are ordered by cards that represent the characters’ action order. The quicker the character, the faster their action turn comes around. An innovative change for Atelier Iris 3 is the introduction of a symbol encounter system. Players will no longer randomly encounter enemies, but visually confirm and engage them. Unlike previous Atelier Iris titles, the all-new Atelier Iris 3 adopts a guild quest system. With this system, players can easily accept quests and missions that the guild posts. Job class system –Blades Master Comprehensive item/weapon crafting Breathtakingly beautiful animated artwork

 

This engaging RPG story begins with the story of the Wizard’s Librim of Escalario, an ancient tome that promises the wielder anything that there heart’s desire. In order to prevent this ancient artifact from falling into the wrong hands, the device has been divided into eight different parts and scattered throughout the world.

 

The gamer joins with alchemist Iris who has in her possession the key to this device, however she will need to traverse the lands in order to restore this artifact. Fortunately for Iris, she is teamed with Edge who will have you find this lost relic.

 

Before engaging in the main adventure, the player must complete a variety of special quests for the Guild and then it’s time to search for the Wizard’s Librim of Escalario. Although the story may sound clichéd and contrived, it’s classic Japanese RPG and really pays homage to the first two titles of this addictive series.

 

The combat of the title is extremely reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series which gives each character his or her turn to select the maneuver that they wish to do in this particular turn. This is done by choosing one of the icons on the dial such as attack, magic or use an item. Although the title is turn-based, it may deter some games but the gameplay is actually quite dynamic and the battles are not as verbose as the Final Fantasy series.
 

 

The title also allows gamers to create their own items thanks to Iris’ abilities and as you progress through the game, this skill increases as do your main statistics which is what RPG’s are all about. You can really make some progress in the Alterworlds due to the number of enemies that you encounter which will have you leveling in no time. Apart from the sub quests and the main quest, the gamer can also search for recipes which assist in creating these amazing and unique items.

 

Graphically, Atelier Iris 3 is a strange looking title on the PlayStation 2 that almost looks like it should have been made several years ago but the cute “Cartoon” graphics and detailed background environments will have you immersed in this title from start to finish. Fans of the original series will be pleased with some of the locales in this title and even though some areas may be familiar, the developers have ensured that there is enough new content to make this game a true sequel.

 

 

Musically, the title features an extremely ambient soundtrack that suits the genre perfectly and will assist in drawing you further into this amazing universe. Match that with a variety of sound effects that have been professionally implemented into this title and there is little to complain about in this department of the title.

 

In conclusion, Atelier Iris 3 Grand Phantasm is the sequel that fans of the original series are looking or for those that cannot get enough of Japanese RPG titles that are unfortunately lacking in today's current next generation console market. Addictive gameplay, interesting graphics, Atelier Iris 3 Grand Phantasm is definitely a game that gamers should investigate if they enjoy this genre.