Release Date: 20 June, 2014 (PAL) / June 24, 2014 (NA)
Platform: PS3 (Physical and Digital) / Vita (Digital Only)
Cross-Save: YES
Cross-Buy: NOPE (though the DLC is)
Developer: GUST
Publisher: Tecmo-Koei
Text Language: English
Audio Language: English, Japanese
Size: 4.6 GB (PS3) | 2.9 GB (Vita)
[Official NA Site] [Official EU Site] [Official Facebook Page]
[NA Store Page (PS3 with Bonus)] [NA Store Page (Vita with 3 DLCs)]
Since the story and basic premise is the same as the original Rorona, please check our Volcynika's lovely OT from way back when! It's also good for comparison screenshots!
This OT is mostly going to focus on what
Plus Cole, Rorona's parents (Ryan and Laura), Totori, and Meruru.
Click images for bigger versions, if so desired. This will double as a screenshots section.
Please check the official site for a comprehensive section on new stuff, though it repeats itself a little. I'm only giving little summaries for whatever I thought was new enough to be put here.
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No more objectively ugly chibi graphics for Rorona. Now we have fancy 3D models comparable to Atelier Meruru's! Heck, I'm pretty sure Totori and Meruru just use their Meruru models.
Synthesis system taken from Atelier Meruru! Now you can choose the traits you want!!! Though it is pretty standard by now...
THERE IS MP NOW!!! No more element bar, and instead we get a regular old support bar. Basically another thing ripped from Meruru. Yay new assist attacks and super moves?
*gasp* Something not copied from Meruru, but from Escha & Logy! So new! Sterk is once again placed in the role of giving you your tasks, much like Marion does in Escha & Logy. You get extra stuff for doing extra things, bingo style.
Oh no! Totori and Meruru from the future have somehow gotten sent back in time, right after Rorona saves her workshop! How could such a thing have happened?!
Now Totori and Meruru have to seek out their not-yet teacher, possibly causing time paradoxes, but also giving us one extra in-game year to find a way to send them back to their proper time.
Along with the obvious Totori and Meruru being party members as they search for a way back to their home time...
Super cool front desk castle secretary, Esty
Put stuff in a Time Capsule for Totori and Meruru and they'll send you something fancier back! Apparently it's not actually that useful, but I guess it's cool?
No, you can't actually send things to Totori Plus or Meruru Plus, contrary to what official sources originally said.
Not exactly
The Abyssal Tower from Totori shows up for some reason too. I doubt you can actually go beyond north and east of Arland, so how does that even work?!
Machina Domain also shows up, and that's supposed to be all the way in Arls, so it makes even less sense!
Obviously, there are probably bosses tougher than the main game in these extra areas that require ultimate equips and bombs to beat.
Such as in the other "Plus" games, Rorona Plus has new costumes for some characters. Rorona, Totori, Meruru, Sterk (surprisingly), and Lionela all get additional costumes.
I'm only posting Sterk's because his is the most important.
In the original Rorona, the Atelier was slowly decorated as you synthesized new items, however, Rorona Plus apparently allows you to customize how you decorate it!
Supposedly, different decorations give different effects. Useful items like the Secret Bag and Spring Cup are implemented here and apparently you can transfer these to NG+.
You can now plant stuff in a little garden outside of Rorona's Atelier. You can get different seeds to plant and get different traits on them.
There's (finally) a log for dialogue! Not even Escha & Logy had this, yet Ar tonelico III did. Why wasn't this implemented before?!
There's a theatre mode where you can go back and rewatch scenes whenever you want, how convenient!
Obviously, there's a few new events here and there, as well. Though the bulk of it is probably in Overtime Mode with Totori and Meruru.
Events also show up on the Shortcut Menu now much like Escha & Logy! Also choosing endings.
Digital Chumps - 8.8
Digitally Downloaded - ★★★★★
GameRevolution - 4.0
God is a Geek - 7/10
Push Square - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Siliconera
USGamer - 5/5
Q: Is this a good place to jump into the series?
A: Yes, you can basically jump into Atelier with any game you please. Though I personally suggest release order, including this one. It would probably be better to play at least Totori before Rorona Plus, because Rorona Plus will be better mechanically than Totori overall. If you want to start chronologically, this is the place to start. Though the Overtime Mode kind of follows up the new ending that was added in Meruru Plus, or so I've heard.
If you don't care, then just play whatever you want first! I personally think the best place to jump in is original Rorona, but many people believe Totori to be better because it's just so much better mechanically. My first traditional Atelier game was Annie, but I've followed the series since Atelier Iris 1 was first released here.
Q: Is there a time limit?
A: Yes, as with the original Rorona, it will probably be stricter than Escha & Logy's. But with the new additions, I'm not sure how much stricter it will be than the original Rorona's. I personally didn't think original Rorona's was that strict either, though.
Q: I hear there are save data bonuses! What games should I have saves for, and what do they give?
Basically all PS3 and Vita Atelier games give a bonus. (Atelier Rorona, Totori, Meruru, Ayesha, Escha & Logy, Totori Plus, Meruru Plus) Though you obviously have to own both versions to get all of them. Some of them give full costumes, while others just give accessories. For example, having an Escha & Logy save will give you Escha's hat.
Q: Preorder Bonuses?
A: Yes. I know Gamestop in the US is getting one. Rorona Plus Vita will come with all 3 pre-order costumes in the first four weeks, the PS3 digital version will come with one of them, and the GS preorder has two of them. I can't find anything about bonuses on Europe at the moment, so maybe some EU peeps can help out?!
Q: Any DLC?
A: Not that I know of.
Thanks to Maeryn for helping a bit with graphics, Noxie for being cool, Tecmo-Koei EU's Rorona Plus Official Site for some images, dakkumauji for NA preorder info, ohlawd for some more specific details, and you guys for reading this. Let me know if anything needs fixing, thanks!
