Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings celebrates the 20th Anniversary for the franchise and summons players to become the best alchemist ever by following the tale of the apprentice alchemist twins Lydie and Suelle. While working with their father to make their atelier the best in town, the outgoing twins surprisingly discover colorful worlds by jumping into magical paintings and soon find that the mysterious paintings hold the residual thoughts of their deceased mother. Traveling through different paintings reveals vivid worlds for the twins – from the light tones of the ethereal ‘Heavenly Flower Garden’, with the falling rain of stars, to the gloomy hues of the not so delightful Halloween-inspired ‘The Spooky Forest’.

This fateful discovery is just the beginning of the twin’s adventure leading them to their joint goal… to run the best atelier in the country.

As they journey through a bounty of colorful locations, the girls will encounter the many surprises each world has hidden within them – with some unfriendly foes standing in their way. The girls will have to use everything in their arsenal to overcome their opponents, including alchemy. For the first time in the Atelier series, players are able to synthesize items while in battle for immediate use through Battle Mix and Extra Mix, with each opening up a range of new strategic options.

Battle Mix focuses on crafting special Battle Recipes that enhance weaponry or cause a drastic change to the battlefield conditions; players stuck in a tight spot with an icy foe could imbue their weapon with fire or even melt away the ice on the battlefield to give themselves the ideal advantage. Extra Mix utilizes pre-synthesized items – heightening their abilities and even adding new characteristics in ways which were previously impossible. In the case of the ever-useful Bomb item, which can be used to attack a group of enemies during combat, Extra Mix allows for the creation of the Enormous Bomb with a wider attack radius and a much deadlier blow. Experimenting with various ingredients can lead to impressive outcomes, with plenty of different items to match each player’s unique gameplay style.

Alchemy is not the only tool at Lydie and Suelle’s disposal, as up to eight quirky companions can enter the fray with the all new Combination Battle mechanic. Building upon the party setup previously featured in the series, each of the four characters will partner up with another to form a strong unit which will effectively engage enemies in close-quarters combat and perform ample support. The four characters at the front of a pair will focus on dealing blows to the opponent, with the four at the back carefully analyzing enemy attacks and jumping in to defend and support as needed. Carefully selecting the right duo that matches the player’s preferred playstyle is a key element of the game; the right pairing can allow devastating Combination Attacks to be performed in their moment of need!

Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings also includes appearances from the protagonists of the previous titles - Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book and Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey. The adventurous Firis, her protective older sister Liane, the inquisitive Sophie, and her friendly alchemy teacher Plachta are all back to help Lydie and Suelle fulfil their dream to run the best atelier in the country. Fans will also be pleased to see other familiar faces returning in this brand-new tale, such as Ilmeria, who has now taken the role of a teacher for the new alchemists!

Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC via Steam on March 27, 2017 (March 30 In Europe).