Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World puts players in the shoes of Nelke von Lestamm, a young noblewoman who has always been fascinated by the ancient legend of the Sage of Granzweit; a tale of the Granzweit Tree which is said to bestow great power upon those whom discover it. As she grew up and learned her skills were not in alchemy, she studied hard to become a government official and help those around her. The day Nelke is set to graduate the academy, however, her life changes forever as she hears a rumour that the tree can be found within her father’s lands near the small village of Westwald. Her father grants her permission to search for it on one condition – that she becomes governor of the area and develops Westwald into a prosperous city.

As players work hard to build Westwald up from a quaint village to a flourishing city, they will require the aid of the many alchemists that settle in the town. Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World features famous alchemists from previous entries across the Atelier series, including those from the Salburg, Arland, Dusk, and Mysterious trilogies.

In order to successfully build a new town, Nelke will be tasked with venturing out into Westwald’s surrounding lands to find raw materials; perfect to entrust one of the town’s alchemists to synthesize into sellable goods. In Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World, an adventure party of up to five characters from throughout Atelier’s collection of fan-favorite games will be formed before setting off on an investigation route, with each party member having a role: attack or support. During an investigation, players will need to be mindful of the Action Gauge. Running through an area too fast will not only rapidly decrease the gauge, but there is risk of missing items and finishing the exploration with less rewards. The Action Gauge is also used for special field events where investigative teams will search for unique items critical to success, like a shovel.

Exploration does come with its fair share of danger, though. While venturing out on various investigative routes, players will encounter perilous foes which must be defeated in order to proceed. Utilizing a collection of different skills, players will whittle down the enemy’s HP bar during their time on the Turn Gauge. As attack and support skills are used, the Burst Gauge gradually fills – enabling characters to perform a more powerful ability, striking down enemies with a damaging blow, or using the new power to boost defense. In addition, each character will have their own Drive Gauge; a meter that will be filled from both attacks and the use of the Burst Gauge. Utilizing the Drive Gauge is of utmost importance as it enables members of the party to speed up their normal attacks.

Anyone in North America who pre-orders or purchases Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World within the first two weeks will be entitled to the Town Building 5-Item Set. This pack contains the Gust 25th Anniversary Background Music Packs 1 and 2, the Atelier 20th Anniversary Appreciation House, the ‘Mysterious Alchemist’ Statue, and an additional resident ‘Gust-chan’.

Fans of the Atelier series will also be able to get their hands on a delightful Collector’s Edition of Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World, exclusively available through the NISA Online Store. This must-have version of the game contains a hardcover art book, the game’s official soundtrack, a deluxe cloth poster, and an acrylic standee featuring the main character Nelke, all packaged into a beautiful collector’s box featuring artwork of the famous alchemists who appear in the game.

A Weekly Report is prepared at the end of each week which shows the current town population, the amount of income made, number of properties, and the number of synthesized items. Using this report, players can decide how they will spend their time in Westwald, perhaps they will tackle quests and town development during the weekday and develop relationships with residents on the weekend. As Nelke spends time with people in Westwald she’ll deepen her bonds with them leading to not only exciting events between characters, but new town facilities and alchemist skills which aid in both synthesis and battle!

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World will be released on March 26, 2019 (March 29, 2019 in Europe) for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).