For fans of cute things, JRPGs, item creation. Improves a lot on Rorona.

I bought this after playing the first one. It's a vast improvement in many forms. The UI is more convenient; you can turn in quests fron the container rather than the basket. Selecting and sorting items is easier. You get to choose traits you want, instead of them being semi-random. The character sprites look more like the artwork, instead of deformed versions of themselves.

The music is still wonderful, and the graphics remain beautiful, if not a little better. The gathering areas are also free-roam wide areas instead of a linear on-rails type of exploring. Time is used up in a different way, but it's not bad.

I think there's more story, too? Totori is searching for her mother, while Rorona just needed to keep her workshop open. There's at least a little more drive to explore and follow the characters, who have more personality than those in the first game, I think.

Battle system is mostly the same, but you get a turn order display, which can help in strategizing.

If you're new to the series, you can start with Totori and not need to play Rorona if you're not a big fan of a game centered on item synthesis and just want to try something out. It definitely piles high on the "cute" and "moe" factor of all the characters, so that also has to be in your interests.

Japanese and English tracks are part of the game, so you can play with what you prefer.

DLC on PlayStation Network is mostly additional background music tracks and additional characters to include in your battle party. It's for looks and for the fun of battling, but remember this game is more item-driven and story-driven than battle-driven.

Overall a great step forward in the series after Rorona, and after I finish this I look forward to Meruru and Ayesha.

A unique game that has TONS to do! Atelier Totori is refreshing!

Originally I bought the PS3 to buy the previous game in this series, Atelier Rorona. However, hearing of the newer one and being strapped for cash... of course I wanted to try the newer installation in this series first with all it's new features.
Needless to say, I was not dissapointed.

Atelier Totori is a big change from most of the hack and slash or shooters that reign over the market today. And even quite different than most RPGs as well. With an enthralling story with multiple endings, how you play is your choice. Fight monsters, make items with a complex and personalized alchemy system, explore areas and mark down landmarks, collect items for your alchemy, and do quests! All this and more is just part of the fun of Atelier Totori! While the story runs off a timeline, you don't tend to feel too rushed, because if you're doing things, you're usually accumulating points towards your adventurers license (one of your goals in the game) anyways. Atelier Totori is something completely out of the way of most games we see today and it is an amazing refreshing experience and I reccomend it for any fans of RPGs, adventures, or games with LOTS to do!

It's niche JRPG fun at it's best. Great for series fans and anime lovers.

Atelier Totori is a breath of fresh air from a past era. It does not stray from the Atelier experience fans have come to know and love. It features a classic turn-based approach to combat that has been sorely missed in this generation's JRPG offerings. The gameplay is centered around exploration of the world, carrying out specialized quests, and synthesizing useful materials through combination alchemy. The anime influence is palpable and well-executed both in graphics and character development. Voice performances are top-notch and the music, while nothing overly special, is complementary and typical of the series. This game improves over Atelier Rorona and should more than satisfy fans of the franchise.