Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland DX

What it is

Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland DX is a role-playing game and the third release in the Arland series. It follows Meruru, princess of the small country of Arls, as she uses alchemy to encourage its growth. Synthesis, exploration, and battles contribute to developing the kingdom and increasing its population within a time limit. Players also gather development points by hearing residents' requests and fulfilling them; those points support the kingdom's growth and construction of new facilities. The English version includes English voice acting, though some events are not voiced in English. The Steam release is single-player and includes achievements, Steam Cloud, and Family Sharing. It is listed for Windows, with gamepad recommended and partial controller support. Gust Co. Ltd. developed the game, and KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. published it. Its listed release date is December 3, 2018.

What players like, and what they don't

Who it suits

It suits players looking for a single-player RPG where alchemy, exploration, and battles serve kingdom development. Windows players who use a gamepad should note that it is recommended, while controller support is partial.

Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland DX ties its RPG activities to the growth of Meruru's kingdom. Its time limit and development points give that goal defined constraints and steps.