Today Koei Tecmo had revealed new details about the combat system in the upcoming Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream. It seems this one will retain the turn based approach found in the previous title, but with a twist. They are calling this new system “multi-linked turn-based battles.” Here up to six party members can join forces, and they will be split into two teams the “assault team” the three members in the front, and the “back-up team” which are the three members at the back. This will allow the use of Twin Actions. Here you can choose to have the characters attack together or let the front row attack while the character in the back heals or charges up for an even bigger attack. You save a bit of MP doing attacks this way and you can get more damage out of them as well. If your character in the front is in danger you can always use Support Guard, which will allow the back character to absorb some damage for the one in the front. These characters can swap places at anytime, so keeping track of all their stats is very important to survival.
Other additions to combat include enemy aura. These will make some foes much tougher to kill unless you are using the proper element to do so. Hitting these enemies weakness will allow Sophie and crew to stun the enemy gaining an advantage. In some battles weather control will be able to effect the auras giving you a better chance at defeating these powerful foes.
Here is the press release:
BURLINGAME, Calif. – Jan. 27, 2022 – Today, KOEI TECMO America and developer GUST Studios revealed further information about the all-new battle system in their highly-anticipated JRPG, Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream. The latest entry in the adored Atelier series is scheduled to release across North America on Feb. 25, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, and Windows PC via Steam®, with pre-orders starting today on all platforms. To celebrate the announcement, a new trailer was released featuring the game’s opening theme “Syndetos” by Suzuyu.
When Sophie sets out on an adventure to find a missing friend and unlock the mystery behind the dream-like world of Erde Wiege, she will have to fight the many monsters that inhabit the land – some of which Atelier fans may recognize from previous entries! For the first time in the series, Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream features a battle system that begins instantly without any load times or separate screens, allowing gameplay to flow seamlessly between exploration and combat. In this new battle system, up to six party members can join forces for “multi-linked turn-based battles”. These party members will be split into two teams; the “assault team” which consists of the three members in the front, and the “back-up team” which features the three members at the back.
One of the abilities that this new combat system introduces is Twin Actions. Here, the front and back rows can choose to attack together, or have the front row make their move first while the back row recovers and charges up. This ability uses less MP than performing the attacks separately, offering the chance for players to inflict more damage to their foes in battle. Alternatively, players can use the Support Guard action that allows a member of the back row to protect a member in the front row when they are being attacked. Since the members in the front and back rows can be freely switched, it’s important to keep track of each member’s HP and to use these abilities at the right time. In order to use the Twin Actions and Support Guard abilities, Technical Points (TP) are required. When the Dual Gauge reaches 100%, Dual Triggers – a special move where two party members launch a powerful ability together – can be triggered to get an upper-hand in battle.
Some of the enemies that Sophie and her companions encounter will be covered in an aura, and these monsters will be more difficult to inflict damage upon, dealing large amounts of damage to the party. By attacking the monster’s aura with an element it is weak against, the aura will be reduced and stun the monster, allowing Sophie and friends to perform more actions in a row than usual. In some battles, Weather Control can also be used during battle to create favourable situations that weaken the monster’s aura.
In addition, players will be able to use the game’s built-in Photo Mode to capture their favorite moments from inside the game, including images of the beautiful environments, their party members, the people of Roytale, and the many species of monsters roaming the land! With a wide range of edit functions, players can create memorable pictures from their adventure to help them cherish Sophie’s epic journey.
KOEI TECMO America also announced today that Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is available for pre-order digitally across all platforms. Those that digitally pre-order the game will receive access to the “Easy Breezy” costume for Sophie on their adventure! A limited time bonus, the “Comfy and Casual” outfit for Sophie, is also available for those who purchase the game physically or digitally within the first two weeks of launch. Additionally, those who purchase the game physically on its first-run will receive a special reversible coversheet for their game and a bonus poster with exclusive artwork by NOCO! The celebrations don’t stop there though, as KOEI TECMO America is also offering a delightful new Limited Edition of Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream, exclusively available through the NISA Online Store. This must-have version of the game contains an art book, deluxe fabric poster, keychain, bonus BGM CD, and an exclusive DLC costume all packaged into a beautiful collector’s box.
