Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis

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Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis

Developer(s) Gust
Publisher(s) NIS America (NA)
Gust (JP)
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Playstation Portable
Release date PS2
JP June 21, 2007
NA March 31, 2008
PSP
JP TBA
Genre(s) Role-playing game
Rating(s) CERO: All Ages
ESRB: Everyone 10+

Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (マナケミア ～学園の錬金術士たち～ Mana Khemia ~Gakuen no Renkinjutsushi-tachi~) is a console role-playing game developed by Japanese developer Gust for the PlayStation 2. The game was released in Japan on June 21, 2007 and in the US on March 31, 2008. The game is a spiritual successor to Gust's previous Atelier Iris series, and incorporates elements of standard turn-based combat and alchemy. A Playstation Portable version will be released, with additional features included.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Mana Khemia is console role playing game and is a spiritual successor to Atelier Iris series also created by Gust.[1] As a result, the game shares many common elements with games in that series.

At the core of the game is alchemy through which the player can create weapons, armor, useable items, and complex ingredients for these recipes. The player is required to gather core materials through field exploration, spoils of combat, or buying them in the shops. Each item carries fundamental properties that include elemental and special abilities and character stat improvements that can be infused into equipment. Though the creation of new items, these properties can transfer over into the new item. A new "alchemy wheel" allows the player to adjust the quality of each ingredient as it is added to the mix, for better or worse, in order to alter the final item's properties as well. Recipes for items are learned over the course of the game by finding or buying recipe books, conversing with characters, or can be extrapolated from existing recipes by altering the ingredients list.

When in the field, the player can opt to avoid encounters with monsters by running and jumping over them, but also may attempt to strike first to go into battle. Mana Khemia uses a turn-based system similar to previous Atelier Iris games. Once the player has more than three characters in the party, he or she can then have up to three characters in reserve; these characters can switch in during a normal turn, or be called in at the end of one character's attack to provide an additional blow, or be called in to replace a character about to be attacked. The swapped out characters require a number of turns to recover before being called in again. As the player becomes able to inflict more damage, they can activate "Burst Mode" that temporarily increases the damage from each attacks and rewards the player with a large number of hits in this mode. Additionally, about mid-game, Burst Mode can lead to a "Finishing Burst" that requires the player to meet a certain condition while Burst Mode is activated, such as striking with each team member or healing a certain amount of damage; this allows for a special powerful finishing move to be unleashed by one of the characters.

Both alchemy and combat are necessary to grow the characters. Unlike typical role-playing games, there are no experience points or characters levels. Instead, through combat, the characters earn "action points" which are used in the character-specific "grow book" to unlock new skills and character bonuses such as additional health or mana points. However, these bonuses are tied to completing the recipes for specific items in that book. The grow book is presented as a graph of synthesizable items. The bonuses for an item cannot be acquired using action points until an adjacent item on the graph and the item itself has been made.

The game is presented as a series of terms at a school. Each term is made up of several weeks, typically starting and ending with an event, ultimately leading to a key battle to be won. In between, the player is generally required to complete two or three courses, earning a grade for how well the course was completed. This is then followed by two or three days of free time. If the player should fail to make a decent cumulative grade by the end of courses, they will need to spend one day of free time in detention, doing required tasks. Once in free time, the player is free to take odd jobs, talk with characters, and perform side quests related to the other members of the party.

[edit] Storyline

The game's main focus on is the lead protagonist, Vayne Aurelius, son of a legendary alchemist named Theofratus who had disappeared sometime after Vayne's birth. Vayne, since then, had led the life of a hermit, his only companion being a Mana being a cat form named Sulphur. Vayne is invited to the Al-Revis Academy for alchemy training by Zeppel, one of the professors there. He is quickly indoctorined into the school by become part of a workshop team lead by the upperclassman Flay along with two other students, Jess and Nikki. The four of them are able to success at completing assignments and allow the workshop to prosper, eventually gaining more members for their team.

However, Vayne's actions are not unnoticed. Two students, Tony and Renee, are instructed by Isolde, another professor at the school, to interfere in Vayne's attempts to succeed, but are unsuccessful. Even when the pair successfully recruit Roxis, a son of a famous family of alchemists that seems to have an immediate hatred for Vayne due to his father, Roxis eventually comes around and joins up with Vayne's team.

As the school years pass, Sulphur falls ill twice; the first time Isolde is able to revive the Mana, but the second time, Sulphur dies, something that no one thought possible of a Mana. However, an inner voice tells Vayne that he can restore Sulphur simply by wishing it, and Vayne does so, successfully reviving Sulphur. Isolde recognizes that Sulphur is just a normal housecat and not a Mana. Instead, Vayne himself is an artificial Mana, created by Theofratus, and thus is the source of his own power; she proves this by killing one of his closest friends (depending on how the player has completed the side quests) and making him bring them back to life. Isolde, having been watching Vayne since he entered the school, warns him that he ended up killing Theofratus after he was created, and his power of simply wishing for what he wants is too great for the world, and attempts to kill him, unsuccessfully.

Vayne, recongizing that he is a threat, unconsciously creates an artificial structure around the school, and he and his friends probe its death to come across a version of Vayne possessed by his mana. With the help of his friends, they are able to defeat the power within Vayne, causing the structure to disappear. Vayne finds himself to be human without those powers, and with his friends, graduate from the school to go on with their lives.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Playable characters

Vayne Aurelius (ヴェイン・アウレオルス Vain Aureolus?)
Age: 16
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Birth Day: September 28th
Seiyuu: Akira Ishida
Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien
The main character. He lived alone with Sulpher, a black cat, deep in the forest. But one day, he was suddenly invited to come to Al-Revis Academy, due to supposedly being the son of a famous alchemist. He is shy and has a weak personality, and his friends talk him into trouble.
Jessica Philomele (フィロメール・アルトゥング Philomel Hartung?)
Age: 16
Height: 151 cm
Weight: 40 kg
Birth Day: July 12th
Seiyuu: Sakura Nogawa
Voice Actor: Kate Higgins
Vayne's classmate. She fears no one, and has a very friendly and outgoing personality, but is slightly klutzy. She loves alchemy, and will test out her strangely unique syntheses whenever she has the time. And every time, she causes something to explode.
Flay Gunnar (グンナル・ダム Gunnar Damm?)
Age: 19
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Birth Day: December 10th
Seiyuu: Kenyuu Horiuchi
Voice Actor: Richard Epcar
Vayne's schoolmate who is one year his senior. He is known throughout the school for being a troublemaker. On Orientation Day, he forced Vayne to join his workshop. As long as he's having fun, he doesn't care about anyone else's troubles.
Nicole Mimi Tithel (ティティルミミニケメレ Titil Mimi Nike Mele?)
Age: 16
Height: 145 cm
Weight: 46 kg
Birth Day: March 6th
Seiyuu: Miyuki Sawashiro
Voice Actor: Jennifer Sekiguchi
An energetic beastman girl. She talks and acts before she thinks. She hates sitting still inside a room, so she doesn't concentrate on her syntheses. She grew up in a small village, which may be why she sometimes seems to lack common social ideas. However, out of all the strange members of the workshop, she has the most common sense.
Roxis Rosenkrantz (ロクシス・ローゼンクライツ Loxis Rosenkranz?)
Age: 17
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 56 kg
Birth Day: August 24th
Seiyuu: Daisuke Kishio
Voice Actor: Patrick Seitz
A cool, sarcastic transfer student who comes from a famous alchemist family. A very diligent, hard worker. His hobbies are studying and reading. He likes being alone, and has an air about him that distances himself from others. He sees Vayne as a rival.
Pamela Ibis (パメラ・イービス Pamela Ibis?)
Age: Unknown (looks 17)
Height: ?? (4'10")
Weight: 0 kg
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Asuka Tanii
Voice Actor: Brianne Siddall
A ghost girl who lives in Al-Revis. Recurring character in the Atelier series having previously appeared in Atelier Judie, Atelier Viorate, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana and Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm. Pamela decides to join Vayne's workshop, but as soon as she sees how bleak it looks, she begins to complain about being in such a non-cute environment. With no other choice, Vayne gathers the cute items that Pamela wants, and decorates the workshop with them.
Anna Lemouri (アンナ・レムリ Anna Laemmle?)
Age: 12
Height: 139 cm
Weight: 34 kg
Birth Day: August 5th
Seiyuu: Ui Miyazaki
Voice Actor: Danielle Judovits
A very young girl who has already mastered swordsmanship at her young age. She is an underclassmen of Vayne, but is more mature than she looks. Anna also has a very strong imagination, and will assume many things on her own.
Muppy Oktavia Vonderchek VIII (ムーペ・オクタヴィア・ヴォンドラチェク8世 Mupe Oktavia Wondratschek VIII?)
Age: ??
Height: Stretches and shrinks with humidity
Weight: With gravitational device, from 0-550 tons
Birth Day: Unavailable in Earth time
Seiyuu: Yūichi Nagashima (credited as Choo)
A foreign exchange student from a faraway world. By a strange turn of events, he ended up learning alchemy with Vayne and his workshop friends. He wanders the school in a pot-like machine, so everyone thinks he's slightly strange.

[edit] Non-Playable characters

Sulpher (サルファ Sulfur?)
Age: Unknown
Height: 70 cm
Weight: 6 kg
Dislikes: Stupid alchemists
Vayne's companion and Mana who transforms into Vayne's weapon in combat. He is apathetic, rude and unimpressed by seemingly everything.
Melanie Ruthers (メルヒス・ロイティエール Melhis Roythiers?)
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Rina Sato
Voice Actor: Wendee Lee
The academy's nurse. She runs the infirmary and sells a variety of healing products. Enjoys teasing Vayne and his friends.
Isolde Schelling (イソルテ・シェリング Isolde Schelling?)
Age: 29
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 106lbs
Birth Day: November 29th
Seiyuu: Ayako Kawasumi
Voice Actor: Wendee Lee
Female teacher at the academy. Less pleasant than the other teachers, and gives more difficult assignments. She is a graduate from Al-Revis and was classmates with Zeppel. While Zeppel is the laid back teacher, Isolde is much more serious.
Zeppel Kriever (ゼップル・クライパー Seppl Kleiber?)
Age: 32
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Kazuhiko Inoue
Voice Actor: Richard Epcar
Vayne's homeroom teacher. He is friendly to students and is a popular teacher. He brought Vayne to the academy.
Bernard Tieck (ベルンハルト・ティーク Bernhard Tieck?)
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Naomi Kusumi
The academy's principal. He is a jovial man who is nice to all students. He is also a good cook.
Cardinand Lorryale (Lorr) (カルダディイロルアレ (ロル) Carda Dii Rol Ale (Rorr)?)
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Ryuuta Iguchi
The academy's combat and tactics trainer.
Ernentraud Karnap (エルメントラウト・カルナップ Ernentraud Carnap?)
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birth Day: Unknown
Seiyuu: Yukari Hishizu
The academy's vice-principal. She is very strict, and bullies the principal. She is also hopeless at baking.
Tony Eisler (トニ・アイスラー Toni Eisler?)
Age: 17
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154 lbs
Birth Day: December 30th
Seiyuu: Mitsuaki Madono
Voice Actor: Derek Stephen Prince
An older student at the academy who is exclusively seen with Renee. Hates Vayne with a passion.
Renee Kearse (レーネ・キア Lene Kier?)
Age: 18
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 108 lbs
Birth Day: April 30th
Seiyuu: Ai Nonaka
Voice Actor: Danielle Judovits
An older student at the academy. Is exclusively seen with Tony. Goes along with Tony's bothering of Vayne, but it seems her heart isn't really in it.

[edit] Music

The soundtrack was composed by Ken Nakagawa and Daisuke Achiwa. It was released May 30, 2007 in Japan by Team Entertainment.

Opening Song

Insert Songs

  • 夢の未来へ~合唱版~ (Yume no Mirai e ~Gasshouban~ / To the Future of Dreams ~Chorus Version~) by Gust Staff
  • シリウス (Sirius) by Marie
  • ねぇ (Nee / Hey) by Marie
  • STIGMATA by Noriko Mitose

Ending Song

[edit] Mana-Khemia 2

A sequel is planned to be released. The story is set 15 years later after the original game, and the only returning characters are Flay, Tony, and Zeppel.

[edit] External links

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