Line #61 VideoGame/AtelierIris3GrandPhantasm


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atelieriris3gp4.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:'''Starting upwards clockwise:''' Ash, Yula, Edge, Iris, Alvero, Nell.]]
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4	''Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm'' is the third in the series of the "Iris" video {{role playing game}}s, itself a subseries of the ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'', produced by the GUST company in 2006. The game may or may not be a direct sequel to the previous games, all of whom feature a female alchemist named Iris in an important role. However, ''Grand Phantasm'' is the first that actually has Iris as a playable character.
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6	The story takes place around a city called Zey Meruze, that resembles Venice in that it is crisscrossed by water channels (with Fairies offering a gondolier service.) However, Meruze also has portals to other dimensions, called "Alterworlds" where, for some reason, humans can't stay for more than a short time (they eventually are magically transported out.) Iris (who in this game is still an amateur alchemist) and her friends Edge and Nell work as "raiders" for the Raiders Guild, an organization that performs tasks for people for a price. Usually these involve missions into the Alterworlds, but can also be as mundane as finding missing pets.
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8	The game basically follows Iris's team as they rise through the Guild's ranks. The real story however, involves a sealed book that Iris owns: and which contains an enormous power that can only be released by finding eight "gem-like fragments", so she looks for them. And you can probably guess that it isn't going to be quite that simple...
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11	!!Tropes featured in this game:
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13	* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: [[spoiler:Distorted Dimension, the last dungeon, is a combination of Zey Meruze and the five other Alterworlds.]]
14	* AnotherDimension: The Alterworlds are separated realms populated by other sentient species and monsters, where humans can only stay for a limited period before being ejected back to their homeworld.
15	* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The opening song Schwarzweiss uses this along with GratuitousGerman and WordSaladLyrics. The German chanting in the beginning and end of the song is just a mash up of German and German sounding words with no grammar connecting any of it.
16	* BeastMan: Some of the tribes are based on animals, like bears and penguins.
17	* {{BFS}}: Edge, Alvero and Meyna wields big swords.
18	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Edge does this in "Your Love" quest, regarding whether they should ask Anna if she is romantically involved with Phenyl or not.
19	--> '''Edge''': I guess it's possible. What's this game rated?
20	* TheCavalry: In the final dungeon, [[spoiler:Yula, Ash, Pamela and the other Zey Meruze inhabitants come to help the heroes when they got overwhelmed by enemies.]]
21	* CityOfCanals: Zey Meruze, the main city, is full of water canals.
22	* ClassAndLevelSystem: Edge and Nell can switch between several character classes at will.
23	* CoolClearWater:
24	** The canal waters of Meruze are good enough to cook with!
25	** In a Subversion, Dakasus's crystal-sparkling Melty Spring Water is a powerful acid.
26	* CuteMonsterGirl: Repre the catgirl, Pamela the Ghost and Rufina the angel girl.
27	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The in-battle quotes, ''so much''.
28	--> "Heal All! [[ShapedLikeItself Everyone's heal!!]]"
29	--> "Luplus, [[TheDragon Follower of Time!]] [[DragonAscendant Take control of all TIME!]]
30	* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler:The Uroborus]].
31	** Subverted as he's also a WellIntentionedExtremist (although ''definitely'' overlapping with KnightTemplar) rather than just a mindless mass of evil.
32	* FantasticRacism: Between humans, Beastmen and Fairies.
33	* FetchQuest: Some quests involve using alchemy to make items for the clients. Said quests don't give Rank Points, but can reward you with money and other rare items.
34	* ItemCrafting: In an unusual twist you must look for ''inspiration'' for several items before inventing them.
35	* GetOnTheBoat: Subverted in that the gondolas are a taxi service around the main town only.
36	* GoldenEnding: To understand the full story (and avoid the BittersweetEnding) you have to complete the "Truth and Darkness" quest and repair the broken Shadow Gem. The quest does not show up until the portal to the final dungeon (which you cannot return from) opens.
37	* GottaCatchThemAll: The main plot involves finding the fragments of the Escalario. There is also the Mana Blades, who are mostly optional.
38	* HopelessBossFight: Ash the first time you encounter him. You can reduce his HP to zero and the battle still continues, you're literally not allowed to win at all.
39	* ImpoverishedPatrician: The sisters Yula and Nell. They're working to restore their family fortunes, turning them into TheRival over paying jobs until [[spoiler:Yula blames their failures on Nell and abandons her sister, leaving Edge and Iris to take Nell in]].
40	* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Winna, a scientist, falls in love with Pamela and has a hard time understanding the feeling. Interestingly, it actually makes him a better person, as at the end of his quest chain he becomes more sociable.
41	* MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest: Phenyl quests are usually about killing x type of monsters. In one of these, you have to kill ''200'' Punis, supposedly for research purposes. Doing this allows access to the {{Superboss}}, who is understandably [[RoaringRampageofRevenge out for revenge.]] [[LampshadeHanging The game even calls it genocide.]]
42	* TheMedic: One of Nell's Blades focuses on recovery and support. Certain accessories also grant healing and ailment-curing spells, allowing you to temporarily turn anyone into a medic as well.
43	* MoodWhiplash: Most prominent in Pamela's quest. [[spoiler:Upon learning how Pamela died you find her diary apparently full of tears written by her mother... Then you discover how Pamela actually died and the music changes from dramatic to a very goofy one describing her death: she fell off a stool when she was trying to get something out of an upper cupboard shelf and landed on her head]]. Not even the heroes managed to keep a straight face after that.
44	* MsFanservice: There are ''a lot'' of attractive female characters in the game, most notably Eva, the Barkeeper.
45	* MundaneMadeAwesome: The game's opening FMV, both the opening theme (''Schwarzweiss''/ Black And White) and the video itself, focus almost entirely on the antagonism between Edge and Ash, promoting as some epic rivalry and a major part of the plot. Epic rivalry ''my arse'', the whole thing's just a mere jealous grudge Edge has, which is all only a very minor and barely noticeable part of the plot.
46	** Also, the opening ''itself''. ''Schwarzweiss'' is a far more intense and dramatic opening theme than the two others in the series, the actual game is easily the most laidback and non-epic installment of the trilogy.
47	* MythologyGag: Upon closer look, the "Alchemist Robe" item for Iris looks like the robe worn by the titular heroine of ''Atelier Marie''...
48	* NonLinearSequel: The game is not directly related to the previous two games, as the Iris from this game is different character, and the Stone Mana (Diemia) has a different character design.
49	* NotAllowedToGrowUp: The Fairies look like human children.
50	* PowerTrio: Iris, Edge and Nell (ego, superego and id). They are the only playable characters.
51	* PointOfNoReturn: Once you enter [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the distorted dimension]], there's not coming back.
52	* RecurringBoss: Alvero, Yula, and the Stone Emperor.
53	* RecurringCharacter: Several characters from the earlier games or lookalikes: turn up here: Pamela the Ghost, Yach the Shopkeeper and Hagel the Smith. Subverted with Iris, as she is not the same character from the previous games.
54	* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:The Uroborus]]
55	* ShoutOut:
56	** To, of all things, WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls! (with some of Nell's costumes.)
57	** Another costume is named "Manga/RozenMaiden".
58	* ShutUpHannibal: Nell delivers one to her EvilTwin (which is a monster trapping the Faustus Mana) in a quest.
59	* SpellBook: Edge's weapon when equipped with Luplus Blades, with one exception (which falls into ThrowTheBookAtThem).
60	* {{Stripperific}}:
61	** Many female characters in the game dress like Malibu Barbies, including both female player characters! (Others are more conservative, however.)
62	** Some of the armors the girls can equip are actually ''pieces of underwear!''
63	* SummonMagic: Both Iris and Nell can summon creatures to aid them.
64	* TimedMission: Any mission that takes place in an Alterworld, as humans can only remain in them for a short period of time.
65	* UnwittingPawn: Several characters, but especially Alvero.
66	* VisualInitiativeQueue: Represented as a line of spread-out cards. Empty spots in the queue are face-down cards, while characters and enemies are face-up. Anyone who's defeated goes face-down, and some skills put cards in the queue to trigger (or repeat) the skill when they come up.
67	* WarHasNeverBeenSoMuchFun: The war between the Fairies and the Kuma (bear) Tribe doesn't look as serious as the game claims it is...
68	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:The Uroborus, who wishes to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans remake the world]] (or [[NietzscheWannabe outright destroy it]] in the Good Ending, [[MotiveDecay apparently]]), the Shadow Gem controlling Crowley, who wants to [[KnightTemplar destroy the world to eliminate greed and sin]] and Ash, who just wanted to stop the awakening of Uroborus.]]

Context VideoGame / AtelierIris3GrandPhantasm