Atelier Meruru dated and detailed in Dengeki

Gust Corporation’s next game in the Arland series of Atelier games has been dated and named in this week’s issue of Dengeki magazine. Atelier Meruru: Alchemist of Arland 3 will launch in Japan on June 23; the standard edition will go for 7,140 yen, while a fancier limited edition will cost 10,290 yen.

The game was announced during Dengeki Game Appreciation Festival in Tokyo, earlier this month. Its title wasn’t revealed during the announcement, only that it’d be the next game in the Arland series. A trademark for the name Atelier Meruru surfaced two days later. The game’s official website is scheduled to launch this Friday.

Meruru takes the cover

Update 11:46pm: Atelier Meruru stars the 15-year-old Merilance Lehde Earls, who we’ll call Meruru, for now (there’s no official translation for her name, yet). Totori (from the second game) is now 19 years-old; she is Meruru’s teacher. Rorona (from the first game), who was Totori’s teacher, also makes an appearance, but in a younger form. This is a bit odd, considering Rorona is older than Totori. Unfortunately, the magazine does not explain how she appears younger than Totori. Perhaps a screw-up in alchemical mixing?

The game is set in the country of Earls, a departure from Arland, where the past two games were set.

According to other leaks from Dengeki, the visuals of Atelier Meruru have advanced greatly from its predecessors. It’ll boast an world development component, where the players’ actions will affect the land. The battle system’s user-interface has received an overhaul, with movement order now displayed on the right of the screen. The magazine also confirms this will be the last game in the Arland series.

The next issue will introduce “maid” and “butler” characters. Stay tuned.

Thanks, Andriasang.

Update 12:35am: Scans added below.