Atlus shrugged
July 1, 2009 Games 1 Comment
Video game publisher Atlus truly is the devil. Why? Because they’ve got a reputation for releasing stellar video games, and taking chances by localizing niche Japanese role-playing games (RPGs). Sure, this may seem like a good thing on the surface, it’s really a diabolical scheme specifically created in order to raise a flock of fanatically devoted fans ready to throw their lives (and wallets!) down at Atlus’ whim!
Atlus is probably best known as the publisher of the Shin Megami Tensei series and its spinoffs, a franchise of high-quality games known for its fans’ insane levels of devotion. Those alone would be enough to make any publisher comfortable, but Atlus goes above and beyond by bringing over other titles that no other publisher would take a chance on, like Riviera: The Promised Land, Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone, and more. While more games is always a good thing, bear in mind that Atlus specializes in RPGs. Those don’t exactly lend themselves to quick playthroughs. In fact, many of the RPGs Atlus brings over are quite lengthy; Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES, for example, is an 100+ hour game! Even the most diehard Atlus fans must give up considerably large chunks of their time if they want to play everything. And since almost every game Atlus releases is of high quality…why would you want to miss one?
Speaking of which, the most important thing to remember is that Atlus games typically have low print runs. If you don’t buy the game on release day or shortly thereafter, you might be shit outta luck. And if you think waiting for copies to show up on eBay is a good idea, think again; Atlus titles have a nasty habit of skyrocketing in value rather quickly. (The conventional wisdom amongst Atlus fans is “buy now, or pay double on eBay later.”) That’s the biggest thorn in my side when it comes to Atlus games, aside from the fact that there’s never enough time to play them all.
Then there’s the matter of the cool bonus shit Atlus often includes with their games. Soundtrack CDs are the most common, but they’ve also offered up artbooks, slipcase special editions, pendants, plush toys, and more. They’ve even got a subsection of their website devoted to all of the cool goodies they package with their games: the aptly-named Atlus Spoils! Some of the drool-worthy extras are preorder bonuses, which really push you to pony up the cash in advance. For example, the recent Nintendo DS title Knights in the Nightmare includes a soundtrack CD by default, but if you preordered, you also got the Tome of Lost Souls, a 96-page artbook packed with art and stats on every character in the game.
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You can see how insidious this whole system is. Perhaps Atlus spokesdemon Jack Frost is only masquerading as a cute mascot in order to further the company’s nefarious aims. If we’re not careful, we’ll all end up in his icy grip. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a stack of Atlus games to catch up on. Our Lord Jack Frost doth command it! |



As many of you may know, I’m a huge fan of heavy metal. I always have been, even since I saw cheesy hair bands on MTV in the 1980s, and moved on to much more talented and technical bands in the following years. While most of my peers moved on to the alternative trend, then the rap-rock trend, and who knows what else, I stayed true to my metal roots.