[PS2] Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm

The third installment in the Atelier Iris (mini-)series has been officially announced over in the USA. The USA will be getting the game around May this year. (Oh yeah, why did they add the "3" to the USA release? They think people who speak English aren't capable of keeping track of which game comes before the other..?)

Originally Posted by GameZone

Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm Gets Ready for North American Release

NIS America is taking the last step for the Atelier Iris release in May 2007

NIS America, Inc. confirmed the release of Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm. The third generation of the Atelier Iris series has been developed with a taste of the original Atelier Iris and with new and exciting systems.

While you enjoy the same nostalgic feeling of the Atelier Iris series, you will experience distinctively different gameplay. Atelier Iris 3 brings new designs, characters, and an epic story with new systems. It will give players more control and enjoyable game play experience by featuring the Active Cost Card Battle System and the Symbol Encounter System. And, players will also find the Synthesis in Atelier Iris 3 more interesting, creative and challenging than the last two in the series.

Since it features a combination of the new game play with a taste of the original Atelier Iris™, anybody, both new and returning players can enjoy its warm, comical, yet serious, adventure storyline.

“We take great pride in providing a great gaming experience,” said Haru Akenaga, president of NIS America, Inc. “We welcome the new direction Atelier Iris 3 is taking with its combination of new game systems, design, and user friendliness; I can’t wait to play the U.S. version.”

About Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm
Long ago, the power of alchemy allowed people to travel between different worlds through dimensional gates; however, with the collapse of the first great civilization, people lost the means to “jump” worlds. A long time has passed since the great destruction and now people once again are unlocking the mystery surrounding the dimensional gates and adventuring to unforeseen territory, seeking the magical book of infinite wisdom.

• Active Card Cost Battle
  With the fast paced ACCB system, battle sequences are ordered by cards that represent the characters’ action order. The quicker the character, the faster their action turn comes around.
• Symbol Encounter
  An innovative change for Atelier Iris 3 is the introduction of a symbol encounter system. Players will no longer randomly encounter enemies, but visually confirm and engage them.
• Guild Quest
  Unlike previous Atelier Iris titles, the all-new Atelier Iris 3 adopts a guild quest system. With this system, players can easily accept quests and missions that the guild posts.

Key Features

• ACCB system
• Symbol Encounter
• Guild Quest
• Job class system –Blades Master
• Comprehensive item/weapon crafting
• Breathtakingly beautiful animated artwork

Source.

It's good to hear that this game changes things a bit. Hopefully it will be even more successful over here than it's predecessors.

Now if only they brought at least one heavily strategy oriented Atelier game over to the English speaking world...

Jam it back in, in the dark.