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If there is one series that has evolved with new and bold mechanics with each entry, it is the Atelier series. From its turn-based days to an ATB-like combat and now a more action-oriented direction, most fans have welcomed every change. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is the boldest approach to the series yet. After dozens of hours with this new, colorful cast and one of the best heroines of the franchise yet, all I can say is, welcome home, Yumia, and I hope you stay around for many years to come.
Like many, I began my journey with Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout. In that regard, I’m one of the “new-ish” fans of the series. Naturally, when I saw Atelier Yumia, I got extremely excited but a bit skeptical, too. “Will Yumia surpass the widely loved Ryza?” Yes. Yumia easily takes the crown as one of the best protagonists in the series, helming what will be one of the most addictive and endearing Atelier titles ever.
A ‘Taboo’ Art
For years, fans have asked for one thing: a more mature plot in an Atelier game. Atelier Yumia delivers it. From the start, everyone in The Aladissian Empire shuns alchemy. What has been a useful art in many other Atelier entries is now a heavy cross to bear. And who’s bearing it this time? None other than our beloved Yumia.
Unlike other Atelier titles, alchemy isn’t a helpful art in everyone’s book. Everyone shuns it. Yumia, the sole alchemist of the Aladiss Research Team, suffers from it, which drew me into the story instantly. I’m no stranger to lighthearted plots full of the power of friendship and giggles at every turn. I like them. However, Atelier Yumia presents you with a heroine that no one initially likes. Everyone looks down on her just because she uses alchemy. Even some party members you get during the first hours think she might be a danger.
But that’s a big selling point for me. The game presents a struggling protagonist who doesn’t give up despite unfortunate circumstances. Little by little, things change for our protagonist, but I don’t want to go into detail about that due to spoilers. I can only say that Yumia has become my favorite Atelier protagonist and one I hope returns for other entries.
Another thing that I loved was the cast of characters, which I liked even faster than that of Ryza, including the villains. So far, everyone’s seen the whole cast: the von Duerer siblings, Isla and Viktor. Rutger, the adventurer; Nina, the mercenary; and Lenja, the timid Welleks of the team, who I believe will be a fan-favorite. The villains are equally likable. A few stand out more than others, but it is a solid cast.
Overall, the narrative is excellent, but there’s one thing that a few players might not like: the pacing. For me, it was great. I’ve played RPGs almost all my life, so pacing issues don’t affect me much. Plus, the pacing makes sense since this is the introductory game to a new series. However, a few might feel it takes a while for the plot to get going. But when it does, the over-the-top moments are terrific.
A New Combat Formula
One of the most significant changes in Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land is its combat. Instead of the ATB-like mechanics of Ryza, Atelier Yumia takes an action-oriented approach.
When you start the fight, you can control your main character or swap to any of the other five in your party. In combat, you have four abilities that are tied to cooldowns. You can spam them if you want and then wait for them to refresh to do so again. Chaining different abilities provides a damage boost, so it is always a matter of executing different combos depending on the available skills.
In addition, each character has inner range and outer range abilities. When your character jumps to the outer range, they can use a different set of skills. For instance, Yumia smacks everyone with her staff in the inner range. When she falls to the outer range, her staff becomes a rifle, and she can blast enemies from afar.
The above is important to know because enemies have different skills that require you to move around the arena. Some are cone-shaped, others attack you in a line, and a few others require you to fall back to the outer range.
In truth, combat felt a bit overwhelming at first and a bit too easy. I was just mashing buttons and dodging until an enemy died. Yet, when the difficulty ramped up, I realized I was under-geared, and my “mashing” technique wasn’t good anymore. I had to learn my skills, swap characters, equip combat items, pull off friend attacks, and even heal those who were hurt.
Overall, the combat is great, if not a bit overwhelming and easy at first. Initially, I wasn’t sold on it, but once I started getting more party members, skills, and better equipment, most encounters became quite fun. Plus, the fact that enemies attack you in different directions encourages you to change your tactics, making every encounter feel fresh.
Alchemy 101
Another key aspect of Atelier Yumia and the series is alchemy or synthesis. Just like combat, it was highly overwhelming for me at first. When creating an item, you’ll get the option to activate cores. Some cores increase the item’s quality, which makes its effects better. Others open trait slots, which allow you to place bonuses on the item, and so on. Each core has slots where you can place ingredients. Once you place an ingredient, a resonance area will appear. This resonance area can grab drifting mana to increase the item’s level. If the area is big enough, it can even level up the item’s resonance to increase its effects even further.
What I’m saying will sound confusing to many. It was for me during my first dozen syntheses. However, once you get the hang of it, it will hook you. At first, I was just placing ingredients, trying to get a bit of resonance to create a better item. Yet, once I learned about the effects of the ingredients, I did everything more carefully to craft the ideal item. I failed many times. But it was part of the process and one thing I greatly liked.
However, if you’re not a fan of doing all that process, there’s an auto-synthesis system. You can select if you want to prioritize quality, create the item quickly, or customize the automated process to tailor your needs. This was highly accessible, and while I used it several times, I always returned to the manual process because it was highly entertaining.
Lastly, there is a simple synthesis option that lets you craft while you’re exploring. You can also craft simple items, though, such as bullets, bandages, repair kits, and more. Still, it was great to have an option to craft on the fly without having to travel back to one of the many bases. And speaking of bases, it is time to discuss my absolute favorite part of the game: its open world.
An Excellent Open-World Recipe
One thing that many fans didn’t like in Atelier Ryza 3 was how the open-field exploration felt empty at times. Atelier Yumia does the opposite. It’s still an open world, but it is packed with things to do. Those who don’t like clutter might be a bit disappointed. Yet, as someone who loves having a map full of icons and things to check off a list, I loved it.
You start in one region with four areas. At first, I thought this was going to be the only map, only to discover the actual playable area was four or five times bigger than I thought. When roaming around any of these zones, you’ll encounter many side activities. Ruined buildings with puzzles, monster dens, caves with mini-bosses, camps where you can build a base, and more. I can’t recall how many times I lost track of the main story just to gather materials and discover what was behind that undiscovered landmark.
Yet, what sold me and made me get sidetracked was the building system. You can build a base when you cleanse a region from its manabound state. The game gives you blueprints for simple houses, shacks, and even warehouses. However, you can also build from scratch. The building system and UI are extremely friendly. The camera, on the other hand, is not so much, but it is just a minor complaint. Still, it was great to see that another RPG is adapting this building/sim-like system, just like Infinite Wealth did with Dondoko Island.
Another small complaint I have is how the world, while beautiful, didn’t feel consistent, especially in terms of textures. Characters look beautiful up close, with all details looking sharp in every scene. Environments, however, are a hit or miss. I played on both quality and performance modes on a base PS5, and certain textures looked bland and a bit blurry. It didn’t ruin my experience, but it was quite noticeable, especially when you have a high-quality character model and a rock resembling a smudge.
A Successful Synthesis
Overall, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land is a superb evolution of the series and a terrific introduction to a new heroine and cast of characters. The story is excellent. It has a few pacing issues, but its highs are more notable than its lows. The combat can feel overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be looking for random encounters as an excuse to pull off new combos. Its synthesis system might be one of the most accessible in the series with its automated mode, but it is deep enough to satisfy veteran alchemists out there. Finally, the open world might be too cluttered for some, but for someone who loves losing themselves in large, explorable areas, it is perfect.
As new beginnings go, Atelier Yumia knocks it out of the park. When I thought no one could surpass Ryza, Yumia rides in with her alchemy gadgets, motorcycle, and gunstaff to steal the crow, which I hope she holds on to for many more years. Veterans of the franchise will certainly love the new changes, especially those related to the narrative and exploration. New alchemists, however, will find Atelier Yumia as the ideal starting point for this series that I only hope keeps evolving as flawlessly as ever.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land (PS5 Reviewed)
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land is a bold new approach to the series and a welcome evolution to most of its mechanics. With a strong cast of characters, an excellent story, and an enjoyable open world to explore, Yumia is here to become the queen of all Atelier heroines.
Pros
- An excellent new cast of characters
- The open world is a joy to explore
- Highly accessible for newcomers
Cons
- Many texture issues
- The pacing of the story might not be great for many
