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After diving into over 24 mainline games, it’s no small feat for a franchise to continually innovate and keep its edge in a market where top-tier games seem to release every few weeks. Yet, that’s exactly what KOEI TECMO is striving for with its latest addition to the longstanding Atelier JRPG series, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land. Having sunk over six hours into gathering resources, performing magical dances reminiscent of Sailor Moon, and zooming around on a motorbike, I feel confident that they’re set to deliver once again. With enhanced combat, visuals that have received a noticeable upgrade, streamlined crafting options, and a new building system allowing you to personalize the world, there’s a lot to look forward to, even if the early parts of the story and characters felt pretty standard for the genre.
If you’re familiar with recent Atelier titles, the initial look at Atelier Yumia might not surprise you. The series’ core aspects—exploration, combat, and synthesis—are firmly intact. You’ll still be scavenging for resources, engaging in battles with a team of anime-style companions, and crafting alchemical wonders to bolster your strength. However, each element has undergone significant updates and has a fresh aesthetic, reenergizing the well-known formula.
Combat has seen the most noticeable transformation, moving to an action-based system that allows for perfect parries, dodging, and switching between attack ranges to either engage in melee or tackle foes from afar. In the earlier levels, combat felt manageable—I could unleash my abilities, hop to another character for the same, and wrap up encounters quickly. As I progressed, though, and especially when I wasn’t properly leveled, I had to be mindful of enemy attack patterns and improve my timing to avoid getting trounced. While it never became overly challenging if I was on level, the shift to a more active combat style was a welcome change from the passive systems of the past.
Exploration also benefits from new additions, such as a gun for stunning enemies and collecting distant resources, handy ziplines for easier map traversal, and best of all, a motorcycle that makes getting around a breeze. Then there’s Synthesis, always a staple in Atelier games. It’s as intricate as ever, with plenty of room for min-maxing your gear, crafting new items, and concocting battle-ready attacks. If, like me, you sometimes lack the patience for detailed tinkering, there’s always an “auto mode” that optimizes everything, allowing you to dive back into the action swiftly.
In a refreshing twist, Atelier Yumia introduces a significant new activity: building and customizing settlements on the world map. It taps into the cozy gaming trend, letting you create your own perfect little retreat à la Animal Crossing or Sims alongside your JRPG adventure. Although my resource limitations in the early story stages prevented extensive involvement, I can already envision losing myself in designing the perfect home away from home.
That said, the game doesn’t quite carve out a distinct niche in terms of its story. While the initial setup and characters hint at a sprawling, intricate tale, they also tread familiar JRPG territory. Characters such as the airheaded but endearing Isla and the straightforward, no-nonsense Viktor felt like déjà vu from other games. However, given this is just the beginning, there’s plenty of room for the plot to deepen and characters to develop, which could address these early impressions.
It’s also worth noting that Atelier Yumia marks the franchise’s debut on the Xbox platform. For someone in the West who’s eager for more JRPGs to be easily accessible, that’s fantastic news indeed. Achievement unlocked!
