For a role-playing sport collection that existed for many years, it’s spectacular how Gust’s Atelier has frequently modified and tailored. Atelier Ryza was the turning level, in fact, and even its titles noticed large strides from cozy adventuring to a big seamless world by its third entry. This brings us to Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Reminiscences and the Enlightened Land, a brand new story within the franchise which matches totally open-world with attention-grabbing outcomes.
Like one in all its many alchemical options, there are bits and items harking back to different titles. The merchandise notifications and quiet ambiance of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The menu wheel of Genshin Influence (although fortunately not one of the gacha). Nevertheless, the sense of journey is distinctly Atelier, even because it dips into open-world meandering.
“The growing bonds between the social gathering really feel extra attention-grabbing right here than in Ryza, even when the characters can really feel a little bit too cliched initially. “
Like a Trails title, Atelier Yumia begins in media res with protagonist Yumia Leissfeldt and her companions ascending this large tower. After getting separated for a fast tutorial and reuniting with the group to satisfy with one of many many mysterious antagonists, the story goes again to the start to clarify the way it bought there. Following a mana catastrophe in Duerer, Yumia ventures to the previous nation of the Aladissian Empire to research alchemy.
The empire thrived within the miraculous follow but additionally confronted tragedy and seemingly collapsed in a single day, resulting in it changing into taboo. Although a part of a analysis workforce to research alchemy and hopefully discover some solutions for the tragedy in Duerer, she additionally has to beat the bias and wariness of her teammates as a result of practising alchemy. It’s not all horrible, in fact, as she’s joined by siblings Viktor and Isla von Duerer, and finally, the likes of the conceited Rutger, the mysterious Nina and the anxious Lenja.
As intriguing because the premise is, Atelier Yumia takes a little bit of time earlier than it actually will get going. From discovering and establishing her Atelier to attending to know Viktor and Isla after which getting used to the varied mechanics of alchemy and fight, it could really feel like some time earlier than the story actually will get transferring. The growing bonds between the social gathering really feel extra attention-grabbing right here than in Ryza, even when the characters can really feel a little bit too cliched initially.
For what it’s price, they’ve some first rate chemistry, and it’s enjoyable to see Yumia get misplaced in her musings, even when her open-world exchanges with Flammi, a mysterious floating survey gadget, can get repetitive. The voice appearing is constantly on level, and there are some humorous bits of writing, whether or not it’s Nina bragging about how she will go to sleep anyplace in 5 seconds, Rutger’s shifting priorities in terms of serving to out, or Flammi’s sassiness.
“Between easy synthesis to craft bandages, zipline gloves, bullets, and tenting provides, and a constructing tab for developing total bases, Atelier Yumia can often really feel extra like a survival crafting sandbox.”
Although just one area is initially obtainable, issues finally open up, encompassing locations just like the Welleks’ residence territory and the previous capital of the empire. And make no mistake, these are completely large, spanning in depth hills, mountains, and forests with varied ruins to discover. There are additionally Manabound Areas, areas the place the mana stream is disrupted and outright toxic if you happen to linger for too lengthy. Clearing these areas is a serious objective for Yumia to help the analysis workforce’s progress and ties additional into the brand new base-building mechanic.
When you don’t have full abject freedom to go in every single place, being let unfastened like this may really feel liberating initially. Yumia is constructed for traversal together with her wall-jumping, and the format of the land can really feel distinctly extra vertical (full with fall harm). Her workers additionally doubles up as a rifle for capturing objects, together with ore, from afar.
Useful resource gathering is extra seamless than ever with out the necessity for a number of gathering instruments, however your adventuring instruments have expanded considerably. Between easy synthesis to craft bandages, zipline gloves, bullets, and tenting provides, and a constructing tab for developing total bases, Atelier Yumia can often really feel extra like a survival crafting sandbox. And that’s earlier than entering into the precise alchemy course of.
You’ll uncover Treasure Troves which require keys to open, the latter acquired from ruins with puzzles; Objects, which normally contain activating a few completely different factors; and unusual crystals, which should be purified a la thrashing a number of monsters to assert rewards. On occasion, you might come throughout crystals that may be shot and activated for Ability Factors, which will be spent to unlock passive abilities like elevated EXP from battles, extra supplies, rarer drops and so forth. As distracting and rewarding as they are often initially, they don’t actually evolve a lot as you progress.
“Talking of which, fight is extra dynamic than ever. You’ll use completely different assaults to stun an enemy, every character having a novel playstyle and assault kind (bodily or magical). “
Even a number of hours in, you’ll nonetheless be capturing mysterious buttons, activating node factors by fixing the identical puzzles, and so forth, which may really feel monotonous. The aspect quests additionally don’t enterprise an excessive amount of past the standard “kill this” or “make that,” however a minimum of the exploration of recent environments rife with new supplies livens issues up.
The alchemy course of can be lovingly detailed and opens up considerably as you progress. Synthesizing gadgets includes unlocking a recipe, normally by accessing Reminiscence Vials or finishing pioneering goals. It’s essential to assign cores for every facet – High quality, Trait Slots, and so forth – whereas utilizing substances to bolster the merchandise’s passives and stage it up. The standard of your assets, their passive results, resonance areas, and elemental affinities additionally play a component in enhancing the general merchandise.
You may enhance a recipe with completely different sorts of Mana Particles, thus making certain higher high quality, extra stats or extra slots. Rebuilding gadgets enable for modifying current items of drugs to enhance their stats and add Trait Slots (which you’ll uncover from chests and open-world actions). Synthesizing new gadgets and rebuilding your present arsenal can really feel tedious if you’ve hit a snag and have to urgently improve all of your gear. Nonetheless, the whole course of is fairly enjoyable, particularly as abilities come into play.
Alongside weapons and armor, Yumia also can synthesize completely different elemental gadgets and assign them to social gathering members to use enemy weaknesses. Talking of which, fight is extra dynamic than ever. You’ll use completely different assaults to stun an enemy, every character having a novel playstyle and assault kind (bodily or magical).
“Even with some hurdles and points which can be distinctly much less endearing than the entire, it’s a meaty role-playing journey with a lot to supply.”
After they’re shocked, utilizing an elemental merchandise can deal additional harm however you’ll additionally unlock Good friend Actions for double-team assaults that hit even tougher (at the price of consuming all fees for that merchandise). You may change between completely different characters throughout fight and even get far from an enemy to provoke long-range assaults, which may also be helpful for avoiding sure assaults.
There’s some awkwardness when dealing with a number of spread-out targets since social gathering members can cut up off and try to solo their targets (which may turn out to be harmful in opposition to more durable enemies). And whereas fight can really feel initially repetitive because you’re gaining ranges shortly and preventing comparatively simpler enemies, it does kick up a notch as you enterprise deeper into the land. Not solely will you must guarantee your gear is as much as snuff, but additionally rigorously observe the enemy to dodge their assaults and reposition as obligatory.
I didn’t dabble an excessive amount of with the base-building and to Atelier Yumia‘s credit score, it presents varied presets in case you wish to save time. There’s a formidable array of customization although, with a number of roofs, partitions, doorways, and decorations for sprucing up bases. Rising the consolation stage of a base supplies advantages, and it may be enjoyable to construct upon presets, even when the snapping and UI navigation leaves a bit to be desired.
Although I like the general aesthetic and visuals of Atelier Yumia, coupled with its stable efficiency, it does have a number of nagging points. Some textures and shadows don’t look practically as crisp up shut, and the lighting can really feel over-exposed at occasions when it’s not freaking out at others. And as a lot because the music befits the quiet ambiance, it doesn’t actually make a lot of a long-lasting impression, particularly in fight.
As soon as once more, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Reminiscences and the Enlightened Land is a giant step ahead for the franchise. It presents a compelling new journey with likeable characters and excessive stakes whereas sustaining most of the cosier points that outlined the collection. Even with some hurdles and points which can be distinctly much less endearing than the entire, it’s a meaty role-playing journey with a lot to supply.
This sport was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
