The Atelier franchise has modified fairly a bit over the previous couple of a long time. Beginning as quick, slice-of-life tales, fashionable entries now function lengthier adventures and extra open worlds. Atelier Yumia brings these adjustments to their pure conclusion, that includes the most important areas seen within the collection to this point whereas additionally simplifying lots of the mechanics to make them extra interesting to a brand new viewers.
Sadly, whereas not being significantly horrible, this results in a ultimate product that fails to excel in any space. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Reminiscences & the Envisioned Land loses the little depth that was left within the Atelier Ryza trilogy, all for a stale open world and underbaked narrative.
A World The place Alchemy is Taboo
Atelier Yumia sees the titular alchemist touring throughout varied areas of Aladiss, a spot as soon as residence to a fantastic empire earlier than it fell to damage. Becoming a member of the Aladiss Analysis Workforce, she makes use of alchemy — one thing thought of taboo attributable to its perceived risks — to pioneer this long-unexplored continent.
Alchemy’s position within the Atelier collection is one which’s at all times modified, so having it’s one thing that’s thought of “evil” in Atelier Yumia doesn’t really feel too misplaced. There was positively some potential for battle with the principle solid and the people who Yumia encounters throughout her journey throughout Aladiss.
In observe, this doesn’t really result in a lot. Just a few get together members are barely cautious early on, with the unfavorable historical past of alchemy having its moments through the story. And but, there’s not likely any depth to the dialog round alchemy at any level. Yumia ruminates over it a number of instances, nevertheless it all boils to all the way down to “what if alchemy is sweet… AND dangerous.”
Yumia herself is ok as a personality. Even when the final dialogue round whether or not alchemy is actually evil isn’t dealt with in an attention-grabbing manner, Yumia’s journey to search out her place within the analysis crew is usually endearing. Different characters aren’t fairly as fortunate.
For probably the most half, Atelier Yumia fails to offer characters attention-grabbing moments exterior of the principle narrative. There are solely a small handful of occasions per get together member, with most providing little or no in the best way of characterization or simply rehashing what we already learn about them due to the story.
Issues are worse whenever you look exterior of the principle get together. Apart from the 6 core get together members, there are surprisingly few characters that truly have any significance. That is very true of the villains, who barely make an look for a lot of the recreation and have the depth of a puddle.
The Open World Nonetheless Lacks Objective
In some ways, the Aladiss continent itself is meant to be the principle star of the present. For the primary time within the collection, Atelier Yumia incorporates a completely related map with no loading screens — nicely, it’s extra like 4 distinct areas related by quick corridors, however the level nonetheless stands.
You’re free to discover every area as you attain them, roaming round for supplies, chests, and collectibles. Exterior of some areas requiring particular gadgets and later areas being locked behind story, you’ve a whole lot of freedom in the place to go.
After being left to my very own gadgets, it was initially thrilling having a much less linear expertise to look ahead too. The Atelier franchise has tried open worlds in their very own methods just a few instances, however even Atelier Ryza 3 didn’t make use of areas this massive.
Nevertheless, it didn’t take lengthy for me to understand that there simply isn’t that a lot to truly uncover in every space. Positive, opening the map reveals numerous “?” markers, however the world itself is devoid of precise distinctive landmarks or secrets and techniques.
Throughout a area, you’ll discover the identical units of supplies, the identical enemies (or barely resized/recolored ones), and chests with largely ineffective gadgets. You’re by no means rewarded for going off the crushed path, as all you’ll discover are supplies you’ve an abundance of already.
Including to this repetition are the Prayer Shrines scattered throughout every area. Each single one works the identical manner: work together with them, go to the factors marked on the map, and full primary tile puzzles. I used to be already bored of doing these after the primary few instances, and there are over 50 in complete.
Ultimately, the world simply appears like a guidelines, one thing to fill in and transfer on relatively than correctly have interaction with. Some respectable sidequests might have given goal to extra of the map, however most simply require you handy over supplies or create a selected merchandise.
Transferring to a correct open world additionally comes with the query of the way you’ll steadiness fight, since gamers might probably encounter powerful enemies early on in the event that they’re not cautious. Atelier Yumia tackles this by eradicating the problem from battles completely.
Atelier Yumia’s Fight is a Bland Mess
The Atelier Ryza trilogy began to shift battles to a extra actiony type, with Atelier Yumia switching issues over to full real-time fight. You may actively dodge assaults, or transfer out of the best way of AOE markers. You don’t have full management nonetheless, with motion constrained to internal and outer rings you may change between freely.
Every character has entry to 4 expertise whereas standing in every ring, which cost up over time. Some expertise can be utilized repeatedly as a combo, whereas others require recharging after a single use. Objects additionally operate this fashion, although finite consumables haven’t been a factor in Atelier fight for some time now anyway.
Talent can have sure results (Yumia can buff her assault or debuff the enemy), however in observe, all you actually do is mash your primary combo after which use one of many different expertise whereas it recharges. There’s no depth, no thought you need to put in. What you see within the first few hours is basically what you’ll be doing through the endgame.
Just a few methods have been applied in a useless try to offer fight some form of attention-grabbing hook. Utilizing bodily or magic assaults on an enemy sufficient instances will stun them, letting you comply with up with stronger merchandise assaults. However that is by no means really wanted since your common assaults are at all times greater than sufficient to tackle each enemy.
It’s annoying that, regardless of the change to motion fight, the whole lot is extra restrictive. You may’t change targets — a whole lot of enemies are even grouped along with a single well being bar — and also you hardly ever have a cause to change between characters.
Alchemy Misplaced Its Depth
One other a part of why fight is really easy comes all the way down to alchemy. Alchemy has at all times allowed gamers to turn into tremendous highly effective in the event that they made use of its methods, synthesizing damaged gear or gadgets as quickly as potential.
Atelier Yumia’s concern is that alchemy has been simplified to a degree the place making overpowered gear requires little or no effort. Previously, you’d must assume extra in regards to the sorts of supplies used, taking traits from them and transferring them over to the completed product.
Now, most bonuses are decided by expertise you choose earlier than synthesis, or by way of Trait Crystals you may equip after. Alchemy simply boils all the way down to throwing in your highest-quality gadgets and making use of the constructing system to duplicate them free of charge (extra on this in a minute).
By the second area, I used to be already making gear that simply destroyed something I encountered — even the few bosses Atelier Yumia has went down in a minute. Once more, this isn’t one thing utterly new to Atelier. However the course of of creating gear has simply been dumbed down utterly, that means that even tackling more durable difficulties takes a lot much less preparation.
Constructing Had Potential However is Underutilized
One weird side of Atelier Yumia is constructing. Some areas of the map are designated as areas the place you may construct buildings. This technique is surprisingly sturdy, letting you create multistory homes to fill with decorations and crafting stations. There are presets if you wish to shortly create a base, and even the choice to make random ones.
I name this weird as a result of there’s primarily no cause to truly make a correct base. You get the identical profit from constructing a completely furnished base as you’ll from making a shack with 50 chairs stacked into one another. An odd selection, when a superb chunk of chest rewards within the open world are extra constructing gadgets you’ll now probably by no means use.
It has a lot potential — think about for those who might construct rooms for get together members to unlock new occasions or create new cities for NPCs. As a substitute, you’re restricted to small squares of land which are unfold far aside.
More often than not, you’re higher off utilizing land for greenhouses or manufacturing crops. These allow you to duplicate uncooked supplies and crafted gadgets respectively, solely taking time to take action. Greenhouses unlock extremely early, decreasing the necessity for gathering supplies. It’s handy, nevertheless it additionally doesn’t mesh with an open world that largely simply exists for gathering supplies within the first place.
I can solely hope that that is expanded upon in Atelier Yumia 2 (or a possible spin-off), as freeform constructing actually feels prefer it might be an attention-grabbing course for the collection to take.
Some Visible Enhancements, Although PC Port Would possibly Have Points
Trendy Atelier has by no means been on the forefront of graphic constancy, although Atelier Yumia does attempt to enhance in some facets. For one, characters are much more expressive. Early 3D Atelier titles usually had character fashions that would look lifeless, counting on nice 2D character portraits to hold issues as a substitute.
For Atelier Yumia, it looks as if a whole lot of work has been accomplished to repair this. From refined eye actions to cocky grins, the principle solid are much more energetic now. Granted, the precise fashions nonetheless have just a few points (specifically, low-resolution textures at instances), although it is a welcome enchancment.
Environments, however, aren’t an enormous enchancment, although a few of this will probably be chalked as much as the concentrate on larger areas in comparison with earlier video games. Some areas undergo from poor draw distances and pop-in, too, although this is not overly widespread.
One space that I am not 100% offered on is efficiency. Whereas I’ve affirmation {that a} day 1 patch is meant to repair this, I bumped into plenty of points with efficiency. This was virtually solely tied to travelling between areas or making use of quick journey, inflicting my framerate to drop considerably till reloading my save.
Exterior of this, the whole lot usually ran at a stable 120fps on an RTX 3060 TI, barring a few areas with heavier visible results. Once more, that is one thing that should not be current at launch, although it is value protecting in thoughts when trying again at different Atelier ports on PC pre-Ryza 3.
Atelier Yumia Evaluation | Closing Ideas
Atelier Yumia has no parts which are inherently terrible, however the adjustments it makes to the collection don’t work total. Future video games must rethink a number of the simplifications to synthesis whereas additionally determining a method to make open worlds which are really value exploring.
Atelier Yumia was reviewed on PC utilizing a replica offered by Koei Tecmo over the course of 45 hours of gameplay.