It was way back in the early 2000s that I played my first Atelier game, but it was only with the more recent protagonist Ryza that I jumped back into the more modern titles. The alchemy based JRPG franchise has evolved a lot over the years, although I suppose that’s to be expected when the 26th entry is on the way. Featuring the first new protagonist we’ve had since 2019, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is changing more than ever before. After spending around five hours with the game I can confirm that both new and returning fans will likely love this entry in the series, as it might just be the best Atelier has ever been.
Whereas previous alchemist main characters in the Atelier series have been beloved members of their community, that’s not the case for Yumia. After a great cataclysm the people of this world decided alchemy was a dangerous art and banned it all together, making those practicing it outcasts. Yumia refuses to believe alchemy is evil though, as her mother was an alchemist and always taught her to think for herself and fight for what’s right. With the kingdom in turmoil thanks to spreading Manabound areas, Yumia decides to show the people that alchemy can be used for good and help save the day.
To do this though Yumia will need to venture into dangerous corners of the map and sort out the mana issues, which means taking on a whole lot of enemies. The combat in Atelier Yumia is the most action based it has ever been in the series’ long history (and quite possibly the most fun it’s ever been too) with the ability to move Yumia around the battlefield at will, block incoming attacks, and chain together all sorts of offensive abilities to deal with all the Punis, wolves and other fantasy creatures standing in your way.
One of the my favourite aspects of this new combat system is that you can shift from short range attacks to long range attacks at the push of a button, which can be used to dodge massive area attacks from the enemy with ease, and potentially break their guard if they’re weaker to your ranged offense rather than your up close attacks. Alongside these attack types you can also activate powerful team attacks to deal with foes, or when all else fails just chuck all the items you make with alchemy at the enemy until they stop bothering you.
As is always the case with this series, you won’t get far in Atelier Yumia without doing a whole lot of alchemy synthesising. It’s much simpler to create great quality weapons, armour and items in this game though, and just involves choosing the best items to place in the alchemy cores of a recipe while trying to ensure you use items with a range that can collect all the floating mana bits surrounding your new creation. There’s definitely some hidden depth to this alchemy system, but it’s the most approachable alchemy has been in a long time (with the returning option to auto craft if you really aren’t into it too).
The final part of that ridiculously compelling Atelier series gameplay loop is collecting materials by exploring the world, which is probably the star of the show in Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land. The world you can explore in this new entry is so much bigger than ever before, with a massively varied array of biomes to explore, secrets hidden around every corner and so many materials to take home to your workshop and make into something useful. As well as just hitting the collect button over and over to grab items, Yumia also has the ability to gather harder to reach bits and bobs too by just blasting them with her gun (which never gets old). Getting around the world feels incredible too, with a double jump ability that can be leveled up to get to harder to reach places, zip lines you can activate to get around quicker, and even a rideable motorbike. It’s so easy to spend hours exploring without even considering your next objective, and it’s rewarding enough that you never feel guilty for doing so.
All of these systems have been improved wonderfully to ensure this is an Atelier game you don’t want to miss, but the big entirely new addition to Yumia is the ability to craft your own workshop. By combining different walls, roof tiles and bits of furniture you can ensure your alchemy base is a cosy nook unique to you, and show off your creativity a little. There’s no pressure to spend hours doing this if building isn’t your jam (with loads of premade options in a catalogue that you can slap down instantly) but for those of you who spend hours building bases in crafting games Atelier Yumia has you covered with its easy to use building system.
There are loads of other more in-depth systems I got to start messing around with in Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land, all of which I’m excited to get to really dive into when I’ve played thirty more hours of the game. For example, there’s a skill tree full of tons of abilities that will help you either in battle, when synthesising or while exploring that I can’t wait to complete. Also each area of the open world features a massive checklist of things to do for extra rewards, which even in the first area felt incredibly satisfying to fill out. This is a game I’m going to be playing for so many hours, and based on this preview session I’m pretty sure I’ll be grinning for every minute of it.
It’s hard to imagine a world where Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land isn’t one of the best games in this long running series. With sensational exploration, fast paced combat and even the ability to create your own workshop, Atelier Yumia feels like a landmark entry that both new and returning fans will adore.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is coming to PC, PS4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on March 21st. This preview is based on hands-on time with the game at a press event. Koei Tecmo paid travel and accommodation. Read our interview with the head of Gust Studios here.
