Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land
" Immersive action-adventure RPG with innovative base-building and real-time combat but suffers from poor optimization "
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land Review
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land marks a significant departure from previous Atelier entries, introducing a semi-open world design, real-time combat, and a simplified alchemy system. Players praise the game’s smooth animations, improved graphics, and expansive world, which provide an immersive exploration experience. Character expressions and narrative tone have also evolved, offering a more mature and grounded story with a reserved yet relatable protagonist. The inclusion of base-building, crafting, camping, and fishing adds depth and variety to gameplay.
However, fans of traditional Atelier games often find the character development and alchemy mechanics less engaging and shallower than before. Combat, while innovative, is sometimes criticized for being button-mashy and unbalanced, especially in endgame scenarios. The game’s performance optimization is a major concern, with reports of low frame rates and lag on various systems. Additionally, some players feel the repetitive tasks and hand-holding diminish long-term enjoyment. Overall, it’s a bold evolution that divides opinion but offers a fresh take for open-world RPG fans.
Highlights
Players applaud the game’s smooth motion-captured animations and compelling, large open world that encourages exploration.
The story is noted for its darker, more mature tone and well-expressed characters, especially the protagonist Yumia.
Gameplay features like base building, crafting, camping, and fishing enrich the experience.
The real-time combat system and mana surge mechanic receive positive remarks for innovation despite some balance issues.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include the simplified and less meaningful alchemy system, which disappoints longtime series fans.
Combat is often described as button-mashy and lacking depth, with endgame balance problems.
Performance issues such as poor optimization, low frame rates, and lag significantly affect playability.
Repetitive exploration tasks and excessive hand-holding reduce engagement.
Some players feel the change in tone and character dynamics results in shallower relationships and world-building compared to earlier titles.
Pros
- • Smooth motion-captured animations enhance visual fluidity and immersion.
- • Large, well-designed open world invites extensive exploration.
- • Mature, darker storyline with emotionally expressive protagonist.
- • Innovative base-building system adds creative gameplay depth.
- • Varied activities like crafting, camping, and fishing enrich experience.
- • Real-time combat introduces fresh mechanics like mana surge.
- • High accessibility with adjustable difficulty levels for all players.
Cons
- • Simplified alchemy system feels shallow and less engaging.
- • Combat can be repetitive and overly reliant on button mashing.
- • Game suffers from poor optimization causing lag and low FPS.
- • Exploration tasks become repetitive and stale over time.
- • Excessive hand-holding reduces player agency and immersion.
- • Character and relationship development is less detailed.
- • Unlocking recipes can feel tedious and underwhelming.
Rating Criteria
"Atelier Yumia" is a story about “memory”. Explore the field to gather materials and synthesis items. The items you create can be key to advancing the story and can also be used in battles and exploration. Additionally, you can create your own base with “Building" in the field.