Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land review: Video game soup

by

In its early days, Atelier stood out as a series that focused on crafting before it became popular in video games. Often recognized as a pioneer in what is now known as “comfort” games, Atelier initially combined elements of time management, traditional RPG combat, and alchemy to create powerful healing potions and destructive cartoon bombs capable of flattening cities. Over the years, changes were made, with time-constrained mechanics being replaced by more engaging battles and simplified crafting systems to increase appeal. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is another leap into uncharted territory, aiming for a broad experience that sometimes loses focus on specific aspects but manages to deliver pleasant overall feelings. The moody atmosphere is quite enjoyable, though.

Atelier experienced a significant boost when the Ryza trilogy was released for the Nintendo Switch, selling out multiple times. This series struck a chord with many people, even though it retained traditional aspects and had intricate, system-focused gameplay. With this newfound success, developer Gust decided to branch out by introducing real-time (or nearly real-time) combat mechanics, making an effort to widen their audience. They also focused on enhancing the crafting aspect of the game. A notable change was transitioning from zoned environments to open world-style exploration, similar to Monster Hunter. Atelier Yumia is a clear reflection of this new direction in every way.

We don’t take too kindly to alchemy ’round these parts

Every Atelier series introduces a unique universe where alchemy is considered perilous. Before a catastrophic event occurred, alchemy was generally accepted practice. However, this incident nearly destroyed a powerful empire. Years later, Yumia is part of an investigative team within the government, tasked with examining the remnants of the event to gather more information. It’s revealed that she is not only interested in unraveling the secrets of the past but also in redeeming alchemy as a beneficial art. Unfortunately, her peers view this goal as akin to entering Chernobyl 20 years post-disaster and advocating for nuclear power – an uphill battle indeed.

In Yumia’s Scooby Gang adventure, as alchemy gets integrated, she demonstrates its charm using modern video game techniques. This involves traversing an expansive environment, battling various creatures, cleansing hazardous landmarks to expand the exploration possibilities, constructing numerous items, and assisting anyone with issues. The game is a diverse mix of gaming elements, catering to different tastes. There’s always a boost for your dopamine levels nearby, whether it’s completing an exploration task, gathering materials to create new gear, progressing through various skill branches, solving riddles to unlock hidden treasures, hunting wildlife, or planning a new base.

Everything, everywhere, not always all at once

This game offers a flexible experience, allowing players to tailor their involvement according to their preferences. If you’re not interested in building, simply invest the minimum effort needed and let the system handle it for you. Similarly, if crafting is a hassle or combat requires too much mastery, you can adjust the difficulty level to make progress smoothly. However, the game also caters to those who wish to immerse themselves deeply. Spend countless hours exploring, decorating bases, enhancing crafting skills, and even creating weapons of mass destruction through an intricate process that involves interpretive dance in alchemy. It’s all up to you and your level of engagement with Yumia.

The issue lies in the cluttered feel of everything. Despite attempts to simplify, the user interface is disorganized, tutorials are overwhelmingly frequent and complex, game elements are scattered across various menus, and combat can be chaotic to the point where I often relied on sounds to understand what was happening. The game seems to cram too much content into one place, resulting in a loss of clarity that contrasts sharply with the growing elegance we’ve seen in the Ryza series. I found myself reaching out to media colleagues multiple times as we struggled to figure out simple tasks like setting up a camp, which would be straightforward in other RPGs. This area needs improvement, and it appears that this is due to aggressively pursuing a larger audience.

Sure, put a magic motorcycle in there too, why not?

After considering various aspects, I must say, Atelier Yumia offers something for everyone. For my part, what truly resonates is the freedom of movement. The sensation of moving around in Atelier Yumia is simply exhilarating, and a significant factor in making the experience so delightful. Dashing about, performing wall jumps, soaring on ziplines, snatching ingredients as I pass, aiming my enchanted staff at distant objects and firing it to retrieve them – all of these actions feel fantastic and look impressive when in motion. The addition of a motorcycle later in the game, one that can also perform wall jumps like a superbly modified Super Mario 64 vehicle? Absolutely unforgettable.

Experiencing conflict, frequently puzzling, can still be enjoyable unexpectedly. Witnessing Yumia acrobatically leap and twirl using her enchanted jet fuel-powered heels, spinning her staff/gun accessory while showering the battlefield with vibrant, crimson bullets, momentarily incapacitating an adversary before summoning another teammate to shatter it with a duo of colossal ice hammers, and numerous other spectacular spectacles, is some of the most thrilling gameplay I’ve encountered in a video game this year.

Regrettably, Yumia’s lack of focus has claimed another victim – the narrative. Over the years, the Atelier series has had its moments of brilliance and mediocrity, but Ryza stands out as a shining example in storytelling. Building a tale around a band of friends who grow and overcome obstacles is perfect for a trilogy, and even the first game’s character-driven mystery solving was enjoyable, straightforward, and harmonized well with its alchemy-focused gameplay loop. However, in this installment, the storytelling is disjointed. The game fails to adequately introduce players, beginning with an exciting, action-packed teaser of what’s to come, then barely establishing who the characters are or why they matter before thrusting players into a video game stew. As the internal and external conflicts develop in awkward and unclear ways, it feels like I’m being asked to simply grin and bear it when a villain emerges or a character’s tragic past is revealed.

The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land” is a complex and chaotic one, yet it’s got grand aspirations and plenty of appealing aspects, even if not all of them align with what you might anticipate or desire, especially for returning Atelier players. It may not be the ideal starting point, despite its apparent intention to be so, as I could recommend Ryza instead, which offers a strong foundation and justifies itself as a three-part series without becoming tiresome. Essentially, this Role Playing Game (RPG) reaches out for too many elements, but it’s still worth playing due to its innovative ideas and diverse experiences, provided you are prepared to accept some rough edges and unnecessary bulk. It might not satisfy those seeking a more polished experience that consistently hits the mark, as they may grow frustrated.

On March 21, 2025, you can get your hands on “Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land” for various platforms including PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, as well as Nintendo Switch. For this review, a PC code has been provided by the publisher.

Read More

2025-03-14 16:28