Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Reminiscences & the Envisioned Land is a step ahead within the Atelier sequence, however not everybody’s going to love the course it’s taking. It’s a stable JRPG, for positive, but it surely feels prefer it’s beginning to go away sure core components—and Nintendo {hardware}—behind.
Our new protagonist is Yumia Liessfeldt, a younger alchemist in a world the place alchemy has been outlawed. It appears alchemy was liable for the destruction of Aladiss, inflicting these of the Aladissian Empire to worry it. A number of centuries later, Yumia discovers after the loss of life of her mom that she’s the descendent of an extended line of alchemists. This results in many questions, and—like all good, younger JRPG heroes—Yumia units off to search out the solutions.
This leads her to grow to be a part of the Aladiss Analysis Group. This huge group of troopers and scientists seeks to discover and settle within the ruins of Aladiss, however they’re hampered by Manabound Areas that block their progress. Yumia has the flexibility to clear the stagnant mana from the areas, permitting exploration to proceed. This mainly units up the development of the sport; attain a brand new space, filter out the mana, probe for some time, then transfer ahead.
It’s a effective system that offers Yumia extra of an open world than we’ve seen in previous Atelier video games. You may go the place you need at your individual tempo, however you’re restricted to sure areas till you’ve unlocked the story components that let you department out additional. There’s a lot to find and do in every location, nonetheless, that the restrictions are most likely an excellent factor.
Exploration clearly drives Atelier Yumia. Gadgets of curiosity are marked on the map with query marks, and there’s not often a scarcity of these to be discovered. Some you possibly can’t get to immediately. Most you possibly can. and reaching them will uncover every part from ingredient farming areas to treasure troves to enemy battles to constructing areas. You may mark practically something on the map as your goal, which then reveals the course and distance of that location within the HUD.
Getting there isn’t at all times straightforward, nonetheless, and it’s considered one of my first issues with the sport.
The continent of Aladiss is densely packed, making exploration extra of a chore than it ought to be. Most objects and areas are off the overwhelmed path, and navigating the wilds usually results in issues. It’s onerous to inform should you’re not utilizing the fitting method to climb a mountain or should you’re simply not purported to get to the highest but. Whereas coming down a mountain at one level, I discovered myself clipped right into a rock, unable to maneuver or leap. The builders should’ve recognized this might occur as the sport ultimately simply moved me again to the highest.
One other drawback (as a result of I need to get this out of the best way now) is the introduction of a horribly applied constructing system. You may arrange bases in pre-defined areas; actually, the sport expects you to. A catalog lets you simply create particular sorts of pre-fabricated buildings, and thank God for that as a result of the UI for customized constructing is horrible. Doing one thing so simple as including a sofa generally is a irritating mess due to the best way different constructions and objects intervene together with your view of what you’re doing, and the way flooring and partitions can disappear.
This might be effective if the sport left building to these keen on inside ornament, however quests usually require you so as to add this stuff. My buildings ended up wanting just like the Winchester Mansion as a result of it was too cumbersome to put objects the place it made sense to put them. The day I play my final JRPG, it’ll both be as a result of I used to be compelled to hold lamps or play some dumb card recreation.
Fortunately, building can largely be brushed apart throughout your travels, permitting you to focus extra on exploration, fight, and, to a lesser diploma, synthesis. Sure, Atelier followers, the synthesis system—as soon as the core part of Atelier video games—has moved into the again seat. The creation of recent and higher objects remains to be a key part, however the methodology of doing so has been simplified to the purpose of simply being…there, not enjoyable.
The sport will often present merchandise recipes. You “memorize” these recipes at a workstation you could construct and place, collect the right components, stage them up (you probably have sufficient different components to take action), then synthesize. I’ll go away you to find the intricacies of the system. It’s simpler than previously, however not as rewarding. The trade-off is that it’s quicker; there have been few instances in earlier video games the place I might agonize over what components so as to add so as to create one of the best weapon attainable. Atelier Yumia appears to as a substitute need you out within the discipline, not fixing synthesis puzzles in your atelier.
Oh, one of many nice issues about that is that basket restrictions are barely a problem anymore. Gone are the times of reducing outside time quick simply to empty your basket and unload extreme objects.
World traversal has been improved, too. There are quite a few zip strains you possibly can unlock for quicker journey supplied you’ve synthesized a zipper line glove. However many objects—that glove, well being kits, device bins, bullets—may be synthesized within the discipline on an as wanted foundation. Helpful. These bullets are particularly helpful, permitting you to gather far-away objects, scan enemies, stun enemies, and so on. The variety of quick-synthesis objects you possibly can maintain is restricted, but it surely grows as you get deeper into the sport.
You’ll additionally ultimately synthesize a bike to journey round, however that is extra for model than performance (as is the best way with bikes). Why would I need to race by the panorama once I’m purported to be amassing objects? And aren’t the zip strains extra environment friendly? To not point out you possibly can warp to key areas right away?
The battle system has additionally been modified significantly. It’s nonetheless a combination of ordinary bodily/arts assaults with the occasional particular transfer thrown in, but it surely strikes at a greater clip than earlier than. The profit is that it feels extra fluid, with dodging being a key issue. The downside is that it’s fairly messy. The UI supplies hints on enemy weaknesses, when to make use of workforce assaults, or when to rotate in a celebration member for heavier hits, however there’s a lot occurring that I normally simply button mashed my method by. Success in fight is much less about mastering the system and extra about simply ensuring you’ve been upgrading your gear correctly. Once more, simply get again to exploring, Yumia and buddies.
The difficulty with exploring, sadly, is that this world is clunky to work by on the Nintendo Swap. I already talked about the item clipping and environmental directions if you’re attempting to construct or line up a leap. I haven’t talked about the fixed framerate drops as you’re employed your method by; the sport typically freezes a full second as you progress into sure areas. Even one thing so simple as switching to the map takes longer than I’d like. This by no means kills the gameplay, however I usually discover myself considering I’d relatively maintain for the Swap 2 to finish the sport. Additionally, I bumped into a problem the place I accomplished a Shrine of Prayer quest solely to have it not get recorded, and one other the place I needed to win a monster extermination battle twice…I feel as a result of I began the battle the primary time earlier than the introductory dialogue was completed.
Lastly, the sport’s fight, synthesis, ability tree, and building techniques might use higher directions. The in-game tutorials and manuals introduce the varied techniques, however do little to supply methods or clarify how they’re related. KOEI TECMO has introduced that future updates on “some platforms” will deal with not solely efficiency points, however can even embody directions for “much less apparent operations.” If these hit the Swap, they might negate my complaints.
Both method, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Reminiscences & the Envisioned Land is a recreation price enjoying and finishing. The story will not be very compelling, however I’ve come to just accept that in open world video games; the narrative turns into too uneven when the author isn’t capable of dictate the pacing. Atelier Yumia as a substitute survives on its enjoyable characters and delicate steadiness of merchandise crafting, fight, and exploration. The latter undoubtedly takes over right here, however you’re given a lot to search out, so many puzzles to resolve, and so many duties to finish that it by no means for a second turns into boring. Often annoying, however by no means boring.
And, as is the best way with Atelier video games, there’s loads of gameplay-centric DLC forward. Regardless of my complaints, I’m very a lot wanting ahead to digging into that…though I’m undoubtedly going to attend for the Swap 2 in hopes that it supplies smoother travels.
