Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist & The Mysterious Dream Reviews
Regardless of my complaints, Atelier Sophie 2 does many things right to warrant a recommendation. It’s a great entry-level RPG with some intricate systems that will keep you entertained. The turn-based system might be a turn-off for some players, but I believe that we could work more with this genre, and Gust seems like they are willing to experiment more with it.
Atelier Sophie 2 adds a lot of interface and quality of life improvements that really create a seamless experience. This is a great place to jump in and experience the joys of alchemy, and we wholeheartedly recommend it for any enthusiast of stylized roleplaying games.
The upgraded alchemy system is the best fun part of Atelier Sophie 2. This game has innovated the classic turn-based combat mode in a unique way, and the improved encounter mode also makes me delighted. However, the story line is unremarkable, some items in the main story line are quite difficult to fabricate, some materials required for devising formulas are difficult to locate, and there are unreasonable aspects in the two-person alchemy system. All these issues will seriously undermine your experience in the game and preclude the game from being outstanding.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of the franchise as it’s one of the best entries yet. The game has another interesting story as we get to join Sophie and a bunch of charming characters on an emotional journey. Furthermore, exploring and gathering materials is made more interesting by the new weather system, new layers to the battle system open up some fun possibilities and the crafting system is one of the most addictive yet. It was a surprise to go from Atelier Ryza 2 back to Atelier Sophie but it’s one that I’m very thankful the team sprung on us.
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
This new sequel from Gust has a nice and sweet charisma that makes it easy to play, but it's not quite superior to what came before.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Atelier Sophie 2 resulted from Gust dropping the first game in an alchemy pot and boosting its quality and traits. It’s an interesting dedication to a years-old Atelier, revisiting systems even if they seem “dated” compared to the Ryza games, but altering them to still bring some flavor and iteration to the table.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is an excellent addition to a high-quality RPG franchise. Although the final stretch ends up weakening the experience a little by taking longer than it should and making progress difficult, it clearly shows the great skill of developer Gust and any RPG fan should give the game a chance.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Atelier Sophie 2 has a well-built alchemy setup and battle mechanics that make it enjoyable even if the overall game has an outdated look. Hopefully, these fun mechanics will reappear in an expanded form in future Atelier games. In the meantime, savor this good dream!
Without a doubt, Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is one of my favorite releases of this year. The graphics are top notch, gameplay is great, and the soundtrack is simply amazing. The story here is what I love the most. This is a positive story that is pure JRPG comfort food, and damn if we all don’t need some comfort right now. I was a little worried when this was announced and about how a follow up to Sophie would work, and I can safely say, I was worried for nothing. The game retails for $59.99, and I spent around 56 hours with this one. This a fantastic release in the franchise and a must own for fans. This title is very welcoming to newcomers as well, so if you never picked up one of these great JRPGs, now is a good time to jump in.
Atelier Sophie's second-part game provided a smooth and simplified experience with a focus on material manufacturing without making any attempts to make any significant move in the series.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is a masterpiece by Gust and the best game in the franchise so far. All elements work to perfection to deliver a rewarding experience. There's an amazing cast of characters, great story and the best combat, alchemy and exploration systems ever seen in the series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is a very by-the-numbers Atelier title, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's fun to play, has a strong cast, and is nicely polished. It doesn't try anything new or special, and it feels very much like a "safe" game. If you like Atelier titles, Atelier Sophie 2 is going to be a solid, if unexceptional, entry in your collection. It's an improvement on the original Sophie through and through, but it doesn't live up to other recent titles.
While Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream does nothing totally different as a sequel, the streamlined crafting and simplified combat system allow players to be more invested in the story without becoming bogged down in complex game mechanics. For long-time fans, however, those mechanics are still available.
Atelier Sophie 2 provided a great story, diverse characters and multiple additional ways to make items, and despite the repetition of some tasks and activities, I enjoyed playing it a lot.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I greatly appreciated Atelier Sophie 2 and it serves well as the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Atelier series. Like prior titles, Sophie 2 is a fun slice-of-life game where the stakes aren’t astronomically high, but the story is fun and the characters are lovable. It was great seeing Sophie and Plachta on yet another adventure, one that I would recommend to newcomers to the series and veterans alike.
Atelier Sophie 2 manages to synthesise old and new in a way befitting improvements to the franchise while leaving it comfortably with the rest of the Mysterious games. It shares some minor similarities with Sophie's first game but is generally quite different. It doesn't quite reach the heights of Atelier Ryza 2, but will still definitely keep most Atelier fans quite happy.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream presents an immediately engaging gameplay hook. The story is interesting and can get new players caught up fairly quickly, though the character designs can leave a lot to be desired. Battles and alchemy are a ton of fun, but the game does have trouble explaining all of its systems effectively.
Overall, I have to say I absolutely love how they’ve evolved, and continue to evolve, the Atelier series. Atelier Sophie was probably my favourite post PS2 Atelier title, and Atelier Sophie 2 doesn’t disappointed. With a more refined combat and alchemy system, and interesting weather feature, and improved graphics and character animations, Atelier Sophie 2 : the Alchemist and the Mysterious Dream is a must play in the Atelier series.
Atelier old timers can once again feel at home, even if some important aspects are still lacking.