Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Engaging Narrative
Open World Evolution
Uneven Pacing
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land reimagines the long‑running JRPG series with a sprawling open world, action‑oriented combat, and deeper exploration that critics say refreshes the formula while retaining the franchise’s charm.
Despite a few growing pains, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land is a worthwhile entry in the long-running franchise.
If you dropped Final Fantasy VII Rebirth like a hot potato because the phrase “Regional Intel” haunted your dreams, you might need to give this game a skip, but for everybody else out there, expect a bit of a bumpy ride that is ultimately well worth the turbulence.
In most respects, Atelier Yumia is an impressively ambitious and strong new entry for the long-running series, blazing a trail to parts unknown much like its titular protagonist. Things like the darker story, action-heavy combat, and increased focus on exploration gameplay all work well in its favor. The only major complaint is that this was clearly designed with much stronger hardware than the Switch in mind, and while its performance here is just about acceptable, it's very far from ideal. At any rate, we'd give this one a recommendation not only to long-time Atelier veterans, but also to fans of other vast JRPG adventures such as the Xenoblade series. Atelier Yumia is a bold step forward for this franchise, and it stands as a strong indication that the Atelier series has a lot of life left in it yet.
This game is very ambitious in terms of what has been done to the franchise up until now, and I think it is definitely going in the right direction. This is exactly what the game needed in terms of a fresh new look, and the open-world aspect of the game truly created an experience for me that I wish I would've had with all the games in the franchise coming up to this one.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a fresh step forward with just as much charm and joy as the rest of the series. It's an incredible starting point for newcomers and an exciting change of pace for long-time fans.
Just like its impressively long and unwieldy title, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a messy game. But it’s a messy game with lofty ambitions and a lot to like, even if which pieces you end up liking are not the pieces you expected or wanted to like, especially if you’re a returning Atelier fan.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Imaginary Land isn't the definitive installment in the series, but its ideas and new approaches establish it as a perfect entry to attract new fans looking to enjoy a JRPG formula that's unusual in the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
All in all, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a fun adventure in crafting and exploration. Its chill atmosphere mixes quite well with the slightly heavier themes. And the crafting is excellent.
According to Atelier producer Junzo Hosoi, people prefer voluptuous women in times of economic recession.
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