Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book Reviews
It won't win over any new converts, but "Atelier Sophie" certainly has more than enough to satisfy fans of this long running JRPG series.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book isn’t anything groundbreaking, but any fan of the series can attest the Atelier games never set out to be – and it doesn’t matter.
Atelier Sophie is a good game, just not a game for me personally, but I got to admit, I do love alchemy now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go and build some bombs so let’s wrap this up. My name is Tyler Valle, and make sure to check out Niche Gamer for all your gaming news, previews and reviews, and make sure to subscribe to us on Youtube as I slave away to provide you with new video content.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a game that can be played and enjoyed by both fans of the series, newcomers, and even people who would otherwise not even consider it. By being willing to open my mind and expand my horizons, I was able to very much enjoy a game that I initially overlooked simply by its cover.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is now available for the PS4 and PS Vita. It was developed by Gust Co. and published by Koei Tecmo. This review covers the PS4 version of the game.
Overall the Atelier Sophie is a good JRPG that is worth checking out if you are a fan of these kinds of games. If you can get over the fact you have to play a cutesy young woman, there is a good story, deep combat system and a great crafting system waiting for anyone who checks it out.
Atelier Sophie's highly addictive game-play through its alchemy systems help mitigate the blow the game takes from its ultimately underwhelming storyline, especially for a JRPG. Nevertheless, Atelier Sophie is an enjoyable game for those looking for a JRPG with a focus more on crafting rather than story-line or combat.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book gets off to an odd start, with its initially confusing crafting sessions and an extremely open-ended story. It does get easier as materials become easier to obtain and as the world opens up, but it's more freeform than the standard JRPG. Still, it has one of the most unique and engaging crafting systems out there, and it's exhilarating coming up with new combinations of items. It's definitely got a unique flavour, but it's charming and addictive all the same.
We found Sophie to be a great and relaxing, but challenging game. It ran great well on the Vita, maintaining solid visuals while at the same time providing a fun battle system and some challenging mechanics. On PlayStation 4 it runs like a charm and the visuals really pop on the large TV screen. Sure, it does not feature the deepest story of any RPG, but it is actually a nice break from the typical “save the world” story we are used to getting. If you are a fan of JRPG, then hopefully our Atelier Sophie ~The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book~ review has shown you why you should definitely give this one a try!
All in all, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a solid if unexceptional addition to the franchise. The new alchemy system is enjoyable, but the combat lags behind its predecessors. The focus on a more relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere than the Dusk games can be either a plus or a minus, depending on the player. At the end of the day, it's an enjoyable and relaxing game where you spend hours crafting the ultimate cake in order to fight a giant dragon, and if that appeals to you, Sophie fits the bill nicely.
Sophie herself is beautiful and adorable, and I hope she gets to come back in the other two games in this series come (we assume), because with her, Gust has a new heroine that deserves real attention.
In conclusion, while the game has flaws most of which stem from a cluttering of systems being placed into the game. The immersive crafting experience and colorful characters still makes it an enjoyable experience. If the player doesn’t care much for combat and prefers a crafting experience Sophie will be a truly good title to have in one’s library.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book marks the beginning of a new chapter in the series.
Overall, Atelier Sophie is a great addition to the Atelier franchise. Despite the story being quite weak, the character interactions made up for that, especially between Sophie and Plachta. I’ll be looking forward to playing the sequel game Atelier Firis.
While some aspects may seem potentially annoying or daunting, such as the passage of time (and the fact no one has an open store at one in the morning) or the intricacies of the alchemy system, these aspects grew on me the more I kept playing. I learned to adjust my in-game schedule in order to view character events, and the alchemy system is something meant to start off as a looming presence that you slowly become familiar with. Overall, Atelier Sophie is a great addition to the series, and while it does have its flaws, does its best to try and overcome them. Although the PC port could run a lot smoother, the majority of the transition went well, and is still an enjoyable game to play.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a lovely tale of friendship, perseverance and following your dreams, filled with a wonderful cast of characters.
If the PlayStation 4 will continue to get priority from Gust I would like to see more attention spent on careful animation and getting away from the amateur-level animations and syncing that I see in Sophie. However, their writing remains top notch, their choice of seiyu and English voice actors remains some of the best in the industry, and their addictive blend of resource gathering, crafting, and more traditional JRPG goodness is masterful when it is at it's worst. Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a powerful entry into one of the best JRPG franchises to date.
Atelier Sophie is a mediocre game at best. The game is very colorful and it will make you smile if you're having a bad day but that alone doesn’t make this game a great game.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is an excellent JRPG, and is recommended for anyone wary of the niche after frequent missteps. There’s still a few problems here and there (which could be a bit embarrassing considering it’s the 17th game in the series) but the innovation isn’t overloaded and instead natural.