Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book Reviews

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is ranked in the 67th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
60%
Jun 6, 2016

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.

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Jun 6, 2016

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.

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8 / 10
Jun 6, 2016

If you're a fan of JRPGs and won't be put off by the slower pace and smaller scale storyline, there's a lot to like in the story, characters and deep alchemic systems of Atelier Sophie.

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Jun 6, 2016

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.

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5 / 10
Jun 7, 2016

Providing a fairly monotonous story with a splash of colour, the characters seem to be the only bright spot in this otherwise dreary role-playing game. That's not to say that the constant rigmarole of finding and slaying isn't fun – it is - but considering what the storyline offers, the grind hardly seems worth it; the narrative's simply not engaging enough to warrant the repetitiveness found throughout Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. If you've played other titles in the series, then this entry will feel like it adds very little to the experiences that you've already had, while leaving a much blander taste.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2016

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a more relaxed entry in the series, and I enjoyed that particular aspect of it. Unfortunately, it’s also becoming clear just how little the series has grown over a whopping 17 entries, a condition likely due to the annual nature of its sequels. Loot-based open-world games have become immensely popular lately, making the flimsy, cramped levels of Sophie seem all the more dated by comparison. Still, I think series fans will enjoy the more deliberate pace of this entry, while newcomers have the perfect entry point thanks to the lack of a time limit. I won’t lie, though; alongside Neptunia, this is another series that really needs to slow it down with the constant follow-ups and re-releases. I’d love if Gust would take a little break from Atelier and come back in a few years with some fresh ideas.

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80%
Jun 7, 2016

Not the jump forward I was expecting for this series, but a light and entertaining RPG nonetheless.

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Jun 7, 2016

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.

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90 / 100
Jun 7, 2016

Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book aimed to be the best of the series with its PlayStation 4 debut and found great success. With highly expanded and perfected scavenging, item creation, and battle systems, Atelier Sophie is a top-notch JRPG experience and might very well be the best of the year so far in the genre. Surprising, fun, and challenging, Atelier Sophie is a must own in the PlayStation 4 collection.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2016

Atelier Sophie makes great improvements, especially with its rewarding alchemy and social systems, which always give you something to look forward to

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Jun 7, 2016

For anyone seeking out an RPG they can just play for weeks, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a solid choice, but for each of its highlights, it suffers a misgiving. The story is plain but is delightful and organically executed. The battle system has some awesome features that are locked behind story gates. The characters are beautiful, but the rest is hit or miss. And then there are the confusing or offensive writing and design decisions throughout. As I said, I loved playing it (despite the rush to meet embargo), but its faults keep it from becoming a classic in any sense.

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9 / 10
Jun 7, 2016

Atelier Sophie is a wonderful change of pace from every other JRPG I've played. The simple, homegrown story is a breath of fresh air, and the unique focus on alchemy and item gathering over combat and grinding helps it stand out even more. Most surprising of all, though, is that a game all about picking up items, navigating menus and walking around the same town for hours and hours kept me more engaged than almost any other JRPG I've played. Atelier Sophie is a wonderful game, and if you're a new player like me, it's a great way to get yourself hooked on the rest of the franchise.

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RPG Site
Top Critic
7 / 10
Jun 7, 2016

While Atelier Sophie makes interesting changes to the dynamic of the series, it does not leave a strong impact.

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Eric Zander
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2016

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.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2016

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.

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8.9 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2016

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book marks the beginning of a new chapter in the series.

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8 / 10
Jun 7, 2016

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.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jun 7, 2016

Fans will eat it up and for people who have been curious about the Atelier series but are uncertain about what game to start with, this PS4 debut is a new character with a new story and appears to be a good starting point.

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GamingBolt
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2016

Fans of JRPGs, or simply PS4 owners looking for something relaxing to play, will probably find themselves content with Atelier Sophie.

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7.3 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2016

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book isn't going to win any awards for best RPG of the year, but it's still a good time and gives you a couple dozen hours of enjoyable playtime.

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