Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey Reviews
I loved Atelier Firis. It features my favourite group of characters in an Atelier game, while the vast, open world environments add something unique over the rest of the series, with a huge amount of options and quests to explore. Unfortunately, it isn’t until you pass the time restricted first half of the game after dozens of hours of playtime that you’ll truly be able to appreciate any of this. Combining timed quests with free exploration is an interesting idea, but its flawed execution ruins leads to some awkward pacing. Atelier fans and curious newcomers will still have an amazing time, as long as you don’t let the intimidating timer put a damper on what should be a magical experience.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is a good, classic JRPG with a simple but entertaining plot and an excellent art direction. Unfortunately, the graphics are quite outdated, but its still a great game and a nice turning point for the series, which both fans and newcomers will certainly enjoy.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Atelier Firis shows us that the important thing is not the goal, but the journey to reach it. However, we do not have a revolutionary game in any respect compared to its legacy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Atelier Firis tells a bright, fun tale in a somewhat restricted world.
Atelier Firis: Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey is the first open-world Atelier game and it takes the fun battles and item creation modes from the previous titles and makes improvements and additions that make this the most impressive game in the series. Fans of the series will find this a triumph, and even those unacquainted will be impressed with this fun, strategic, and light-hearted adventure.
Atelier Firis is an ambitious entry in the long running series, with many new mechanics and a larger than ever world map to explore. Unfortunately, the inconsistent performance and a poorly implemented alchemy system hinder the overall experience greatly.
Atelier Firis makes huge strides forward with its lively open world, but it also takes several steps backwards in other areas. Reintroducing the time limit forces you to play the game at breakneck speed, which means that much of the world is ignored until over 20 hours into the game. Once you break away from the time limit, however, you'll discover a brilliantly diverse world that you can get lost in for countless hours, where you'll be free to properly enjoy what is ultimately a solid, but neglected battle system.
Atelier Firis is a light-hearted and enjoyable JRPG where you can put your alchemy skills to the test.
Atelier Firis is a fun and charming Japanese RPG with an alchemy twist that works quite well with its open-world approach. Admittedly, the combat system is a tad underwhelming and I didn't feel a bond with most of my party members. The key cast members are quite likable though and the game's engaging item creation system make this worth checking out if you enjoy more cozy JRPGs.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is the new episode of the famous franchise. This chapter improves all the features of the prequel and reintroduces the time limit to complete the main plot.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite its relatively flat cast, the game is a rather enjoyable experience that will feel well-rounded to fans of the series. The large map offers far more exploration opportunities than previous games did, which may help compensate for a pretty lackluster battle system.
Atelier Firis is able to pull off many of its elements pretty well while at the same time falling short in others. While some of the things the new title tried change or introduce were improvements from its predecessors, such as the new alchemy and partial time limit systems, others felt like a step back for the series, including its combat system and lackluster characters. While fans of the franchise and the new Mysterious series will undoubtedly appreciate this new entry, newcomers may find many of its elements too tedious. Atelier Firis is an undoubtedly good attempt at an Atelier game but may prove to be too niche for others.
I admire Gust for delivering a product outside of their comfort zone. However, even though the open world is the most exciting new addition, it also tends to bring the most problems with it. Atelier Firis will surly impress fans of the franchise, but could feel dated to modern RPG fans.
Atelier series finally gets vast open world. Unfortunately, adventures of young alchemist Firis are bland and makes the weakest link of the whole series.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The clumsiest Atelier title since Rorona, Atelier Firis lacks the heart, soul, and polish of its predecessors.
Overall, Firis is a solid entry into the long-running franchise that should appeal to previous players and newcomers.
Gust's most ambitious game to date may have a few flaws, but is definitely an effort worth commending.
The developers of Atelier Firis tried to create a product that could satisfy both purists and new players. And they succeeded: even if it is a niche title, it's worth a look by the fans of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey is a dull, flat story filled with insipid characters, delivered through thoroughly monotonous gameplay and dragged out over the course of an interminable amount of time. Steer clear of this trope-ridden snoozefest.
Atelier Feris: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is sometimes charming, but frequently feels a bit vapid in execution. The core of Alchemy is done well, but the things around it don’t hold up. I can praise it for telling a more personal journey, but not much else.