Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey Reviews
No matter how I try, these reviews of Atelier games always end up being long….so if you read all the way through, then thank you for sticking with me. Atelier Firis: the Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey ticks all the boxes of a great coming of age story with good synthesis and turn-based battles. This game has a great sense of exploration in this open-world and makes for interesting and extended gameplay. The prologue is too long (3 hours!) and Firis is a bit of an airhead, but overall: I like it a lot
We certainly liked a lot of the changes made to this new PS4 entry in the series. Right from the start, it feels more open and accessible for everyone especially for those new to the franchise. The mobile Atelier is a very nice feature, and it makes tasks seem less like fetch quests. We also had more fun with the game's battle system as it feels more refined. Playing it on the big screen on PS4 or on the go on the PS Vita felt great, so you'll be able to play either at home or on the go thanks to the game's cross-save features
Atelier Firis isn’t a good game and the characters are very uninteresting. This game falls flat compared to past Atelier games.
Overall, Atelier Firis is probably one— if not the most ambitious— entries into the franchise. Following Firis through her journey and seeing how excited she gets is a great reminder that games like these are amazing. The character interaction, battles, and alchemy all mesh together to create a story about a cute girl that seriously wanted some fresh air.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is the latest in Gust's Atelier series and quite honestly one of the best so far. Set after Atelier Sophie, join both the new and old protagonists Firis and Sophie through a wonderful and open-conceived alchemic journey.
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 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 Firis' focus on more open-world elements is refreshing.
Turn-based combat, world exploring and puzzle-like crafting mechanics make for relaxing and fun gameplay in this slice of life RPG. Regardless of some shortcomings, fans of the series will enjoy traveling with Firis.
Atelier Firis tells a bright, fun tale in a somewhat restricted world.
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 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.
Once Firis has passed the exam and the game drops the time limit, Atelier Firis turns into a pretty good JRPG with some deep crafting mechanics but a fairly lacklustre combat system. To get to this point, however, requires a fairly substantial time commitment.
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.
A decent opening devolves into a directionless wander. The repetitive nature of many of the game's tasks and situations mean that the real meat of the game is hidden under a lot of padding that demands a huge investment of time and will to uncover. Unless you're a hardcore fan of the laid-back crafting loop of the Atelier games, there are many more engaging RPG's out there.
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: 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: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is a title that engenders quite a bit of well-deserved criticism.
While the world often feels lifeless, and the combat runs on the routine side, the cast of loveable (and hateable) characters is sure to keep you locked to the screen a few hours at a time wondering where everything will lead. The game could’ve passed with the title Atelier Firis: The Mysterious Journey, because that’s exactly what it is. When I’m wrapped up with Atelier Firis, I’m likely to go back and check out the rest of the series as well and see just how we got to this point.
Atelier Firis is GUST's first try at an open world game and they do it decently, but the real draw lies in the game's complex alchemy system.