Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Recollections & the Envisioned Land is a step ahead within the Atelier sequence, however now not everybody’s going to love the path it’s taking. It’s a forged JRPG, needless to say, but it surely feels find it irresistible’s beginning to depart sure core components—and Nintendo {hardware}—in the back of.
Our new protagonist is Yumia Liessfeldt, a tender alchemist in an international the place alchemy has been outlawed. It sort of feels alchemy was once accountable for the destruction of Aladiss, inflicting the ones of the Aladissian Empire to concern it. A number of centuries later, Yumia discovers after the loss of life of her mom that she’s the descendent of a protracted line of alchemists. This ends up in many questions, and—like any just right, younger JRPG heroes—Yumia units off to search out the solutions.
This leads her to develop into a part of the Aladiss Analysis Staff. This massive team of squaddies and scientists seeks to discover and settle within the ruins of Aladiss, however they’re hampered by way of Manabound Spaces that block their development. Yumia has the power to transparent the stagnant mana from the spaces, permitting exploration to proceed. This principally units up the development of the sport; succeed in a brand new house, filter out the mana, probe for some time, then transfer ahead.
It’s a positive machine that provides Yumia extra of an open global than we’ve observed in previous Atelier video games. You’ll be able to move the place you wish to have at your personal tempo, however you’re limited to sure places till you’ve unlocked the tale components that assist you to department out additional. There’s such a lot to find and do in each and every location, alternatively, that the limitations are almost certainly a just right factor.
Exploration obviously drives Atelier Yumia. Pieces of pastime are marked at the map with query marks, and there’s hardly a scarcity of the ones to be discovered. Some you’ll be able to’t get to immediately. Maximum you’ll be able to. and attaining them will discover the entirety from factor farming places to treasure troves to enemy battles to construction spaces. You’ll be able to mark just about the rest at the map as your goal, which then displays the path and distance of that location within the HUD.
Getting there isn’t at all times simple, alternatively, and it’s considered one of my first issues of the sport.
The continent of Aladiss is densely packed, making exploration extra of a chore than it will have to be. Maximum pieces and places are off the crushed trail, and navigating the wilds regularly ends up in issues. It’s exhausting to inform if you happen to’re now not the use of the proper way to climb a mountain or if you happen to’re simply now not meant to get to the highest but. Whilst coming down a mountain at one level, I discovered myself clipped right into a rock, not able to transport or soar. The builders will have to’ve recognized this is able to occur as the sport in the end simply moved me again to the highest.
Any other downside (as a result of I need to get this out of the way in which now) is the creation of a horribly carried out construction machine. You’ll be able to arrange bases in pre-defined spaces; in reality, the sport expects you to. A catalog lets you simply create particular sorts of pre-fabricated constructions, and thank God for that since the UI for customized construction is horrible. Doing one thing so simple as including a sofa could be a irritating mess on account of the way in which different constructions and pieces intervene along with your view of what you’re doing, and the way flooring and partitions can disappear.
This could be positive if the sport left building to these excited about inside ornament, however quests regularly require you so as to add this stuff. My constructions ended up having a look just like the Winchester Mansion as it was once too bulky to position pieces the place it made sense to position them. The day I play my remaining JRPG, it’ll both be as a result of I used to be compelled to hold lamps or play some dumb card sport.
Fortunately, building can most commonly be brushed apart all the way through your travels, permitting you to center of attention extra on exploration, battle, and, to a lesser stage, synthesis. Sure, Atelier fanatics, the synthesis machine—as soon as the core element of Atelier video games—has moved into the again seat. The introduction of latest and higher pieces continues to be a key element, however the means of doing so has been simplified to the purpose of simply being…there, now not amusing.
The sport will every so often supply merchandise recipes. You “memorize” those recipes at a workstation you will have to construct and position, accumulate the correct substances, degree them up (when you’ve got sufficient different substances to take action), then synthesize. I’ll depart you to find the intricacies of the machine. It’s more uncomplicated than up to now, however not as rewarding. The trade-off is that it’s sooner; there have been few instances in earlier video games the place I might worry over what substances so as to add with a view to create the most efficient weapon conceivable. Atelier Yumia turns out to as a substitute need you out within the box, now not fixing synthesis puzzles to your atelier.
Oh, one of the most good things about that is that basket restrictions are slightly a topic anymore. Long gone are the times of slicing out of doors time quick simply to drain your basket and dump over the top pieces.
Global traversal has been stepped forward, too. There are a large number of zip strains you’ll be able to release for sooner shuttle equipped you’ve synthesized a zipper line glove. However many pieces—that glove, well being kits, device packing containers, bullets—may also be synthesized within the box on an as wanted foundation. At hand. The ones bullets are particularly helpful, permitting you to gather far-away pieces, scan enemies, stun enemies, and so forth. The collection of quick-synthesis pieces you’ll be able to hang is proscribed, but it surely grows as you get deeper into the sport.
You’ll additionally in the end synthesize a motorbike to trip round, however that is extra for taste than capability (as is the way in which with bikes). Why would I need to race in the course of the panorama once I’m meant to be accumulating pieces? And aren’t the zip strains extra environment friendly? To not point out you’ll be able to warp to key places instantly?
The struggle machine has additionally been changed significantly. It’s nonetheless a mix of usual bodily/arts assaults with the occasional particular transfer thrown in, but it surely strikes at a greater clip than earlier than. The convenience is that it feels extra fluid, with dodging being a key issue. The downside is that it’s reasonably messy. The UI supplies hints on enemy weaknesses, when to make use of crew assaults, or when to rotate in a birthday party member for heavier hits, however there’s such a lot occurring that I typically simply button mashed my method via. Luck in battle is much less about mastering the machine and extra about simply ensuring you’ve been upgrading your tools correctly. Once more, simply get again to exploring, Yumia and pals.
The difficulty with exploring, sadly, is this global is clunky to paintings via at the Nintendo Transfer. I already discussed the article clipping and environmental directions whilst you’re looking to construct or line up a soar. I haven’t discussed the consistent framerate drops as you’re employed your method via; the sport now and again freezes a complete 2nd as you progress into sure spaces. Even one thing so simple as switching to the map takes longer than I’d like. This by no means kills the gameplay, however I regularly to find myself pondering I’d somewhat hang for the Transfer 2 to finish the sport. Additionally, I bumped into a topic the place I finished a Shrine of Prayer quest best to have it now not get recorded, and some other the place I needed to win a monster extermination struggle two times…I believe as a result of I began the combat the primary time earlier than the introductory discussion was once completed.
In any case, the sport’s battle, synthesis, ability tree, and building techniques may just use higher directions. The in-game tutorials and manuals introduce the more than a few techniques, however do little to provide methods or provide an explanation for how they’re hooked up. KOEI TECMO has introduced that long run updates on “some platforms” will cope with now not best efficiency problems, however may also come with directions for “much less evident operations.” If the ones hit the Transfer, they may negate my proceedings.
Both method, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Recollections & the Envisioned Land is a sport value taking part in and finishing. The tale isn’t very compelling, however I’ve come to just accept that during open global video games; the narrative turns into too uneven when the author isn’t ready to dictate the pacing. Atelier Yumia as a substitute survives on its amusing characters and mild stability of merchandise crafting, battle, and exploration. The latter no doubt takes over right here, however you’re given such a lot to search out, such a lot of puzzles to resolve, and such a lot of duties to finish that it by no means for a 2nd turns into uninteresting. From time to time demanding, however by no means uninteresting.
And, as is the way in which with Atelier video games, there’s various gameplay-centric DLC forward. Regardless of my proceedings, I’m very a lot having a look ahead to digging into that…even if I’m no doubt going to watch for the Transfer 2 in hopes that it supplies smoother travels.
