Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land

Following Atelier Ryza's remarkable success, Gust (a Koei Tecmo subsidiary since 2011) and publisher Koei Tecmo aim to continue the long-running series with Atelier Yumia. This new JRPG will expand its appeal to newcomers while preserving the franchise's core elements.

One of the more niche JRPGs that has been attracting more and more players in recent years is the Atelier series from Gust in Japan. The first instalment, Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg, was released on PlayStation in 1997, but only in Japan. Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana also made the jump to PAL consoles in 2006. Since 2015, the main releases have also been released on PC, and since 2017 on Switch. Atelier Yumia represents the franchise's first foray onto Xbox consoles. The franchise revolves around exploration, combat and alchemy, with the latter consisting of finding, collecting and combining items in recipes to create better items. Most games focus on female characters. Atelier Yumia is the 26th title in the franchise, which has sold more than 7.5 million units worldwide. The three Atelier Ryza games (2019, 2020, 2023), which together sold two million units worldwide, were the biggest successes in the series to date. Now the baton has been passed to Yumia.

In a world where alchemy is considered taboo and evil, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Dreamed Land tells the story of Yumia Liessfeldt and her companions. They set out to unravel the secrets behind the cataclysm that destroyed the once great continent of Aladiss and made alchemy a forbidden subject, but mysterious characters obsessed with alchemy stand in Yumia's way. Thus begins a journey of discovery around the theme of memory, a slightly more serious topic than in the predecessors. Players control Yumia, a young alchemist who lost her mother in an accident when she was young. She is searching not only for the forbidden art of alchemy, but also for her mother's true intentions. On her journey, she joins the Aladiss research team.

Players will explore an open world made up of three biomes (Plains & Forest, Mushroom and Industrial). As is typical of the series, materials can be gathered from the environment or obtained from enemies, and items can be synthesised using Mana, which can be used in both exploration and combat. The new Easy Synthesis feature allows players to create items on the go without having to return to the base. To create more powerful items, players will need to master the art of Resonance Synthesis by adding ingredients that resonate with each other to the recipe's Alchemy Core. The strength of the resonance depends on the quality of the ingredients chosen.

The combat system has also been improved and, following on from Atelier Ryza, takes a further step towards action. Battles take place in real time, and the distance from the usually cuddly enemies (melee or ranged) determines which actions can be used. Some synthesised items turn into weapons, such as swords and spears, which can be used to attack. Don't expect too much depth in the fights, but it's enough. Unlike its predecessors, players will also be able to switch characters at any time during combat, and a party can consist of up to six characters, although only three will be active at any one time and three will act as support. Speaking of a party, 'Friend Action' combos can then be triggered, when certain conditions are met. Yumia can activate the powerful Mana Surge, while each of the other characters has a special move called Maximised Mana Surge. Equally important is dodging enemy abilities, which are marked on the ground. All in all, fights against standard enemies are relatively relaxed and straightforward, while boss fights are a little more turbulent. There are four difficulty levels to choose from, which can be changed at any time.

Another new feature is that players can build and customise their own base or alchemy laboratory using a modular construction kit. Players can choose from walls, floors, roofs and furniture, or select a pre-designed base model from the catalogue. Increasing the 'comfort level' unlocks bonuses such as the ability to expand the base and improve the skills of Yumia and her companions. Blueprints can be found in the world, of course, but there's no need to always return to the base. While exploring, players can set up a camp to rest or cook, which provides various bonuses for combat or exploration. Occasionally, character events will occur that can only be seen in the camps.

In Aladiss, players will explore dungeons, ruins and more to find hidden memory vials and treasures, including 'trait crystals' that can be used to upgrade items or equipment. While exploring, players will also come across 'Mana Sources' that release 'Particles', which are needed to unlock new synthesis recipes. As the story progresses, players will unlock a mana motorbike (Procella) which, while not really fitting into the fantasy world, will make it easier to get around the world. Like other actions, such as double-jumping, using the rifle to clear obstacles or avoiding falling damage, these actions cost energy. Sometimes it is necessary to enter 'mana-bound areas', where dense mana stagnates. In these areas, energy gradually decreases, making movement more difficult and reducing your abilities in combat. While players can restore their health by finding Alstahlia flowers, discovering and restoring landmarks will clear the area and improve the ease of exploration.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land will be released on 21 March 2025 for PC via Steam (Koei Tecmo), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch and, for the first time in the series' history, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Plaion will once again distribute the physical boxed versions in German-speaking countries. The Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Steam versions will be available digitally only. The game will be available with Japanese voice-overs and text in English, French, German and Spanish.

Conclusion

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land continues the JPRG series in style - and with a new protagonist, it also appeals to new players without neglecting the familiar mix of exploration (open world), combat (real-time action) and synthesis (alchemy).