I’ve played countless JRPG’s over the past couple of months, and while some have shined brighter than others, I always thought one of the biggest problems was the convoluted story. Even attempts to change this such as setting a franchise in a more spin-off catered direction don’t solve this problem, leading to a weird disconnect when attempting to dive into the lore and plot of Western role players compared to Japanese ones.

Now, Tecmo Koei known for their collection of impressive collection of momentous Japanese centric franchises such as Dead or Alive, Dynasty Warriors and Ninja Gaiden, is producing a less lore heavy take on one of their series, this time with the target being on alchemy. So is it successful, or does a different story take do more harm then good? Here’s my verdict.

Gameplay:

The party you get at the beginning of the game

Instead of starting off with an epic battle or an engaging chase sequence, Atelier Sophie begins with the main character, Sophie discovering a magic book. Although it’s something that could have easily felt awkward or childish, it fits well in the story and more importantly gameplay. For example, the more you complete objectives, the more context and narrative you unlock. All in all, these rudimentary basics are woven very nicely.

On top of this, the game changes who you’ll be fighting during a dynamic time system. In other games, attempts to squander repetitious could have been seen from a mile away, but Atelier Sophie sets up enough differences from it’s peers that this isn’t a necessary problem. Besides for this, get ready to use a basic, but useful attack systems.

Story & Design:

Menu systems are accessible even for casual JRPG players, but the actual alchemy is a bit different

While I adored most aspects of Atelier Sophie’s gameplay, the story is a bit weaker. Conversations with NPC are cheerful and have a great pride, but the actual objectives connecting all of it feel like nothing more than mindless fetch-quests. Although the game attempts to reverse it’s tedium in gameplay segments, I found this to be rather disappointing.

Besides for this, the game is accessible for many players, and I think it could be a definite hit in this sense. For example, there’s quite a lengthy in-game encyclopedia, which makes the intricate alchemy elements a lot easier. However this doesn’t always lead, and I think there could be some definite trouble in later sections.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

The game’s cast has a great personality

Lastly, Atelier Sophie is a bit different from the normal JRPG visually and presentation-wise, but this isn’t a bad thing. Everyone you meet has a sense of spunk, which is a lot more memorable than the frequency and genericness of a lot of other pointless characters in JRPG titles. You can’t directly talk to everyone, but it’s a pretty clear emphasis on quality over quantity otherwise.

The character design is also wonderful to see and isn’t aged or immediately tropey. Everyone feels unique, and the breathing living world tagline won’t be a moniker I can see in the near future, as it actually tends to be the case. Great voice acting cements this fact, and there aren’t as many cheesy lines as in other JRPG’s.

Conclusion:

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.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book gets a 8/10 (Very Good)

We’d like to thank Koei Tecmo America PR for giving us a code!

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