Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land takes the franchise in a bold new direction. Its darker story and fresh gameplay make it stand out from past Atelier games. Even with big changes, it keeps the series’ core charm—great characters, a sense of adventure, and a world where alchemy is seen as something dangerous.
This is the 26th mainline game in Gust’s long-running Atelier series. After so many entries, it makes sense for the developers to shake things up, even though Atelier Ryza showed fans still love the classic style. That’s why Atelier Yumia introduces new action-RPG elements, which might not please die-hard fans of the older games.
As the title suggests, memory plays a key role in the story. Yumia Liessfeldt, the main character, searches for the truth behind alchemy’s forbidden status and her mother’s past. The game is set in the ruins of the Aladissian Empire, a powerful civilization destroyed by a mysterious disaster. Centuries later, alchemy is banned and feared as a dangerous art.
Yumia, a young alchemist, lost her mother in an accident years ago and later learned about her own alchemical roots. To uncover the secrets of alchemy and her mother’s history, she joins the Aladiss Research Team, a group exploring the empire’s ruins. With her companions, she journeys across the fallen continent, piecing together clues about Aladiss’ downfall, why alchemy is hated, and her own fate. The story deals with memory, truth, and choosing your own path even when the future is unclear.
The game opens years in the future, with Yumia and her team exploring a dungeon. After an explosion separates her from the group, she must find her way out alone. This short intro works well as a tutorial, introducing the new combat and gameplay mechanics. Once it’s over, the story jumps back to the past, where Yumia begins unraveling the mysteries of her life.
Atelier Yumia’s open world is seamless, packed with points of interest to discover. The environments are varied, though the PC version struggles with performance. The first area runs fine, but as you venture into the larger world, the frame rate becomes less stable.
One of the biggest new additions is Yumia’s rifle. She can use it to gather materials from a distance, interact with the environment (like lowering ladders), and even attack enemies before battle starts.
Another fresh mechanic is on-the-go synthesis. Now you can craft basic alchemy items while exploring or fighting, reducing the need to constantly return to the Atelier.
The combat system blends cooldown-based moves with strategic party positioning, creating a flashy yet tactical experience that gets better as you progress. While it keeps some turn-based charm, it definitely carves out its own unique style.
Battles begin when you run into enemies on the field. Like other action RPGs, striking first gives you an advantage. The fight takes place in a circular arena where your party surrounds the enemy. Characters can attack from any position, and some moves even have area-of-effect range—you can freely move in or out of the circle to adjust your tactics. Staying on the outer edge automatically switches your attacks to ranged, with no extra input needed.
Attacks are mapped to the four face buttons, and quick combos let you chain moves together. At first, it might seem like button-mashing, but there’s actually a decent layer of strategy. That said, since the game is designed to welcome newcomers, veteran JRPG players might find the challenge a bit too light.
Alchemy has been streamlined to be more beginner-friendly. At first it might seem a bit much, but the game does a good job guiding you through the crafting process. Ingredients are easy to find – just grab them from chests or while exploring. With tools like zip-lines, platforming jumps, and even a motorcycle, hunting for alchemy materials is way more convenient than in past games. And since there’s no limit to how much you can collect, you can basically hoard everything you see.
Instead of traditional stat boosts, you now get bonuses through a new Trait Blender system. How good your crafted items turn out depends entirely on the materials you use. The changes to alchemy and its impact on combat have split the fanbase, but personally? I thought it worked just fine.
There’s also a new base-building feature where you can decorate your home with crafted items. I didn’t spend much time with this part since customization stuff has never really been my thing, but it’s there if you’re into that sort of system.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land represents a daring shift for the series. Sure, it might ruffle some feathers among longtime fans, but its streamlined alchemy and combat systems will likely welcome plenty of new players. The game keeps things accessible with no harder difficulty options, making it perfect for casual play when you want to unwind.
While the darker story themes feel at odds with the series’ traditionally cute aesthetic, the characters remain as endearing as ever. Their strong development arcs make it easy to grow attached – a hallmark of the Atelier experience that thankfully hasn’t changed.
Atelier Yumia represents the franchise's most ambitious reinvention yet, trading turn-based combat for dynamic action while maintaining the series' signature charm. Though technical hiccups and some half-baked new systems hold it back, the compelling narrative and quality-of-life improvements create one of the most accessible Atelier experiences to date. This risky evolution pays off more often than it stumbles, offering a promising new direction for the long-running series.
