The Atelier series has always been a good source for finding my inner weeb and as a huge fan of JRPGs, it’s kind of hard to pass up the opportunity to dive face-first to the latest entry of the mysterious series. And despite already having tens of entries with a multitude of cute and lovable characters along with beautiful and expansive worlds to explore and discover, the series has never really felt stale all the same. Partly, it’s due to the fact that it’s an evolving piece of history for the franchise. So no two games are completely identical as there has always been a twist to what could’ve been done to the next entry. From small little changes to its battle system or progression to the large additions like a completely different exploration of its environment or some drastic changes to the game entirely. It makes me want to think that there’s an Atelier game for even the most eccentric of gamers… but that’s just me.
But really, what makes Atelier Sophie 2 all the more interesting is that it’s not a new trilogy or even a new character that’ll only take you seconds to fall in love with all the same but it’s the same Sophie from the Mysterious Trilogy that we’ve already come to adore in the past. And much like Atelier Ryza getting a direct sequel in her name, Atelier Sophie 2 opens up the possibilities for even more like these. Atelier Escha & Logy 2 anyone?
Although let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and go back to the review… Atelier Sophie 2 being the direct sequel takes place not too long after the events of the first game in its name. Sophie Neuenmuller and her mentor Plachta went on a journey to help Sophie become a licensed alchemist however disaster strikes when a mysterious wormhole appeared and they were pulled into a mysterious dream world. Moments later, Sophie wakes up in the world of Erde Wiege, a dream world that exists to help people achieve their dreams however Plachta was nowhere to be found. Thus the search for a lost companion in the dream world begins…
And throughout the game, Sophie meets a cast of new and engaging characters following their own dreams with each one behaving in their own charming way with their unique and quirky personalities. There are a lot of memorable events with some emotional moments along with the funny and hilarious skits but at times fall off to a certain stereotype as most game characters of JRPGs do. It doesn’t really dampen their appeal though but it does make some scenes very predictable to how characters would react.
Though what makes an Atelier game tick is its gameplay and Atelier Sophie 2 is partly mini-game and partly RPG. So let’s just get the mini-game portion out of the way first. In Atelier Sophie 2 or even every Atelier game in existence, basic crafting and synthesis are the names of the game and as such collecting and gathering resources has always been a huge part of it. You go into huge sprawling environments filled with interactable resources from bushes filled with insects to logs and other minable resources in the field. It’s a game that really shines through its unique mechanics because the more time you spend gathering rare resources translates to getting better and stronger items that can be crafted afterwards. But what makes it partly mini-game is that you can encounter certain glowing resource points that will put you into all sorts of simple yet rewarding mini-games and these usually require you to have some sort of resource gathering equipment like a fishing rod or pickaxe.
Crafting or synthesizing materials and consumables also plays a role in the mini-game of sorts. What makes this really interesting though is that the more materials you own potentially increase your chance of getting better-crafted items like I previously mentioned as resources gathered will each have their own unique properties and a number of differently arranged coloured blocks that you’ll be trying to fit in methodically to upgrade an item’s effect depending on the number of coloured blocks you’re able to place. It’s fun just messing around with what you can get away with and being able to seamlessly go back to switch materials that would have a different set of coloured blocks you need easily makes this my favourite part of the game. It makes the entire crafting game engaging as you try to work your way around filling each section with the corresponding number of coloured blocks and making links to unlock even stronger effects that would otherwise be locked if unlinked. It’s basically a colour puzzle board but with the freedom to choose which and where to place each coloured block to make the most out of your craft.
Its battles unlike Atelier Ryza’s Active Time Battle system reverts back to the old but true and tested turn-based RPG. Something that I really prefer more as a fan of turn-based games since childhood. But what does Sophie 2 bring to the turn-based RPG table that isn’t already been seen in every other game? Twin Actions. Unlike most RPGs especially with large rosters of playable characters, Atelier Sophie 2 has a more interactive and seamless battle system where backup characters which are supposedly mostly for taking the rear, ends up with a seamless transition from back-up to the attacker when a resource called TP is spent. Twin Actions is basically a feature that lets your current attacker and one backup character of choice do simultaneous attacks while switching positions which gives you full use of your entire roster during combat. Back-up characters are also able to switch positions with an attacker during incoming attacks to avoid lethal damage should one or a few fall too low.
Other than that, synthesized items like bombs and ointments for healing are also available to be used by any party member because let’s be honest, it doesn’t take a licensed alchemist to lob a grenade over your foes or to apply ointments to wounds just like how one comedian’s mom applies Vicks VapoRub to every other disease or sickness including the common cold. But all jokes aside, this is easily one of my favourite battle systems in the entire franchise while also having my favourite type of synthesis system which makes for a very fun and engaging game altogether.
Visuals are also a sight for sore eyes with their stunning and eye-catching environment. The town is sprawling with people and neat little stuff to make them pop while each of the gathering fields outside of town is large, colourful and vibrant. It also brings in more of that fairy tale fantasy vibe that I’ve always thought about out when it comes to an Atelier game thanks to the main casts’ unique yet absurd choice of wardrobe. The large and expansive environment is one thing but what really got my attention here is how much more you can interact with the world with its weather control features. Each area has its own little weather control mechanism like being able to summon rain or the sun which not only changes how the environment looks but also unlocks previously inaccessible areas if they’re like flooded by the rain or when the sun dried up the water which makes certain platforms not float to access other areas.
Character animations are also a step up from previous titles which makes them more life-like which is always a good thing when you’re tackling a game that has a huge focus on story so having that extra bit of love put into good animation during cutscenes or even just when transitioning from battles and exploration is a thumbs up from me especially when you put it in line with some good background music and exhilarating tracks to ramp up the battles a bit. It’s pretty much a treat for the eyes and the ears as you play through the game.
In a nutshell, Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is definitely a strong game that delivers a great performance overall. The PlayStation version which I played through my review, brings a great dose of the story with its great and engaging cast of characters but also has a solid and fun gathering, crafting and battle system aside from its visually pleasing environment that is a treat to explore and discover. I may be a real sucker for Atelier games but I can say for certain that this is my favourite one yet and I highly recommend this to anyone even partly interested in getting into the series.
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Publishers: Koei Tecmo, KOEI TECMO AMERICA Corporation
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
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