Review: Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX (PS4/Switch/PC)
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- The open-world nature of Atelier Firis along with its excitable protagonist had always made me curious what it had to offer, so after receiving my code for Mysterious DX and finishing Sophie DX, I'm excited to have finally experienced what this different Atelier has to offer! Hope you enjoy hearing my thoughts on this game, let me know your Atelier Firis thoughts (DX or otherwise) in the comments!)
Games featured:
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX (code for the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy DX was provided for review by publisher)
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The JRPG Jungle Logo and Intro Video are by Dennis Bagstevold! Check out his website: www.dennisbagstevold.com/
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#JRPG #AtelierFiris #AtelierSeries
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Time Codes:
0:00 Intro
1:18 Premise
2:31 A New Twist on Atelier’s Gameflow
(Gameplay, Time Limits and A Surprisingly Open World)
8:07 Even More To Play With
(DX Content and Other Thoughts)
9:47 Closing Thoughts - Ігри
![Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack (Quick Review) [PC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/09meSEXS1pg/mqdefault.jpg)
FIRIS IS CUTE TODAY TOO!
She was the 1st game in 2017 that Gust released as their beautiful girls trilogy for that year.
Beat me to it!
Because you're cute Firis.
It always amazes me how Gust can create so many of these and still keep them memorable and fresh.
Firis is one of the games in the modern series I don't have in my collection yet, but the idea of having a timer in the "main" playthough and freedom in the postgame is a good balance
I love how your channel is like a JRPG Diary. It's so fun to hear you talk so passionately especially about the Atelier series! I really hope you do make a tier list video for these games with your own in-depth explanations 😍
Same. I was honestly going to ask for a tier list of all the Atelier games she's played once the review of Lydie & Suelle DX is out.
After being spoiled with the mechanics in Atelier Ryza 1 + 2, admittedly it will be harder going back to the older series as more nuances were taken for the newer series but Firis was always a game that piqued my interest and again you do such an amazing job reviewing in detail these series of games, it just makes me want to go back and try them lol.
I always appreciate the attention to detail your reviews bring Tara, each video just gets better and better ! Like the broken record i am lol, as always keep up the amazing work :)
I'm glad I watched your review. I've been nonstop playing this game!
O'kay, YT recommendations, o'kay. No idea why is this in my feed, but I'm kinda vibing
I love how they make the character from the previous atelier series becomes available
Definitely playing this game at some point... at 1 a.m. while my parents are asleep.
Great review, i'm thinking about buying atelier firis dx for the nintendo switch. It really looks good.
Great job in the review only one more to go in the mysterious series, sadly I wasn’t able to play at least Sophie before June hits but I’ll see if the summer opens a chance for me
I really enjoyed the original so much in fact that I went to the point of getting all the endings including the True; outside the DLC character ones. The best parts of 'Atelier Firis' is the memorable moments as well as the small details I'd love to see other open world games. Such as the small visual details to the map and menus when the weather changes in the overworld. When booting up this remaster my aim is too get all 5 letters of recommendations only getting 4 during my run in the original. So far I'm getting the last as of me writing this.
Just finished myself. Thought it was good follow up to Sophie. Thought Sophie had better story and was frustrated that you had to level up synthesis in Firis to add traits, but really liked the use of tools for exploring. Bit on the fence with side stories. Some were great like Lia, Ilmeria and Angriff while others were pretty flat like Kald, Revy and Drossel. Looking forward to Lydie and Suelle.
Ive been playing through Firis post game for a while now but sadly I messed up because I ended the game too early without getting all the endings and I was unaware that clicking "I'll Master Alchemy" would literally end the game. I was so sad and mad because I saved over my file so now it goes straight into NG+ and I was just about to finish up Sophie's quest. I just said screw it and tried watching all the endings on UA-cam and then go play Lydie&Suelle after.
Overall though I was having a really fun time playing Firis. The story was cute and I was enjoying going through some of the character quests to get more closure for them.
Can you tell a little more about the final exam part?
I remember reading an article which mentioned this. They said "final exams" are rare in video games, but when they happen they can be really powerful narrative and gameplay moments. They used Firis as an example of that.
Firis is my favorite in mysterious trilogy
Open world Atelier? I'm sold.
you have a friggin pop up atelier in your pocket. i'd say that's as epic as things can possibly get! :D
firis was my first atelier game and i still love it for how different it is. even though it sold poorly. i think it's a great entry.
very adventure. many amaze * _ *
sadly that pop up atelier can't be use unless you have a bonfire of someone already went to that spot, so most of the secret spot like the floating island and underwater ruin.
Is Mysterious or Dusk better? I liked the Ryza games (2 especially) and am nearing the end of the Arland games (which I really liked Meruru, might be my favorite overall; that or Ryza 2). Not sure which to start next after I finish the Arland trilogy.
I feel like it’s more enjoyable to go Dusk then Mysterious after Arland, just because of how the mechanics evolve and that you’re used to time limits since Ayesha has one :3 but if you’re tired of time limits, Mysterious starts without one and is probably visually and overall quality closest to the Ryza games :3
I'm in the frame of mind of this: Do you prefer an overarching plot with the world as the focus than Dusk is better or do you prefer overarching narratives with a lovable cast then Mysterious is the go too. Theirs more to both trilogies than this but I think this is the main difference between the two overall.
Firis is so cute omg
The story seems interesting. It sounds like Trails in the Sky FC.
Just bought this from E-Shop sales and watching this just to see what I'm in for while it's downloading.
It's my first Atelier game, been wanting to (finally) try one but the sheer amount of choices didn't make the start easier. Heck, the reason I ended up picking this one out of the other two on sale atm (Lydie & Suelle / Sophie) was simply due that on peoples tier list (that I saw) they tended to consistently rank this one higher than the other two, although many of 'em saying this game is among the more fan-base dividing ones in the series.
And from what I've seen on the review so far, I do like that out of all of 'em I picked the one with Open World in it lol... Always liked the open world settings in games (fan of exploration / having my own adventures) but that said I've grown a bit more picky about them lately. Point being; hoping it has stuff in it to explore and is not just an open world just for the sake of having open world. Eh, I'll see.
The game having a timelimit shouldn't likely be a problem. I've heard the series has tendency to have time limits and if I'm honest I was hoping this game to have one - rather than be time-free - to get a "full atelier experience" so to speak. Plus I like games with some sort of time limit mechanics anyway (Persona 3 to 5, Disco Elysium, Help Will Come Tomorrow etc. etc.) and I've noticed that if the game has 'em then I'm more likely to stay on the point rather than just waste my time by doing absolutely nothing else than just running in the games first area looking at the world lol.
Finally, glad to hear the game has armor crafting in it. From what I've understood you basically collect all kinds of stuff in these games, so this makes it feel like it has some other purpose rather than just making potions etc. with 'em. (again, as said it's gonna be my very first Atelier game, so please have mercy on my current take at this people lol...)
But yeah, I'm not confident it'll be my favorite game ever by any means, but that said I am getting a bit excited to see what I'm going into now and seeing/hearing the game has things I tend to enjoy kinda eases me a bit too. Plus out of the Atelier artstyles out there I kinda like how this game looks. It's not Lulua, but it's not "too moeish" either, so also happy about that.
Good game, story could've been a bit better but it was good. Escha and logy is my fav
Love Escha and Logy too ^__^
Fair pick love the cast and the battle system is so much fun; for those who are starting to play Atelier games I point to Escha and Logy as a great jumping off point. Though I got to say my fave is a toss up between Atelier Shallie and Lulua.
Woops, looks like you played the best one. 💋💋💋
i have 4 firis in 4 platform.. steam swtich vita ps4 i love atelier series....
have been collecting the games since atelier iris 1 till now..
What title would you recommend to get if I never played Atelier series? I think I'm leaning towards Ryza 2 despite not knowing much of the first game's story. I'd like to expirience best the series has to offer as I might end up not getting more afterwards
it's not like you'd be completely lost if playing ryza2. you just won't be as fond of everyone right away due to not having experienced a ton of adventure with them before ^.^ but there is a short introduction of the previous characters. so you will know who the heck they are
I'll probably do a video on this at some point, but at the moment I think 2 is a great start and still embodies the idea of each game being playable by itself as a single story, so I'd definitely recommend Ryza 2 to start with :) there are good points to starting with the others too (gradually learning the systems, etc), but yeah, as you said if it might be your only Atelier, Ryza 2 currently the best the series has to offer IMO :)
Atelier lulua, Sophie, Escha and Logy, as well Rorona would be my picks for diving into the franchise. The first two has no time limit and fun battle systems as well as a great cast. The remaining two has a lax time limit easing new players and has the better stories within the franchise. To put it short I enjoyed Ryza 1 and 2 but they change up the gameplay formula in ways in my opinion that don't give a good representation of Atelier games as a whole; the syntheses and the more action orientated battle systems are examples of this. So in saying that they might not be the best to start with or the most fitting depending on what you like in JRPG's.
@@PloysMaw I agree with this 100%. I personally didn't enjoy the Ryza series that much because it feels like they took everything out that makes the series so good. The alchemy system is nowhere as deep as the older games and that goes true for the combat as well. I do find Ryza to be a good series to get people into the franchise but not so much for long time fans.
I like the atelier games I have 2 Ryza games and 1 arland game and I beat them all I just bought atelier nelke on my switch and it’s really good
Firis is the one Game in the Mysterious Trilogy (now its a Tetralogy) that i didn't enjoy as much as i wanted to. I didn't like the Open World Design, although it made alot of sense for the Story and Firis as a Character. And i also didn't like that the Story was such a minor Part. I get it, the Journey IS the Story. But if i compare what Sophie and especially Lydie offered me here, i choose them over Firis every day. Lydie had such a wonderful closure for all the Characters and the Story of the Series, Firis just can't get even close to that.
That said, there are still things i liked. I liked that every Major and more Minor Characters from Sophie 1 appeared. I liked the concept that Sophie is Firis' Teacher. I liked the Post Game Character Story Quests. I LOVED the Soundtrack. And i loved the Underwater Section of the Game. Very Atmospheric stuff. ^_^
Is it better than A:Ryza 1?
I would say any atelier game is but that's my basis opinion. The older games are much harder overall so if you enjoy more of a challenge then definitely check out the older games for sure.
@@buckroger6456 Thank you for answering, I tried A:Ryza and it was ok, not great not bad for me, it was my first Atelier game and I wasn't very impressed, the thing is I think I played it all wrong, I just found a couple of guides about the combat and the synthesis and I'm thinking on giving it a second chance and maybe if I enjoy more the game I'll buy the second one or other in the franchise,
@@danbe6280 no problem. I can say that Ryza 2 is much better then the 1st game. With the atelier games it's always been about crafting so getting better in combat means crafting better gear and such. Ryza makes all that super easy since you can recraft gear and add traits to them that you really need.
@@buckroger6456 Thank you for the advice, I'll give another opportunity to A:Ryza, now that I have seen those guides I think I'll enjoy a lot more the game.
Huh.
This alchemy stuff reminds me more of From the Depths's subsystem construction than it should.
Guess I'll grab this when it goes on sale.
while it is nice to see they tried out open-world gameplay but a lot of mechanic feel really half-ass like they just got pushed to do this open-world in the last min or the team just never work on a open-map before so they not sure what to do with it.
So small thing like how some map make you walk quite a lot then either don't have much marker or no bonfire at all, since the game also want you to revisit location for resource, it can be a pain to walk back and front in that kind of huge map.
Though the thing bother me the most probably just the recipes, one thing to make the requirement a bit long to do but you may don't even know what you still missing, specially after you just play Sophie and see that recipe book of her. If they at least put some [???] on the encyclopedia's item section then i probably won't mind it that much. (since i at least know what i still missing and search for it if needed)
Still enjoy it a lot though.
I was honestly sad when they didn't give Atelier Firis DX to the people who owned the original game on Ps4.
I'm more bummed that we didn't get a physical release . . again! in the west for the DX series.
I got the Nintendo Switch version of Atelier Firis DX even though I already have the original vanilla version for PS4 in physical format. When I found out that in the DX version of this game Firis Mistlud can wear the same school uniform that Hinako Shirai wears in Blue Reflection, I *had* to get the DX version...even if I already have the original version for PS4 physically. I can't say no to that, and it's funny really, I've said it before, that's just my special interest talking, the Blue Reflection franchise is my main special interest (yes, I have ASD), and I know...we all know, to be honest, that it's just a high school uniform, a ''school uniform from a faraway world'', that's the way it's described in the game if I remember well, but even if it's just an outfit from Blue Reflection, an outfit that isn't sexualized and it's very standard, I couldn't resist...that school uniform made the status of the game, my interest in Atelier Firis DX in other words, go from ''maybe'' to ''buy as soon as possible''.
I'll make Firis wear Hinako's uniform as much as I can. Yes, this was a long comment, when it comes to things about Blue Reflection, I can't contain myself, and I always write a lot about Blue Reflection and whatnot when I have the chance. Great review by the way, I've played the vanilla version from beginning to end, and Atelier Firis is an enjoyable game :)
Did Erick Landon contact you yet?
Problem with the Atelier games is that they are all charming cute journeys with zero substance. Been a minute since weve had some good storytelling in our JRPGs outside of Falcom games.
Regretfully, you are right. It's almost as if most companies have given up thinking their games would be "too tropey", or thinking that, if they are not from a well-known franchise, they won't have no pull. But the sad thing is that even Gust has mostly stuck to the Atelier series for the last couple of years (I seriously miss their EXA_PICO games, THOSE are deep stories, despite the... filler). Mind you, lacking depth they may be, but what little story they have is honestly not bad.
It's just... common fare (friendship, growth, achievement) but without the overarching reach that has made Falcom's series soooooooooooo amazing. But that is not easy to do. And aside from Falcom, I only remember the Dot Hack series to actually succeed as an overarching plot spawning three (iirc) in-game generations, where you actually get to see the "what happened after" thing, plus the massive lore, with the Xenogears/Xenosaga and Suikoden the other contenders with some overarching consistency. Falcom's success with Trails and Ys is due to they making them as close as possible to what Light Novels are. They are both shounen stories (those "back from the grave" moves are a Deeeead Giveaway), and those tales are inherently long-winded, so that is perfect for a long-running franchise.
And the thing that keeps the Atelier franchise alive, and with a fanbase, is precisely the fact that they also choose the right type that fits their model best. Theirs is a typical "bouken" (adventure) story, with the lighter side of the shoujo/magical girl genres in the mix, though both genres can be VERY dark and brutal too.
But the key for both companies has been consistency. They don't change the core formula of their games with the many iterations (Atelier is turn-based, Trails is Strategy Turn-Based, Ys is action), nor the core story focus. But where Falcom excels is in the art of building up on top of all that, Gust just... rests every 2 games. I'm not saying that Gust does not build on top of the old, just look at the systems of their games. But they only build on that. Falcom ads on top of good, polished gameplay and content, good, polished story. I just wish that Gust remembered the good old days of Atelier Iris 2, and Ar tonelico. Especially the later.
But in order to do that, they would need to first overcome their reliance on filler content. Plus learn to trim it and properly use them as story tools (Trails' character Anton, is the best damn example of how to use a "joke" side character, I love his tale). Then they could REALLY build on it and make truly memorable stories.
I think that Falcom is to this JRPG era what Final Fantasy was to the previous. They are setting the new standard. And I mean, when you have two series with 9 consecutively successful games across several decades (with at least 3 more coming), that's a success formula. Right there.
Let's hope the others are taking the hint.
In the meantime, Atelier games should be taken as "vacations", tourist games to rest from those more hardcore JRPGs.
@@zennvirus7980 If you read the producer interviews you will see that Atelier is especifically designed as a “feel good” character-driven series.
@@lenleon3699 I have, that's precisely my point.
The "substance issue" stems from the fact that most players who (like me) have been long-time fans of JRPGs feel that the story, or rather, the worldbuilding, is shallow. I, personally, don't take issue with the whole "lighthearted, laidback" mood. But the problem is that, aside from the storylines from the main cast, and their related side content, most other content is "read and forget", and even the main cast's stories are ripe with random moments that are just... there. For such dialogue heavy stories, we wish there was more.
Silly, lighthearted content can be deep if done properly. Like the example from the Trails franchise I mentioned. That NPC, Anton, is pure comedy. He appears on 5 of the games currently available in English, and all but his last appearance in Cold Steel 4 are him embarrassing himself in his quest for "his one true love". Yet he is used as an effective plot devise to further the stories of the main characters he meets (Olivier Lenheim, Fran Seeker, Sharon Krueger), plus he helps give the "ultra common folk" perspective of the more heavy issues he gets entangled with (that scene at the Border... priceless). And he eventually plays a crucial part in one of the party member's personal tale, with a proper heartwarming conclusion to his own crusade.
It doesn't have to be "dark" depth, but just depth that makes the characters stand up from their tropes. Why not a side story related to the zettel paper (involving librarians, painters and aspiring authors of the MCs' favorite tale)? Or a girl's quest to create the best fashion products, helped by certain alchemist? Or a young man's quest for the best energy drink to wake up tired miners? Or the best feed for livestock?
Depth, in this case, would mean for the player to feel Involved with the world and its inhabitants. And it'll be so easy to involve the "craft and fetch" quests so at the end you can say "this alchemy girl truly spreads happiness... and alchemy".
That's what I hope for the series.
If you are a fan, please recommend the Atelier games that better fit what I've just said. That would be a great help. And sorry for the long comment.
@@zennvirus7980 I think the games that had more “substance” would probably the PS1 titles, like Atelier Iris and Mana Khemia. They are also the more “RPG like” of the series which makes them the odd ducks. In fact, the reason the Arland games went full force on the “simplistic fluff” side was because they felt they went too traditional with Mana Khemia.
Sadly I don’t think you can play those games legally anymore unless you are willing to hunt for emulated versions online.
As for newer titles, I can not say about Ryza (the presentation gave me too many vibes of “otaku fan service” but I will check it eventually), but I believe the Dusk series was the only one that actually seemed to have any decent worldbuilding and an ongoing plot theme. Although it sadly suffers from not giving the trilogy a proper feeling of closure (as in it remained a bit too open-ended for my liking).
@@lenleon3699 Thanks man. I will check those, and I did play the Iris trilogy and Mana Khemia games way back when, enjoyable, but they cement my previous argument about "only the core character get the good stuff". Pity.
The best of those was Iris 2, but Mana Khemia 2 would be a reasonable contender if it weren't for some of the cast, who truly contribute zero to the plot (the muscle fairy and the dude in a custom, forgot their names, were the main offenders).
The main character is a girl ? Should allow to choose gender
It would be nice.
Try out Escha & Logy
1st off I hate synthesizing wit a passion, 2nd i hate time limit. From playing Escha & Logy, with Shallie was fine i had free rain on timing but the leveling up is a waste of time, as most times when I level up I don't even get HP smh. These games look good but i already have to manage my life etc why d hell i want to manage a game life when the purpose of playing games is to be free from reality. Ofc thts my opinion & there are nice things about the series.
The time limit is actually almost laughable. You only need to do the bare minimum to pass the exam and you can easily do that in the year they give you. If you compare it to the time limit of Rorona you’d see the difference (that one gives you time limits of mere months to do assignments).
Funny because I hear most people saying that Atelier is a game to take slow and enjoy, but the way you describe it seems like a MMORPG or Survival game where you need to have control of everything Lol
@@willianbueno7611 Slow & enjoy what, a time limit, where you have to plan out your every move (Not in Shallie) then there is the leveling up. In sum jrpg games when a boss was to strong you could grind buy new gear & go back to whoop his ass. Not in these games, unless you synthesizing ofc anyways am done wit tht series. Will just have to create my own.