Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 155 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey Game Cover
Turn-based combat, world exploring and puzzle-like crafting mechanics make for relaxing and fun gameplay in this slice of life RPG. Regardless of some shortcomings, fans of the series will enjoy traveling with Firis.
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In Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey, follow the journey of Firis Mistlud, a young alchemist with the ability to synthesize any item. After a chance encounter with a traveling alchemist, Firis leaves her hometown to pursue her dreams and become a certified alchemist. Explore vast landscapes, meet new characters, and solve puzzles in this charming RPG.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 155 reviews
story14 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Atelier Firis offers a charming story and lovable characters, making the journey enjoyable.
  • The open-world exploration is a significant improvement, allowing players to traverse large areas and discover new locations.
  • The alchemy system is both rewarding and satisfying, with new mechanics that enhance the crafting experience.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and graphical glitches, particularly in dense areas.
  • The time limit can feel restrictive and stressful, especially for new players unfamiliar with the mechanics.
  • Some quests and recipe unlocks can be frustrating due to unclear requirements and hidden conditions.
  • story74 mentions

    The story in "Atelier Firis" is characterized as a light and slice-of-life narrative, focusing on the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and relationships rather than an epic plot. While the main storyline is relatively short and lacks a strong central conflict, it offers a wealth of side quests and character arcs that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the freedom to explore and engage with various characters, although some have noted issues with quest clarity and pacing.

    • “The storyline is simple in a refreshing manner because it allows you to appreciate the relationships in the story instead of minimizing the relationships, like many games that prioritize speeding to the end game.”
    • “Atelier Firis is a story about finding your own way in life, discovering who – and what, exactly you are – and helping those you meet along the way do the same.”
    • “This is where the story (and game) really open up, as each companion has their own story arc and ending, and many named NPCs have their own side plots.”
    • “The story is pretty much just an excuse to run around and do alchemy crafting.”
    • “However, after Firis clears the trial, the plot literally becomes 'find the plot.' I love some companion characters and side quests, but compared to the Arland or Dusk trilogies, it felt like the plot shrugged and decided to play hide and seek.”
    • “The story of the game won't be too exciting if you want a strong plot-driven narrative, but if you can grow attached to the characters, it can still be engaging.”
  • gameplay35 mentions

    The gameplay in "Atelier Firis" combines familiar alchemy mechanics with new features, offering a mix of challenge and exploration in an open-world setting. While the synthesis system introduces mastery elements that require crafting items multiple times, some players find the stamina mechanic and time limits frustrating. Overall, the game maintains a relaxing atmosphere typical of the Atelier series, appealing to fans of crafting and JRPG elements.

    • “The alchemy mechanics are easy enough to understand, and the characters were generally pretty cool.”
    • “From a gameplay standpoint, Atelier Firis is an open-world game that encourages exploring each part of the large maps.”
    • “Turn-based combat, world exploring, and puzzle-like crafting mechanics make for relaxing and fun gameplay in this slice of life RPG.”
    • “On top of that, there's no 'register' mechanic (duplicate items) in this game, making it even more annoying.”
    • “The gameplay in Atelier Firis was very basic and felt like the average Atelier game.”
    • “It also added unnecessary alchemy mechanics where you need to craft an item multiple times to improve your synthesis, which wasn't really extremely fun.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in "Atelier Firis" is generally praised for creating a pleasant and unique atmosphere across different locations, with many players appreciating the soundtrack's charm and the option to customize in-game music. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack is good but not exceptional compared to other titles in the series, it still maintains the signature feel of the Atelier franchise. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, with a mix of catchy tunes and live recordings enhancing the enjoyment.

    • “The songs gave a very lovely atmosphere to the scenery and made you feel like every place in the game was unique compared to each other.”
    • “Great as always as they still managed to keep the feel of the series' music.”
    • “Perhaps most enjoyable is the music, and again this game allows you to use music from other titles in the Atelier family in place of the defaults.”
    • “Despite that and although I would recommend Atelier Lydie over this, I would still recommend this game to Atelier fans if it is on sale to enjoy interacting with the characters, the music, the alchemy, and the battle system.”
    • “Most of the BGM is done by the guys who mostly did the music from Totori onwards and a few tracks by the original creators.”
    • “Also subjective, in my opinion the soundtrack of this one is better than in Sophie.”
  • graphics23 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players noting a charming art style that enhances the overall experience, while others criticize the visuals as outdated and lacking in quality, especially compared to the PS4 version. Many users report performance issues, including lag and high system requirements that do not align with the game's graphical fidelity. Overall, the graphics are seen as a compromise between budget and quality, with significant room for improvement.

    • “The graphics are delightful and lend to the overall optimistic and positive perspective seen throughout the game.”
    • “The graphics are anime-chic, and definitely won’t wow you, but don’t let you down either.”
    • “Exists somewhere between budget and high quality in visuals.”
    • “The PC port also misses out on some of the graphics settings that are in the PS4 version, so if you want the best experience, you will need to play it on the PS4 Pro.”
    • “A 2016 game with graphics like this should be able to run on a potato.”
    • “I decided to lean to the negative side because the graphics do not justify the high requirements for this game.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly in dense forest areas and during adverse weather conditions. While some users with higher-end systems, like the GTX 1070, experience smooth gameplay, others on lower-end machines or older hardware report varying results. The consensus suggests that the game is not well-optimized, especially considering its origins as a PS4 port, and players are advised to wait for potential fixes.

    • “I keep hearing about performance issues and all sorts of other problems, but I have yet to experience anything like that in my playthrough, and yes, I have only one so far.”
    • “The game actually kind of runs smoothly on my old PC (AMD Phenom II X4 955 from 2009, GeForce 650Ti).”
    • “Workaround for NVIDIA cards is to set 'power management mode' to 'prefer maximum performance' in NVIDIA control panel.”
    • “This game is clearly not optimized.”
    • “This also leads to some performance issues in the starting area and heavy forest areas due to the amount of things in the area.”
    • “Like usual, Koei, this port is not optimized.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that the lack of fast travel until late in the game can lead to prolonged and tedious grinding sessions. While some appreciate the game's anti-grinding measures that encourage exploration of harder areas, others find the necessity to constantly improve items and gear to be an unnecessary annoyance. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant but manageable aspect of gameplay.

    • “I really disliked the fact that you did not have fast travel until the end of the game, and the grinding could take longer than you anticipated.”
    • “I only played on normal since I already find it difficult and tedious to deal with common mobs that are the same level or higher than yours.”
    • “The game also has anti-grinding measures to force you to move into harder areas if you want to level up quickly, so you have to make sure to improve your items and gear whenever you can to prepare for the next region.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report enjoying the experience despite minor visual glitches, others encounter significant game-breaking bugs and graphical issues that hinder playability. Troubleshooting skills and hardware performance seem to play a role in the game's stability for different users.

    • “Buggy.”
    • “There are some glitches.”
    • “They will deliberately make sure there are game-breaking bugs, or otherwise make it unplayable due to graphical glitches making the game unbearable, and do so well after the two-hour mark so you cannot refund.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, with many appreciating the wholesome character endings, particularly in the context of yuri themes. Additionally, the intense experiences, such as the "cursed port," evoke strong feelings of despair, highlighting the game's ability to resonate deeply with its audience.

    • “The different character endings were very wholesome, and I enjoyed them a lot.”
    • “The port... the cursed port... it is so good that I want to cry of despair and burn my notebook.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a lovely and unique ambiance enhanced by its music, creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience. While the graphics and gameplay may not be the strongest points, the puzzle-like elements and the overall happy atmosphere resonate well with fans of the genre, particularly those familiar with the Atelier series.

    • “The songs created a lovely atmosphere that made every location in the game feel unique.”
    • “While it may not excel in graphics or gameplay, the puzzle-like atmosphere of creating multiple items is enjoyable.”
    • “A happy atmosphere and relaxing gameplay are the defining aspects of the Atelier series, in my opinion.”
    • “It is not the best game graphically nor gameplay-wise, but if you like the puzzle-like atmosphere of creating multiple items, you might enjoy this.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal, with many important characters lacking sufficient screen time to showcase their personalities. This results in a shallow understanding of the characters, despite their unique designs and animations.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly connect with each character's journey and growth.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and motivations becoming more complex as the game progresses.”
    • “The way the game handles character arcs is impressive; each character feels unique and their development is both believable and engaging.”
    • “Not much character development or scenes to show who the characters are, and there are too many 'important' (non-typical NPC) characters that aren't really given much screen time.”
    • “Character design and animations are lacking.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users highlight the game's endless replay value, indicating that it offers numerous opportunities for players to return and experience new challenges or outcomes.

    • “This game offers endless replay value, keeping me engaged for hours on end.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
    • “I love how every decision I make leads to different experiences, ensuring I can come back for more.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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