Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World
- March 25, 2019
- KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
- 67h median play time
Get on Steam"Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World" is a crossover game celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Atelier series. As Nelke, players build and manage a town with the help of legendary alchemists from past games, while also exploring the surrounding area and completing tasks. The game blends slice-of-life town-building with the excitement of expanding and governing a successful town.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- Charming world filled with characters from the entire Atelier franchise, providing nostalgic interactions for fans.
- Simple yet rewarding management gameplay that can be addictive and engaging, with a solid challenge.
- Great art style and music that enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
- Gameplay loop can become tiresome and repetitive, especially with heavy micro-management and strict time limits.
- Lacks the traditional exploration and crafting elements of the main Atelier games, which may disappoint fans expecting a similar experience.
- Technical issues such as frame rate problems and incomplete voice acting detract from the overall quality of the game.
- story26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in this installment of the Atelier series has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking in depth and engagement, particularly due to the limited roles of beloved characters from previous titles. While the narrative features charming interactions among a diverse cast and offers a visual novel-like experience, many feel that the gameplay mechanics detract from the overall storytelling, making it tedious and less enjoyable. Fans of the series may appreciate the nostalgic elements, but newcomers might find the plot underwhelming.
“Lovely characters, and every one of them has their own little story.”
“It brings the alchemists and many supporting characters from all previous Atelier games in and weaves a story between all of them quite well.”
“It's nice to see the interactions between the characters from the different series and see how the story unfolds.”
“Unlike most Atelier games, the plot and characters don't hook me; even the characters I'm already fond of from other titles are just in cameo roles and play no part in the plot.”
“A trickling of story with boatloads of inane chatter.”
“The story is kinda boring though, but don't expect much from a town builder.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple yet addictive loop of crafting and exploration, appealing to newcomers but becoming tedious for long-time fans due to its lack of depth and traditional mechanics found in previous Atelier titles. While some players appreciate the charm and nostalgia of returning characters, many criticize the game for its repetitive tasks, lack of engaging systems like gathering and alchemy, and overall design that detracts from the fun. Overall, the gameplay may satisfy casual players but leaves dedicated fans wanting more complexity and variety.
“It's a game with a simple but addictive gameplay loop of setting up ateliers and shops to craft and sell items in one day, then going out to explore in the next.”
“Great fan game with addictive gameplay!”
“If you are new to the series, the gameplay is good enough to keep you engaged, then when you are interested in a character, check their original game out.”
“The gameplay loop was fun early but got tedious and boring because you need to complete the task or you game over and have to start again from scratch.”
“It fails as a management/city builder game (becoming extremely tedious later in the game), it fails as an atelier game (there's no gathering, exploration, or even alchemy system to speak of), it fails as an RPG (it's basically an auto battler where 90% of your characters aren't even directly controllable), and presents nothing unique or compelling enough to make me want to keep playing after losing so much progress to such a pointless mechanic.”
“Gameplay wise, you will spend more time book balancing than combat as you progress through the game.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature a charming atelier aesthetic, characterized by cute artwork created by noco, which enhances the overall visual appeal. While the art style is pleasant and consistent with expectations, some reviewers feel that the visuals are the game's primary strength, with the overall experience being relaxing and enjoyable.
“It's a city builder with atelier aesthetics.”
“The art style is drawn by noco, and the artwork is so cute.”
“Cute town management sim game: the music, visuals, and gameplay are relaxing and charming.”
“While the art style is what you’d come to expect, and the visuals are nice to look at, that’s about all this game has going for it.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its charm and relaxation, contributing significantly to the overall experience. Reviewers consistently rate the soundtrack as excellent, enhancing the enjoyment of gameplay in the cute town management simulation.
“I really enjoy the music as well.”
“Music: 10/10”
“It is really relaxing to listen to this music while managing the production.”
“The music is forgettable and lacks variety.”
“While the visuals are charming, the music quickly becomes repetitive and dull.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's theme and feels out of place.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as the initial enjoyment quickly fades due to repetitive tasks and the need to restart from scratch after failure. The lack of engaging mechanics, such as exploration and direct character control, further exacerbates the grind, making it feel pointless and detracting from the overall experience. As the game progresses, the increasing demands of managing a growing town lead to a monotonous gameplay loop that discourages continued play.
“The gameplay loop was fun early but got tedious and boring because you need to complete the task or you game over and have to start again from scratch.”
“It fails as a management/city builder game (becoming extremely tedious later in the game), it fails as an atelier game (there's no gathering, exploration, or even alchemy system to speak of), it fails as an RPG (it's basically an auto battler where 90% of your characters aren't even directly controllable), and presents nothing unique or compelling enough to make me want to keep playing after losing so much progress to such a pointless mechanic.”
“And while the game started fine and I enjoyed it, I quickly noticed how tedious things were going to be and it wasn't going to get better as my town grew larger and more people were added to every turn.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, requiring high thermal design power (TDP) to maintain consistent frame rates, even at low settings.
“The game is badly optimized, so expect to use high TDP to hit consistent FPS even on low settings.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for being buggy and glitchy, leading to a low level of overall completion and user satisfaction.
“The game is incredibly buggy, with frequent glitches that disrupt gameplay.”
“I experienced numerous stability issues, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
“The low level of completion and constant crashes really detracted from my experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging characters and immersive sceneries, making it particularly appealing for players who appreciate a rich and captivating environment.
“This is for you if you really enjoy characters, scenery, and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're part of the world.”
“Every detail contributes to a rich and captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its charming interactions with nostalgic Atelier characters, adding a lighthearted and whimsical touch to the cozy town-building experience. Players appreciate the cute main character and the amusing dialogue that enhances the overall enjoyment.
“A cozy town-building sim featuring a charming main character and hilariously nostalgic interactions with all the Atelier characters.”
“The humor in this game is delightful, making every interaction feel light-hearted and enjoyable.”
“I love how the quirky dialogue and funny scenarios keep me laughing while I build my town.”
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