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A fresh new take on a peaceful crafting RPG - Atelier Marie Remake Quick Review

2K View2023-07-12

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg

8.6

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PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

Play it if you love crafting or want to get into the Atelier series. Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a new and improved version of the very first Atelier game. It feels a little light on features when compared to the latest games in the franchise, but it has a streamlined approach to alchemy that makes it a great jumping on point. I’m a longtime Atelier fan, and it felt awesome to go back to the series’ roots and see where it all began.

TIME PLAYED

I played just over eleven hours of Atelier Marie, which was enough time to clear the game and unlock one of its seven endings. Even though I made it to the end credits, there’s still a ton of content left for me to explore, like side stories, optional boss fights, and some advanced crafting. The standard version of the game has a six-year time limit, but the remake also introduced a new endless mode that lets you keep on crafting for as long as you like. Completing the game gave me access to bonus content, like new costumes and additional resources, and I’m definitely looking forward to checking that out.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Ultra-relaxing gameplay. One of the best things about the Atelier series is its peaceful, low-stakes gameplay, and Atelier Marie definitely delivers those slice-of-life vibes. While the game does have time limits, they’re not very strict, and for the most part, I felt free to do whatever I wanted to do. The story is simple, but it’s got tons of charm, and some of the character interactions are genuinely heartwarming.

• Adorable new visuals. Atelier Marie was originally released on the PlayStation One, and the new version has received a major visual upgrade. There are brand-new character portraits, detailed new environments, and some incredibly cute character sprites. The enhanced visuals remind me a little of the Link’s Awakening remake. The lovable chibi style is a great match for Atelier Marie’s sweet, playful story.

• Amazing photo mode. The Atelier Marie remake has plenty of new features, but my favorite might be the powerful photo mode. With the push of a button, I could pause the action and create incredible custom photos. Not only could I switch things up with filters and frames, but I could select and pose any characters that I wanted in my photos. I snapped most of my photos while I was exploring, but there was also a spacious photo studio I could use anytime I was in town.

• Automated crafting and gathering. Creating items with alchemy can be hard work, but thankfully, I didn’t have to do everything on my own. Early in the game, I gained the ability to hire fairies. In exchange for a small monthly fee, I could send fairies out to gather materials or have them craft essential items. Outsourcing basic tasks to fairies let me focus on more advanced tasks, like preparing for boss fights or creating a Philosopher’s Stone.

WHAT SUCKS

• Stripped down alchemy. Later games in the Atelier series have deep, complex crafting systems, so it was a little hard to go back to the bare-bones take on alchemy. There’s nothing wrong with the crafting system in Atelier Marie, but it’s extremely basic, and there are no opportunities for item customization. Some players might appreciate the simplified take on alchemy, but if you love intricate crafting systems, you may find this to be a little disappointing.

• Travel can be frustrating. Like in other Atelier games, Atelier Marie let me gather materials from a variety of locations on the world map. Once I arrived at a location, I was free to stay there for as long as I liked, but if I wanted to visit a new location, I had to head all the way back to my home base. It takes days to get to many locations, and having to constantly backtrack could be pretty irritating. Atelier Marie has pretty generous time limits, but I still didn’t like feeling like I had wasted a bunch of time.

💬 Do you want to experience the start of the Atelier series in Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg, or do you prefer modern alchemy? Share your thoughts in the comments!