If you're reading this, it means one of two things. Either you clicked on the link in my Twitter bio expecting a personal carrd, or you asked for a guide to the Atelier series and got sent this as a result.
I'm not into sharing personal information with strangers on the internet, so take this comprehensive guide to starting Atelier!
Atelier is a series of slice-of-life jrpgs created by Gust since 1997. As of right now, there are TWENTY ONE mainline games under the Atelier name, and the series shows no signs of slowing down either!
The primary feature of Atelier games is its incredibly intricate synthesis system. Materials gathered by the player can be crafted in hundreds of items that will. The synthesis system is given equal focus as the combat.
With the exceptions of Atelier Ryza and Atelier Ryza 2, the combat of Atelier games is turn-based battles with an emphasis on positioning and additional support moves. I'll discuss the combat of Ryza and Ryza 2 in a bit, but they COMPLETELY revolutionize the battle system in the best possible way.
I'll go into further detail about Atelier's characters and narratives later, but the quality of the games' stories is usually sound! Like in every series there are some rough spots, but I'll make sure your Atelier experience starts off on the right foot!
The structure of the Atelier means that there are a lot of great starting points! The series is split into groups of trilogies with no connection to each other, meaning that the start of every trilogy is recommended to start your Atelier journey.
4 of these trilogies are commonly called "Modern Atelier" and are available on PS4, Switch, and PC. These are the Arland trilogy, Dusk trilogy, Mysterious trilogy, and Secret trilogy*. I haven't played any of the Arland games, so I won't discuss them in this guide.
The starting points of each trilogy are Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, and Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout. I'll discuss the pros and cons of each game as a starting point below. Click on each game's logo for their merits!
*The Secret trilogy isn't complete yet, but there's a very high chance the third game will be announced and possibly released this year!
Pros of Atelier Ayesha:
+Intuitive combat system with a relatively strategic positioning and support gauge system.
+Straightfoward synthesis system that new players can pick up very easily.
+Focused narrative.
+Sets up the rest of the Dusk trilogy very well.
+Every successive game is an improvement.
Cons of Atelier Ayesha:
-Ayesha is a pretty weak protagonist. She suffers a lot from Men Writing Women and ends up much less realistic and compelling as a result. Luckily the writers greatly improved the way they write women in later games, but Ayesha is a casualty of their inexperience.
-The supporting cast is pretty mediocre. A handful of them return and become great in later entries, but in Atelier Ayesha they're nothing special.
-The OST, while generally passable, is grating in a few key areas.
-There's an ingame time limit to complete the main story. It's extremely generous, but I know the very existence of a time limit is a turn-off to some. It's also not a mechanic I suggest new players experience in their first game.
Final verdict: Unless you're a cishet man or willing to make half of the cast your cringe ocs, I don't recommend Atelier Ayesha as your first venture into the Atelier series. It's the most dated and doesn't showcase what the Atelier series does best. Don't get me wrong - I think Ayesha is a decent game, it just shouldn't be experienced as a newcomer.
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Pros of Atelier Sophie:
+Fun combat system with Offensive/Defensive modes and Chain Link system.
+Exceptionally strong protagonist! Sophie is incredibly entertaining and compelling.
+Strong supporting cast, interpersonal dynamics, and party cohesion.
+Every successive game in the trilogy is an improvement.
Cons of Atelier Sophie:
-Awful exploration
-Awful levelling
-Awful recipe collection system
-Awful day/night cycle
-Awful calendar cycle
-Seriously, this game is so mind-bogglingly bad in so many gameplay areas and I'm still in shock how they fumbled the transition between consoles so poorly.
-Complicated synthesis system that, while good, I don't recommend a new player start with.
-Plachta is not a very compelling character at the beginning, although she becomes much better as the game progresses.
-Character and art design is wildly inconsistent.
Final verdict: Atelier Sophie has a few spots of brilliance, but they're mired in a lot of awful gameplay mechanics. However, if you're willing to stomach that, Atelier Sophie is a great place to start the series! Sophie deserved a mechanically better game to debut in.
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Pros of Atelier Ryza:
+Best synthesis system in the series, being simple to pick up with a lot of subtle nuances for customization.
+Completely revolutionized combat system that's fun, easy to pick up, and satisfying to master.
+Very well handled tone that complements the game masterfully.
+Strong cast all-around with a narrative that allows all of its characters to shine (and sets them up extremely well for the sequel).
+The most polished experience of every game bar Atelier Ryza 2.
+BANGER soundtrack, one of the best I've ever heard in video game history.
Cons of Atelier Ryza:
-No English dub. This may not be a con for you, but it is for me.
-The game is priced more than Atelier Ayesha and Atelier Sophie.
-Because of the game's quality and stark changes to the gameplay, playing its predecessors afterward gives a massive amount of whiplash.
Final verdict: Atelier Ryza was my first Atelier game, and it is by far the PERFECT entry point the series. It's the quintessential Atelier game, delivering on every front that the series prides itself on. I'm so glad this game got the credit it deserves by catapulting Atelier into the mainstream. It simply is that incredible.
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