Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World

Instead of a glorious celebration of all things Atelier, Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists comes off more like a misguided attempt at creating a spinoff by toning down all the elements that makes Atelier games enjoyable in the first place.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is an interesting take on the Atelier franchise but one that lacks most of what makes the series fun in the first place.

The title boasts a complex management system, but the superficiality and above all the linearity of the plot prevent Nelke's path from capturing the player's attention and holding it for the entire duration of the affair.

The 20th anniversary of the Atelier saga reduces the roleplaying, while injecting more strategy with annoying time pressure, a few new mechanics and a lot of well known characters.

Unfortunately, boredom is the word that best describes Nelke. You can easily dump hours into the game, but never feel like you get anywhere. Nothing feels satisfying, and while Nelke doesn’t have much wrong with it that feels offensively bad, there’s just nothing that’s really outstanding about the game either. This Atelier spin-off is utterly mediocre.

This new Atelier installment isn´t another JRPG. Instead, it´s a city builder-oriented game quite interesting yet a bit “strange”. It´s not a game suitable for every player, but a good one anyway.

An intriguing take on the long-running JRPG series, but it just doesn't do a good job of crafting a management experience that feels rewarding or engaging. Even once you're used to the overwhelming menus and systems, it never feels like you're a part of the town you're building from behind the walls menus, charts and numbers. It was a treat to see previous Atelier characters interact and talk to each other, but that bit of fanservice doesn't make up for the lacking gameplay.

This light management game is a good tribute to the Atelier series and its characters, although maybe two decades of RPG deserved a little bit more.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemist is a wonderful celebration of past Atelier games, all while bringing something genuinely new and different to the table. While many of the RPG elements have been greatly toned down, the town-building aspects are so addictive and entertaining that you can forgive the simplicity. A light and breezy atmosphere topped off with so many charming character interactions make Nelke's story an undeniably pleasant adventure.

This title is basically a celebration of twenty years of Atelier titles, and while it may not be the strongest entry in the franchise catalog, it’s a must play for longtime fans. Judging this title strictly on its gameplay merits would simply be a good game and nothing special to write home about, but the inclusion of so many past Atelier characters make this an enjoyable game for fans.

Ultimately, if you want a solid dedicated JRPG focused on adventuring and combat, this probably isn’t the game for you. You’re better off waiting for Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, which is just a couple of months away.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is a small breath of fresh air for the Atelier series, featuring a town-building experience that's different from anything that has been seen in the series before. The mechanics, while not particularly deep, are quite solid and they manage to make the gameplay loop quite engaging, together with the excellent character interaction. The game is clearly aimed at longtime fans of the series, but even those with a more generic knowledge of the Atelier games will find something to like. Just don't expect anything outstanding or revolutionary.

As an Atelier fan, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World. The fact that it features oodles of characters from a huge franchise of games is exceptional and its rewarding gameplay is a treat, too.

From the half-hearted RPG elements that either needed to be expanded upon or removed to the frustrating story layout, there are too many issues that get in the way of enjoying creating a bristling magical city.