Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World

Whether you are a true fan of the Atelier franchise, or just like RPG’s and town simulation games, this will surely satisfy your thirst. It has enough gameplay elements, with depth, to make any gamer have enough content to last them for a while. The story and voice acting made the already in depth gameplay systems even better. This game is a must buy for any RPG or town simulator fan, especially as the Nintendo Switch lacks in town simulation games.

The Atelier franchise celebrates its 20th anniversary bringing back familiar faces from previous games in a city-run spin-off with a slow pace that will not please everyone, but that will convince fans of the most famous alchemists of the video game industry.

With an impressive array of characters and events, Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists is very likely to appeal to those who want to see more of Atelier characters and even if the game may feel repetitive and confusing at some moments, there's enough here to keep fans entertained for some time.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is a unique spin-off that I quite enjoyed. Not everything works about the title, like the investigations and opening portions of the adventure. Particularly the latter could've been so much better by not throwing me into an unskippable tutorial. Once you get handed the reigns over the journey, it is a surprisingly fun town management game I couldn't stop playing.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists can be a disappointment to the series' fans, as it left behind its main focus (RPG) to embrace the management of a city, with simple and route mechanics. What's worst is that even if it includes most of the main characters from the series, it doesn't use them in all of its full potential.

While it may be quite a departure from a standard Atelier game, Nelke & The Legendary Alchemists is a valiant attempt to diversify the series. It may not appeal quite so much to fans of traditional JRPGs, but there’s certainly enough here to enrapture Atelier fans along with newcomers who enjoy the townbuilding genre. As long as you can get past the frustrating first hour, Nelke & The Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World opens itself up to be a rewarding and engaging experience that’s surprisingly hard to put down.

With less fighting and exploration, but more management, Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World takes some risks. Which is a good thing, but some fans may be displeased.

Despite its rough presentation, Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is a complex town-building game that manages to incorporate different elements from the Atelier series into a satisfying experience.