I’ve been a fan of the Atelier series for well over a decade, probably closer to 15 years or more. My mom and I played the Atelier Iris games on PlayStation 2, which marked the beginning of the Western releases of the Atelier games. Atelier Marie Remake brings the previously unlocalized first entry in the Atelier franchise to Western audiences.

In Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg, you play Marlone (Marie), who is an alchemist studying at the Royal Academy of Magic. She is the worst student at the academy, and as such she is given a special exam. She has to run an Atelier for five years and come up with a high-quality item to present to the headmistress. If she fails, she will flunk out, but if she succeeds she will graduate.

In terms of gameplay, Atelier Marie feels a lot like classic games in the franchise, but it is definitely simpler than what you might expect. The synthesis system (for example) is very simple. Every action (whether you are gathering, synthesizing, or fighting) takes in-game days as a cost. Gathering and fighting each takes a day apiece, while synthesizing may take longer due to how much you are making or how difficult a recipe is.

Traveling to various zones to gather (or fight) also costs time, and since you only have a total of five years, proper time management is important. There are two modes for Atelier Marie that affect the “difficulty” in regard to this timing situation. There’s the standard normal mode which gives you five years to complete the game’s requirement of making a high-ranking item. Alternatively, you can play “unlimited mode” which gives you an unlimited amount of time, where you can be evaluated and complete the game anytime after the fifth year ends.

Combat is simple. You have to hire each of Marie’s allies in town in order to take them with you. As you increase their friendship rating, the cost to hire them decreases. Each character has a regular attack and a skill, as well as the ability to defend. Alchemists such as Marie can also use items, though as previously mentioned item synthesis is very simplified, so you don’t have to worry about quality or effects.

Sometimes while traveling you’ll run into surprise events and mini-games, which are fun and provide ingredients or money if you succeed. Additionally, as you talk to townspeople, you’ll learn about rumors which can sometimes unlock story events or new areas to explore. You can also purchase rumors from the Tavern, which is usually where you go to pick up requests (side quests.)

Truth be told, the story is much less visible than in other Atelier games. Or perhaps it is much simpler? It really makes sense since Atelier Marie was the beginning of the franchise. However, this makes for a much more bare-bones (and directionless) experience overall. Don’t get me wrong, it is a refreshing bit of fun after how vast and complex more recent games have gotten.

There is something exceedingly novel about the simplicity of upgrading weapons and armor, dealing with simple synthesis, going exploring, gathering ingredients, and taking on monsters. At the same time, this simplicity does get a little stale after a while. The simplicity of the synthesis and the combat, while novel, is a double-edged sword in that regard.

Overall, I really like the Atelier Marie Remake, I just wish they’d put a little more into it. It is a fun game, and if you’re an Atelier fan I think it is cool to see the game that started it all. However, I don’t think it is something that will satisfy you if you’re not a die-hard fan. At the same time, this might be a decent starting point for people intimidated by the more intense requirements of the newer games. As usual, it is also missing proper English voice acting, but not everyone will mind that.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg was provided by Koei Tecmo America for this review.

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Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg

$49.99 USD

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Fun Art Style
• Simplified Gameplay and Combat
• Fun Mini-Games
• Unlimited Time Mode is a Great Option
• Great for Beginners to Atelier Games

Cons

• Feels Somewhat Directionless
• No English Voice Acting