Koei Tecmo Unveils Atelier Yumia Combat System

I’m a big fan of the Atelier series and I’m always excited for the start of a new Atelier “saga”. The franchise is usually broken into trilogies or sagas with a specific protagonist. Koei Tecmo has revealed the combat for the next adventure in the Atelier series, starring a new protagonist.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land will be released on March 21^st, 2025. This new entry in the franchise will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and for the first time in franchise history, it will also be available on Xbox consoles. Here is what the press release says about Atelier Yumia and its combat:

“Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land follows the adventures of Yumia Liessfeldt and her companions as they set off to unravel the mysteries behind the cataclysm that destroyed the once great continent of Aladiss, resulting in alchemy becoming taboo. Mysterious characters obsessed with alchemy such as a Noble in a Black Cloak, a Monocular Werewolf, a Sheep-Eye Witch, and a Dragon-Winged Warrior stand in Yumia’s way.

To prepare for the adventure ahead, players will rediscover the Atelier franchise’s signature synthesizing system in a fresh form by manipulating ‘mana’ to create new items useful in combat or exploration. To create more powerful items, fans will have to master the art of ‘Resonance Synthesis’ by adding ingredients [that] resonate with each other to the ‘Alchemy Core’ of the recipe. The strength of the resonance will depend on the quality of the ingredients selected.

The combat system has also been revamped in Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land to offer intense real-time combat with intuitive gameplay. The skills available to active team members will depend on their distance from the enemy (close or ranged combat). Compared to previous installments, players can now move or interchange characters at any time during the fight.

When certain conditions are met, a powerful ‘Friend Action’ combo can be unleashed in battle. By meeting certain conditions, players will be able to activate ‘Mana Surge,’ which will allow for exclusive actions to be performed. In addition, each character will have a unique special move, ‘Maximize Mana Surge,’ which can inflict significant damage on enemies.

Journeying alongside Yumia and her friends, players will explore the vast open world of the Aladiss continent. As they travel, they will be able to build their own bases. Thanks to the new ‘Building’ feature, fans will freely be able to create and decorate their atelier from a vast choice of walls, floors, roofs, furniture, and more, or choose to select a predefined base model from the catalog. By increasing the ‘comfort level’ of their atelier, players will unlock bonuses such as the ability to develop their base and enhance the skills of Yumia and her companions.

Lastly, if players do not wish to return to their base during exploration, they will be able to set up a camp where they can spend time cooking, which will provide various benefits during exploration and combat, or resting. Certain character events that can only be seen at camps will sometimes occur, providing greater insight into Yumia and her companions.”

I’m excited to see how Atelier Yumia turns out. I prefer the turn-based combat of previous games, but I’m open to seeing how the real-time system plays. Here’s hoping the March 21^st, 2025 release leads to a shining new chapter in the Atelier franchise’s history.