Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream

Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the twenty-third installment of the fantasy-themed Atelier jRPG series. It is also the fourth part of the Mysterious sub-series started in 2015. It was developed by the Japanese studio Gust (which has worked on the brand for years), again supported by Koei Tecmo as the game's publisher.

Plot

Although Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the fourth part of the Mysterious sub-cycle, the game is not a continuation of Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings. Its action is set between the events of the first and third installment of the subseries, so long before the end of Sophie and Plachta's story. This time the heroines have discovered a mysterious tree that the other one has seen in her dreams. However, when they try to get close to it, a mysterious vortex pulls them in and Sophie wakes up alone in Erde Wielge - the world of dreams.

Although the story is strongly linked to Sophie's Atelier: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, the game briefly discusses the events of that installment in a special video. Thanks to it, people beginning their adventure with the series will learn the most important facts about the earlier fates of Sophie and Plachta.

Mechanics

Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream returns after the (partially) real-time battles in the sub-cycle Ryza Atelier to strictly turn-based battles straight from the classic jRPGs. We fight with a team of up to six characters, divided into two cooperating teams. This solution allows us to use tactics impossible in earlier installments of the Atelier series.

Besides, the gameplay offers everything we can expect from the jRPG. We travel through a vast world observed from the third person perspective (TPP), and in the fight we use not only weapons, but also magic. During the game we gain experience needed to develop heroines, but also recipes. Because in Atelier Sophie 2 the alchemy system returns, this time in two variants. The first is a simplified menu that facilitates the creation of new items. The second, although more complicated, also offers a greater wealth of options, which allows you to obtain copies with more powerful effects, unavailable through the "regular" panel.

Technical aspects

Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream combines the high-quality 3D graphics of the Ryza sub-series with the style familiar from the previous adventures of Sophie and Plachta. This one, in accordance with the tradition of the series, is in a style bringing to mind anime. The locations are colorful and diverse, which, along with the soundtrack, gives the game a fairy-tale atmosphere. Even the battles don't knock us out of it, as the game smoothly switches from real-time exploration to combat, without any loading screens.