2 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 219.6 hrs on record
Posted: 26 Dec, 2023 @ 7:42pm

This game is my entry title to the Atelier series !
Have never played any Atelier game before ? This could be a good choice to be your first step ! (or Ryza if you want something closer to modern jrpgs)
I believe Sophie could be called one of the most relaxing amongst its franchises.
I have proceeded to play other Atelier games and the things written below could be read as relative to other titles. (Ryza / Firis / Rorona / Ayesha)

Pros
    - Relaxing (Atmosphere / Artstyle / Music)
  • Lovely story (if you care)
  • No mechanics to force the player's progress. Just proceeds as you wish. (No time limit on main story / requests)
  • Failures and mistakes do not punish the player's playstyle. I believe this encourages exploration & experiment which seems to be the core idea of the game.
  • Decent Port (Not good, not bad. No need to deal with bs)

Cons
  • Early part of the game is really slow and could be boring with the limited amount of things we can do
  • The environment is decent, but I feel like it has much more potential to make it feel more alive (it's good enough though)
  • The tutorials are mainly on text-based and not simple to comprehend.
    I personally does not understand anything when the tutorials text pop up.
    Combat tutorials with new mechanics introduced ? what do all these texts talking about ?
    New mechanics on alchemy ? Tried to read, but gave up in the end.
    They become understandable later after I messed around with my own hand, so for me it is fine, but yeah maybe not for everyone.
    Might expect to know nothing about these systems until the late stage of the game (I don't know, it took me like half past the game just to understand basic combat even when it is not complex)

Overall, I really love this game and spent hours just walking around aimlessly during break from work.
Highly Recommend for those who love the anime-style atmosphere and are seeking some games to enjoy at their own pace.
Was this review helpful? Yes No Funny Award