Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey

Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is a Japanese role-playing game from 2016, developed by Gust. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Windows, and it arrived in North America and Europe on March 10, 2017. This title is the eighteenth main installment in the Atelier series and the second game in the Mysterious storyline. An enhanced version, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX, came out for PlayStation 4, Windows, and the Nintendo Switch on April 22, 2021.

The gameplay is a role-playing experience with a time management element. Players can freely explore, fight, and synthesize items, but each action advances the in-game calendar, similar to earlier Atelier games. The main quest—passing an alchemist certification exam—must be completed within a year, though the rest of the game has no time limit. A day-and-night cycle occurs as time passes. This is the first Atelier game to feature an open world.

Item synthesis involves placing items of various sizes and shapes onto a square panel. Lines on the panel, when completely covered, grant bonuses. Catalysts can change the panel’s size and add new lines, leading to different bonuses and greatly varied versions of the same item. Mass synthesis allows the creation of items that alter the fields themselves. Synthesis is not tied to a fixed location; it can be done at any campfire using a portable atelier. This atelier can be decorated, with some decorations providing special effects. Recipes are discovered through activities like fighting, meeting characters, gathering materials, and synthesizing. Items are gathered in multiple ways—for example, a rock can be broken with Firis’s staff or blown up with an item, yielding different materials.

Up to four characters can be taken into battle. Item effects and monster actions can change based on weather and time of day. A character’s wait time for their next turn varies depending on the action selected. Repeated attacks can inflict “break” on enemies, leaving them unable to move; they can be left stunned or attacked for extra damage. As characters act, a gauge fills, allowing “chain burst” actions when full. Consecutive character moves enable a combination attack. Depending on the gauge and number of attackers, chained skills can be used, increasing the “linkage” rate. Once this rate reaches a certain value, fi