Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream

Atelier Sophie 2 stands as a wonderful achievement for Gust and the Atelier series. What we have here is an entry that feels like the perfect fusion of the old and the new. Sophie’s new adventure may not have much to offer up in the story department, but it more than makes up for this with its streamlined design, thrilling combat, expansive world, and addictive alchemy system. This is a title we’d recommend to both longtime fans and newcomers—it's one of the best Atelier releases yet. If you’re at all curious about this one, we’d strongly encourage you to give it a shot.

Top to bottom this is a game worth checking out. The main issues come with it insisting on prior knowledge that can hamstring some of the emotional nuance. However if you’re coming for the comfy cozy gameplay? You’re in the right spot. Atelier Sophie 2 does not reinvent the wheel nor blow me away as far as RPGs go, but it did lull me into a peaceful, coma-like state of gratification. This game severely lacks intensity or high stakes and I think that’s kind of the point. It’s a warm bowl of soup when the weather outside is frightful.

While Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream does nothing totally different as a sequel, the streamlined crafting and simplified combat system allow players to be more invested in the story without becoming bogged down in complex game mechanics. For long-time fans, however, those mechanics are still available.