I’m not familiar with the Atelier series, a 19-game history spread across the last two decades notwithstanding. Not only is Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings the 19th main entry in the series, it’s also the third game in the Mysterious sub storyline that exists within the wider series. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant when I had  the opportunity to dive right into the start of the game at a recent event hosted by Koei Tecmo.
The first thing that is immediately noticeable is the stunning detail throughout. Even though Atelier Lydie and Suelle is a decidedly Japanese game with heavy roots in manga and anime art styles, there’s a commendable production value that’s gone in to making the game look great and right at home on the PlayStation 4. It’s also chock full of voice acting, and though it’s all in Japanese with English subtitles, it’s once again indicative of an impressive effort by the time to make Atelier Lydie and Suelle a polished and full experience. Sisters Lydie and Suelle begin in a forest area gathering materials for their atelier, which is an alchemy shop in town. It’s a pretty slow start, getting taught various aspects of the controls, gathering materials, and the basics of alchemy. Getting back to town, I met the girls’ lazy father who ran the atelier but had an abysmal work ethic. He instantly handed things off to the girls and scampered. Here I was taught how to make ...