Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg Critic Reviews

Thankfully the colour and humour of Atelier Marie prevent it from becoming dry, despite the clear parallel to real-world work structures. While the jury’s out on how appealing this will be to the Ryza fanbase (in particular), Marie Remake has been an opportunity for me, a hardcore Atelier fan that came to the party in the middle and who loves the “classical” approach to the series, to catch up with the game that started it all. I can see the progression from Marie to Rorona and beyond, and Gust has definitely gotten better at executing the core idea over the years, but even right back then, at the genesis of the series, Atelier has really been the most wholesome comfort food.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg expertly synthesizes exploration, combat, and story elements into a beautifully packaged, laid-back RPG experience suitable for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

If what you're looking for is a cozy RPG with management elements, a nice story, simple but addictive gameplay and a short length, Atelier Marie Remake is a great choice.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is an impressively well-realized revisit to a long-lost RPG classic. What it lacks in length or complexity, it makes up for in charm and quality; this is the kind of game that you can get sucked into for an hour or two at a time without even realizing it. Its laid-back atmosphere, open-ended gameplay, and lovely visuals all combine to make this a must-buy for fans of the series, and a highly recommended title for those who want to see what Atelier is all about.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg and Atelier Marie Plus on Nintendo Switch feel like a perfect fit for Nintendo's hybrid system with the relaxed gameplay structure. While this release is a bit too expensive, it is definitely worth getting for Atelier fans thanks to its excellent music, great protagonist, and more.

Series fans will definitely want to give this game a look if only to see how the long-running and well-loved franchise got its start. For a game that is more than a quarter of a century old, it plays remarkably well. It’s also a fantastic choice for those looking for a lighter RPG bite, provided they’re willing to put up with a few eccentricities owing to its age.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg keeps itself very loyal to the original, even with a transition from 2D to 3D but the game's main mechanics remain overwhelmingly the same. This is worthy of praise, as the result is very positive and acts as a great introduction for new players as well as a pleasant return for fans of the Atelier series. Its renewal was carried out very competently, and its relaxed environment will facilitate the experience for those who want to play at their own pace. A marvelous addition to the Atelier series of RPGs.

The Atelier Marie remake is the surprisingly strong return of a game that could have too easily been lost among the 24 other instalments. This might be one of the coziest 'cozy games' in years. It's nice to see especially the origin of the Atelier series stand out in such a positive way, and with an excellent revamp on the Switch that the West is thankfully no longer deprived of.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is an effectively updated version of the original Atelier game from Gust. Beneath its modern sheen is a short, retro adventure that forgoes the intricate combat and crafting of the modern Atelier games. Instead, it focuses on a time management loop that’s open enough to warrant multiple playthroughs for those seeking a cute and gentle journey.

I’d certainly recommend checking this out if you’re curious to see the series roots, but I’d also say this isn’t the best entry in the Atelier games available on the Switch or other platforms. It certainly has some charm to it, and the gameplay loop is easy yet satisfying, but don’t expect an RPG on par with more recent Atelier releases. Still, I enjoyed my time playing Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg, and I bet you will too.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg offers players a chance to discover the roots of this beloved series. The updated menus and graphics give this adventure a chance to be enjoyed by new and returning players, but the simplicity of it all might limit any genuine player investment. It’s a bite-sized Atelier experience that provides moments of charm alongside some frustratingly simple gameplay mechanics.

Atelier Marie isn’t the Atelier series at its peak, but I wouldn’t expect it to be: it is the first game in the series, after all. As such, I likely wouldn’t recommend this game to a newcomer to the series. Each subseries (i.e. Arland, Dusk, Mysterious, Ryza/Secret) is self-contained, so it’s not necessary to play Marie before those other games. However, for fans of the series it’s fun to see where it all started and how much Gust got right from the start, considering this is still a very fun, breezy JRPG to play. It makes me hope that other games in the series can be brought to modern platforms and that the Atelier series can continue to thrive.

A simple but endearing experience, Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a nostalgic adventure that does justice to the satisfying crafting mechanics that have represented the series’ identity for nearly a quarter of a century. While it might lack the complexity and depth of more recent entries, and some of its “classic” elements feel a little dated, it provides a solid core gameplay loop within a charming package. It’s a bite-sized nostalgic RPG romp that feels cosy as heck and never outstays its welcome.

The simplicity of the Atelier series in its base form requires you to manage your time and discover things for yourself. Like the original, Atelier Marie Remake has a pretty small scope, with a playthrough easily taking less than ten hours and most players aren’t likely to do more than two playthroughs. The changes to this game make it a joy to look at and smooth to play with very few issues. Some people might enjoy the shorter run time, but pairing it with the price, I don’t think it should be a nearly full-priced game. However, it is a mostly relaxing experience that still keeps the essence of why people enjoy Atelier games.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg brings the series’ original entry out of the shadows with a charming, thorough aesthetic glow-up, yet retains some of its more archaic touches.

If you are unsure where to begin with this series Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist Of Salburg is a great starting place. It’s the first in the series, and the facelift it has been given is very welcoming to newcomers, like me. I’m glad I gave this one a shot before trying something else in the series; trying this one out after might have felt like a downgrade. Combat and gathering, two of Atelier Marie’s main elements, can be done automatically, making them feel unimportant when I know that is not true. Focusing on learning about the world’s characters is where you’ll find most of the enjoyment. Atelier Marie Remake has sold me on the idea of playing another game in the series, I hope they feel more modern, and require more work on my part.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg offers a refined version of a twenty-five-year-old item-crafting simulator RPG. The game is short and sweet, finishing in around 10 hours with an endless mode option allowing for an expanded runtime with Marie and her companions, ending when the player decides. The game does not attempt to retrofit the title with features from more recent entries; rather, it focuses on presenting a version of the game that matches modern sensibilities while still retaining the core gameplay from 1997. The end result is a short and charmingly dated experience. This refresher course on the game that started a decades-long series may not be sitting at the top of the class, but it still earns high marks. For a student like Marie, that’s a perfect recipe.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg provides a nice RPG history lesson, but the combat and alchemy feel pretty outdated.

The long test to which we subjected Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg unfortunately confirmed the reservations we had towards the product. The one created by Gust Corporation is a mere 1:1 scale remake of the title originally published in 1997 and only renews its graphic design, leaving its serious playful and narrative gaps unchanged. Although the introduction of the Unlimited Mode removes the annoying temporal limitations of the original Atelier Marie, today as then the story is in fact weak and far from engaging, and the side characters are mere archetypes. Bearing in mind that even the longevity is really insufficient by the standards of the genre, we suggest the purchase only to the most die-hard fans of the series, who in order to discover its origins may be willing to pass over its many flaws and the expensive ticket admission (€50). We are therefore of the opinion that producing a 1:1 scale remake of such an obsolete title was not the most sensible way to feed the progenitor of the saga to the new generations, which on the contrary deserved to be re-imagined in almost every aspect .