Getting into the Atelier series seemed impossible to me. Despite being drawn to its lighthearted aesthetic and “cozy” vibes, there was always one insurmountable hurdle. Atelier games used to be governed by time limits, giving you a deadline to accomplish your goals. 

And nearly every action you took, from crafting items in alchemy to simply picking up an ingredient, took at least a day off the calendar. For someone with ADHD, that’s a nightmare cocktail of anxiety and dread. 

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

Eventually, developer Gust opened up a little bit, removing the overall time limits from Atelier games and finding other ways to experiment with the formula. The series has been bigger than ever, especially with the Ryza trilogy’s wide-reaching success. Of course, I’ve been happily on board the Atelier train since.

But what about the folks who actually liked the time management aspect, the folks who were there from the beginning? Well, to celebrate 25 years of Atelier, Gust and Koei Tecmo are going all the way back with Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg. 

This is a full remake of the very first Atelier game, released back on the PlayStation in 1997, and never localized officially to English. Hell yeah. 

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

This is a surprisingly faithful remake, and the Digital Deluxe SKU even comes with the original game, localized fully for the first time ever. It’s wild stuff that probably never would’ve happened before Ryza blew up. A power move I can respect.

With this remake, Gust seemed to aim for as much authenticity and love for the original as possible but kept the whole time limit anxiety thing in mind. This makes for an interesting compromise, giving players a choice to make at the beginning. 

You can choose between the original time limit structure or a tweaked version that lets you put off the end of the game until you’re good and ready for it. The tradeoff is that the “Unlimited” mode has to block access from some in-game events that were too closely tied to the calendar.

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

I say it’s an interesting compromise because as I dove into this new/old adventure, I quickly realized how much the time limit is the game’s backbone. You play as Marie, a student more or less flunking out of alchemy school. 

She’s talented, though, so her teacher gives her a chance to salvage her grades. Within four years, Marie has to use the local atelier to produce an item of exceptional quality. 

If she can’t hack it, then that’s it. Hours and hours of gathering, crafting, and battling ensue in traditional, turn-based RPG fashion.

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

It’s easy to tell this used to be a PlayStation game, and I respect the endeavor to keep that vibe alive. The character models are all stubby and cutesy, and there’s very little travel or exploration. 

You unlock spots on a map, find what enemies and ingredients live there, gather stuff for recipes, complete jobs, and grind your way to bigger and better versions of all the above. Along the way, Marie gets to know all the people she lives around, as she hires them to help her fight baddies or simply gets to know them between outings.

Mixed in with the alchemy stuff are dialogue-based events between Marie and the various characters she encounters. So there are two major parts to playing Atelier Marie. The first is all the alchemy of course. 

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

The second is, as you do everything, you will trigger various event flags that shape your path to one of several endings. These flags are based on the time of the year, finding certain recipes, and so on and so forth. 

Filling out events and making cool stuff with your magical stuff-making pot is the whole deal. Hopefully, this paints the picture here, of how awkward the time limit conundrum makes the experience.

Playing on Unlimited mode means that while time still passes, the end goal doesn’t actually loom over you like an adorable sword of Damocles. But other parts of the game, like all the little side jobs you do for money and character events, are still beholden to time for the most part. 

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

And this can still be stressful! Especially when you’re figuring out just how tight the timing windows can be for jobs. 

Watching your little character slide across the map to a cave only to see like six days melt away is harrowing stuff. So there’s still an element of mentally preparing yourself for pressure, something that hasn’t been an element of Atelier for quite a long time at this point.

All that said, the core loop of Atelier Marie is still a blast, even in its primitive form. There’s something about having a girl with a goofy personality cheer you on as you help her through an existential crisis. 

Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES

And doing so by going out, gathering items, turning them into things like cheese or, uh, bombs, and watching those lovely numbers go up. Sure it’s more elegant and complex in later games. But, for a PlayStation game at its core, I was surprised by how much that core loop was developed from the jump. 

25 years is a long time, especially for series like Atelier that occupy specific niches. But going all the way back to the beginning, it’s easy to see why Gust has been able to do this for nearly three decades. 

Newer fans of the series may struggle a bit at the less forgiving parts, but the Unlimited mode helps where it really counts. And longtime fans will find this return to time management refreshing, and will probably appreciate the historical context. Atelier Marie Remake won’t be my favorite at the end of the day. But being able to look back in time like this was a fun indulgence. 

Pros:

• A fascinating look back to the beginning of a series that has changed a ton over time

• Colorful modern visuals that recreate the vibes of a late 90s PS1 RPG

• Original game localized for the first time!

Cons:

• Time limit for side jobs is very strict and stressful

• Weird minigames pop up sometimes that aren’t fun at all

• Combat feels fumbly and overcomplicated at times

Score: 8/10

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher and was played on PC via Steam.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is launching on July 13, 2023, for the PlayStation 4 and 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

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