atelier ayesha is a game about a country apothecary desperately bringing a long-lost science back from the dead in order to save her ghost sister. it's a game of peaceful wandering and community support in a declining world overshadowed by toxins and too-advanced ruins. it's a game about ayesha getting called cute by girls and going >w< h-huh? c-c-cute...?
i was expecting to enjoy it but not expecting it to be a kamige; for me it was absolutely a kamige. it was my first atelier game i played more than a few hours of but i was absolutely hooked the whole way through. the characters are all so sweet and silly and wandering the world with them is a delight; i especially loved the relationships between ayesha and nio as well as marion and linca. their designs and the game's art are heavenly; even if you don't try i super recommend checking 'em out if you like elegant dress and frills. the alchemy took me a bit to figure out, but ayesha struggles with it at first in the story too; the way that as you grow at alchemy, she gains confidence in herself and her ability to reach her wish hit me hard and it was worth sticking with it. if you want to play but its intimidating there are guides for the alchemy out there too!
it really is a treasure of a game, with all the things i love about them. i dont want to overhype it but if it sounds appealing at all i do recommend it! really looking forward to starting atelier escha&logy
