The absolute pinnacle of the series at this point. The story still takes second place to Ayesha but the gameplay, the characters, the world, the synthesis, all of it is the best it's ever been for Atelier. I was concerned with them repeating a lead heroine again (Ryza 2 was a big step down from it's predecessor) Sophie was someone I enjoyed a lot the first time and so I went in with worried but positive expectations when this came out. I'm still surprised all this time later by just how good this game is, there is nothing about it that didn't feel perfect and like the best possible next step of evolution for a series that is always evolving. It was new and fresh yet maintained it's tradition so well - it fit really well with the setting in this game that brings both the past and the present together as well.

Coming off of playing both Ryza 1 and 2, the expectation was more of the good crafting gameplay that Ryza had. But the crafting system and the way that crafting recipes are gathered had changed enough for me to take notice. Having the crafting system be on a grid of different elements is a good idea but having so many different options and so many items to make, crafting in Sophie 2 can both seem and be time consuming. Using the auto-place feature is something that is offered but I recommend not using it as it doesn't take advantage of party skills that can be used during crafting. So I ended up doing a mixture of both throughout my playthrough. The plus side to this is that it is way easier to get certain traits on the different items that are crafted. The recipe discovery still leaves a little to be desired as almost every recipe had tasks attached to them to unlock them. From gathering/obtaining a certain material, to craft an item with a certain trait or fighting x amount of enemies, the problem in itself is not the fetch quest nature of these tasks. It's that none of anything that was done before hand does not count to the count, only when the player is working toward the recipe does anything count. This gets really annoying about mid way through the game, as most of the requirements are material requirements and the player would have most likely already found them, making them have to go back and look for the item. The battle system is turn-based this time around, and at first I did not really enjoy it. But as I got further into the game and got more party members/skills, chaining different moves and breaking auras and landing major damage never gets old. The story of the game takes a sort of back seat, but the character interactions (also goes for their side stories) and I will give it credit in not taking apart in a lot of the anime tropes that I see in these games, such as the hotspring scene where instead of the usual girls in the hotspring and the boys get branded as pervs for going near them, instead they all hang out and have a good time. It was refreshing to see something like that. The environments are very nice to look at, and seeing the areas have the weather change is very cool to see. Although, having the first half of the main areas be nothing but forest or a grassy plain makes it get really old, pretty fast. Music was a bit of shock this time around, as there are so many different battle themes that I have heard through out the game and they all sound really good. Overall, if a comfy game is what you are looking for, then you wouldn't be too hard pressed to give Sophie 2 a try.

This game is both a great follow-up to the first game, and an awesome modern Atelier. Hell, it's probably one of the best of the series, period.

The game looks incredible (the character models especially). The only complaint I'd have in this department is that I feel there is less Event Art than in Sophie, and previous Atelier games I've played. I wish there was more.

The world this game takes place in was really cool. It was both a smart idea, using it to make the game fit nearly in the timeline of the Mysterious saga (Probably, I haven't played Fyris or Lydie/Suelle yet). The weather system is really creative, and part of me wishes it would be possible in future titles. The interconnected world is fun to explore and complete objectives in. ...Mostly. Near the end of the game, I got tired of trying to remember what way to traverse the map in order to get to a specific spot, since changing the weather can change what paths are open and closed.

Alchemy is the most fun as it's ever been. The puzzle alchemy is so much fun to try and make happen. I've spent hours just tetris-ing the best configurations of some items to get certain traits. It's so much fun.

This game probably contains my favorite Atelier battle system, too. I love the ability to include your entire party in battles directly, it's a really smart system. And I love when these games allow you to use items with non-alchemist party members, too.

And the story... Kind of one the weaker side as far as Atelier games go. This world's logic is kind of wishy-washy sometimes, and the ability to magically solve an issue with alchemy kind of goes beyond the realm of believability sometimes. I'm not a huge fan of the main antagonist, either. They are pretty infuriating at times.

Gripes aside, I'd like to once again reiterate this is one of the best Atelier games made to date. You could probably play it without having played Sophie 1 (though it is probably way more rewarding to do so), but if you don't, there's a catchup option on the main menu. Not that there's a lot to catch up on, since the first game's story is so basic. Anyway, if you're interested, definitely check this game out!