The only Atelier entry that made me care about the mechanics. I had so much fun with the crafting in this game. I actually had to get good at it too because of the surprisingly well balanced difficulty(on very hard). It never felt unfair but it pushed me to engage beyond the bare minimum. I loved the weather mechanic and the cool level design it let Gust show off too. Just a great time all around.

I found the story to be pretty meandering, despite liking the cast for the most part. The setting intrigued me at first but it spends 90% of its runtime being really underdeveloped and its implications being left on the table. Thankfully, the final dungeon to the end of the game gives the context the story and setting needed. It's such a powerful end of the story arc that I can only forgive how boring the story was at times. Perhaps it goes to show how a strong last impression is all you need for a memorable story.