One of the most intricate aspects of *Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land* is the Synthesis mechanic, which is integral to nearly every facet of the game. Every resource you gather and every weapon you craft is connected to it. Here’s how to optimize your Synthesis experience.
Synthesis Types in Atelier Yumia
In *Atelier Yumia*, there are technically three different types of Synthesis:
- Regular Synthesis conducted at an Alchemist’s altar
- Simple Synthesis done from the radial menu
- Building Synthesis done from the building mode
To craft weapons, armor, battle accessories, and magical items, as well as materials required for Synthesis, you must use the regular Synthesis mechanic, which can only be performed at an Alchemist’s altar. Early in the game, you unlock the Atelier, which allows you to return at any time to Synthesize. However, in areas where you can build—such as cleared manabound zones and campsites—you can construct and place a Simple Altar, which enables regular Synthesis.
You can perform Simple Synthesis at any time outside of battle through the radial menu to create items like bandages, gauntlets for ziplines, and various repair kits for fixing treasure chests, ladders, and more, provided you have the necessary resources.
Lastly, the building mode, accessible via the radial menu, is available only on specific plots of land. Although not labeled as Synthesis, Yumia is actually Synthesizing items like storage chests and wall hangings. The game's narrative often refers to this as Synthesis, so be aware to avoid confusion.
How to Synthesize Equipment in Atelier Yumia
The most complex form of Synthesis is the regular type conducted at altars. To craft an item like a gun staff for Yumia, you must first find the recipe while exploring the world. You can also upgrade existing gun staff recipes at a Recipe Recall Station using particles from mana fountains. Once you have the recipe, follow these steps at an Alchemist’s altar:
- Select the type of gun staff you want to create.
- Choose Synthesis Skills if they are unlocked in the skill tree.
- Select the initial Alchemy Core to build upon:
- Effects Alchemy Core enhances the selected skills.
- Quality Alchemy Core boosts the quality level of the completed item.
- Trait Alchemy Core increases the number of Trait Crystal slots you can use.
- Fill the slots of each Alchemy Core with the resources you’ve gathered.
- Collect mana fragments to further increase the quality.
- Once everything is set, Synthesize the item.
The key to crafting powerful items early in the game is to unlock Synthesis Skills from the Synthesis section of the skill tree as soon as possible. These skills provide flat damage and quality boosts to the item and allow you to duplicate items, thereby conserving resources.
You can also enhance the quality of the item by adding resources to all three Alchemy Cores. To do this, use the left or right bumper while filling the slots in a specific core. Collecting mana fragments—the yellow sparkles around an Alchemy Core—for all three cores will significantly enhance the item's strength. This is advisable unless you're crafting a quest-specific item.
Additionally, don’t overlook the importance of using resources that match the element type of specific slots. Resources that match will have a blue outline around them. You can organize your resources in the submenu to prioritize higher-quality ones, though sometimes prioritizing effects might be more beneficial.
If the complexity of this mechanic feels overwhelming, you can opt for the auto-Synthesis feature after selecting Synthesis Skills. The game efficiently creates the best possible item, enabling you to tackle the final boss on Normal difficulty with relative ease.
And that’s everything you need to know to maximize the Synthesis mechanic in *Atelier Yumia*.
*Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land* is available now.
