How are Atelier games?
is it mostly item crafting?
how much exploration and combat is there?
The crafting in this one is simplified a lot and there's way more emphasis on combat than usual (there's a new system which limits the use of items). Exploration is decent, with each area feeling unique enough, but there aren't that many areas and there aren't any that stand out that much in particular.
I cleared the game last week, it's pretty decent but feels very- I'm not sure how to put this- "Light", like it's intended to be someone's first Atelier game, or first RPG even. Very short even by Atelier standards, the systems are mostly simple and leave plenty of room for trial and error, and it has a really straightforward story.
Most of the buzz about it online in Japan from after release is actually about insular communities in the boondocks and people going on about how the village is
totally like their own shitty hometowns. That aspect didn't actually stand out THAT much to me but then again I've always been an urbanite so maybe it just went over my head.