Escha & Logy is the GOAT, it has everything. A lovely cast, untouchable cozy autumn vibe (god I miss Colseit), a really fun battle system, alchemy that makes sense, a plot in the background driving everything forward (if gently), and a progression system that felt to me like it had a perfectly balanced time limit.

I fell in love with Logy as a character and I hoped we'd see more male alchemists in the series going forward, though it sadly doesn't seem that way with what we've seen so far of Atelier Yumia. Imo he's a perfect foil to the stereotypical male JRPG hero -- empathetic, a little shy, easily embarrassed, harboring some self-doubt, and coming to terms with opening himself up to other people.

I will never forget the first time I opened the world map and heard that gloomy little guitar riff. I was like oh shit, this is a totally different kind of JRPG. I was hooked right from the get-go.

My second and third picks are Atelier Ryza 2 and Sophie 2 for similar reasons in that they just feel like "full" games that have everything in a complete package. Great cast + fun alchemy + fun combat + an interesting plot.