The Atelier series has been around for years, but it seemed to reach a wider audience with Atelier Ryza. It’s a heavy-duty JRPG with drawings of Extremely Anime characters, and its sequel, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and Secret Fairy, has already been released.
I had a chance at Ryza 1 last year, and it’s really heavy – and charming, with him. The game was set in a small village and spent a lot of time building its central gang of friends. It’s also anime like what the hell however, and I moved away from it quickly. However, bigger JRPG fans than I liked a lot, as in Steven Wright’s analysis for us:
Overall, I don’t think Atelier Ryza is the type of game that will change many minds. Although I ended up surprising myself, I would say that I am the main audience for this: a longtime JRPG fan who likes to play games with light simulation mechanics. If you can look beyond your obvious rhythm problems – and some of your most free character designs – Atelier Ryza is a solid slice of comforting JRPG food that comes down easily and can just leave you asking for more. If you are part of this group – and you probably know if you are – you will have a totally pleasant experience.
Ryza 2 continues the story three years after the events of the first game, “and describes the reunion of Ryza and his friends.” There is turn-based combat, grappling exploration, workshop interior decoration and impractical asymmetric clothing designs. I’ll have Ed revise it.
Atelier Ryza 2 is now available on Steam, where it costs £ 50 / € 60 / $ 60.