Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy
Developer: Koei Tecmo, Gust Co. Ltd.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Genre: RPG
Price: $59.99
Though the Atelier series has churned out a game practically every single year since 1997, longtime fans continue to look forward to new releases. It hasn’t mattered that the gameplay invariably features all-too-familiar elements; improvements come with every subsequent title, but incrementally. For the most part, similar beats being struck serve to keep gamers engrossed again and again, and it’s a testament to developer Gust’s steady shepherding of the franchise that all the freshness seems to remain even though the ingredients largely stay the same.
Until, that is, the arrival of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy on store shelves late last month. Given all the advantages to playing safe and staying in well-tread paths, Koei Tecmo could not have made its decision to explore uncharted territory lightly. To be sure, there was ample reason for it to take the risk and, for the first time in the annals of the beloved franchise, come up with a direct sequel. After all, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, brought to fruition in late 2019 by a new creative team within Gust, wound up being a runaway critical and commercial success.
To consider how much of a hit Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout became, gamers need only note that it wound up being the highest-grossing title in the history of the series. In fact, demand was such that physical copies, initially produced based on projections off performances of previous offerings in the franchise, quickly became scarce and fetched ridiculous prices in secondary markets. A second printing was approved and done, and yet, once again, stocks ran out. Supply simply could not keep up, if nothing else providing ample proof of its winning combination of a tighter, if still comfortable, storyline and a brand-new battle system.
Under the circumstances, it’s fair to argue that Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy comes with great expectations. And it no longer carries the security blanket its predecessors had the luxury of turning to from the outset; instead of the usual story of a female would-be alchemist coming of age after undergoing critical physical and social challenges, it follows the title character three years after the events of the first release. The fish-out-of-water narrative now has her chasing after big-city dreams, in particular the expansion of her knowledge of alchemy and the answer to a mystery a member of her small town has asked her to find.
Which is not to say Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy boasts of all-new dimensions. Reisalin Stout still gets to rely on friends and familiar faces while exploring Ashra-am Baird and the ruins just outside the capital city. And for those who have managed to play through Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, there should be no learning curve. That said, newcomers to the series will find the interface as easygoing as the story it propels.
Parenthetically, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy’s turn-based combat mechanics offer not inconsiderable variety, but remain intuitive all the same. Even as the system makes use of individual and special attacks, it exhibits a profound bias for team-based executions that sound complicated in theory but are a breeze to pull off with and in practice. And, in this regard, it bears noting that, while in battle, gamers are treated to proper angles highlighting the urgency of the moment.
Needless to say, alchemy nuts and bolts are how the Atelier series has invariably separated itself from other Japanese role-playing games, and where Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout proved especially transcendent. In Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy, finding the right ingredients to mix and turn into useful equipment and powerful weapons still requires no small measure of grinding both in terms of exploration of dungeons and synthesis of items. That said, quality-of-lie features have been enhanced to the point where gamers don’t feel burdened; the world map enables fast and practical travel, while the crafting can be automated. In other words, gamers are provided avenues to spend their time wisely.
In any case, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy delivers, and how. As one of the finest JRPGs to be released in a while, it figures to bring hours upon hours of bliss to longtime followers of and newcomers to the series alike. It’s a finely tuned audio-visual treat, with an excellent storyline that complements the immersive gameplay. And it certainly serves to justify the choice of Koei Tecmo and Gust to take the road less traveled. Considering the unmistakable sheen of the final product, it has made all the difference. Highly recommended.
THE GOOD
- Excellent audio-visual presentation
- Expanded narrative supported by ample cutscenes and exposition
- Superb voice acting and subtitling
- Complex but easy-to-learn interface
- Alchemy at its finest yet
THE BAD
- Grinding required
- Fanservice offered to excess
- Character stereotypes abound
RATING: 9.5/10
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