Review for Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, the video game was released on 26/01/2021 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 29/01/2021
Version for PlayStation 5 from 29/01/2021
The Atelier series, developed by Gust Co. Ltd. and published by Koei Tecmo, has always remained closed in a niche and therefore little valued in the West. The meager focus on history and combat and the design very derived from Japanese “Moe culture” has always kept the western market from giving a real chance to the products of this saga. This situation has changed considerably thanks to Atelier Ryza, which has managed to make people talk about itself thanks to an overall improvement of the Atelier formula and above all to the design that has been very successful.. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy finds itself having to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, with much of the pre-production work ready; the result is a JRPG that is distinctly “Atelier” but brings the classic formula to work masterfully and raises the quality level just enough to deserve the purchase despite the extreme similarity to the first chapter.
Gust is quite well known for making titles that are very similar to each other and with a very short development time. After all, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy comes out just six months after the studio's previous release, Fairy Tail, and just over a year after the first Atelier Ryza. This implies a strong recycling of assets in their products, recycling also present in Atelier Ryza 2, which, however, as often happens in small-medium sized Japanese developer titles, are used intelligently and do not detract from anything. to experience.
The main technical flaw in fact is not having monsters or assets similar to other titles published in the past by Gust, but it is instead the creation and management of the NPCs that will meet on the street in the city. The variety of the latter is very low and it will be very common to find the same NPC models a few meters away from each other; moreover they are all of very low quality when compared to the rest of the title.
In fact all in all Atelier Ryza is very pleasing to the eye. Not only for the return of the popular Ryza design, which has remained almost unchanged, but also for the improvement of many other characters, above all Tao. The PlayStation 4 version, tested on a PS4 Pro, does not scream miracles in any way, however if the performance remains good even on the Nintendo Switch, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy could be one of the most enjoyable Third Parties to be see on the Nintendo console. Leaving aside the graphics sector, let's talk about the core of the game, the gameplay.
As previously mentioned, the Atelier series has never been characterized by a strong focus on combat, nor therefore by having a particularly interesting combat system; Atelier Ryza 2 is half an exception. While the game remains a little bit combat oriented, it was still well designed. During the fights you will control 1 of 3 characters, with the ability to change on the fly. Through an ATB bar you will decide the turn of each of them, who in real time will be able to attack enemies to gain AP to be used then to unleash the much more powerful skills. Throughout the duration of the battle, even outside the turn, it will be possible to parry hits, giving the fight a good pace that rarely makes you feel like you're just waiting for a bar to load. The tactical approach is very light, however the hybrid action nature gives the combat of Atelier Ryza 2 a good pace, which does not weigh the battles and makes the bossfights a lot of fun. It remains a title that we absolutely do not recommend to those who want structured and tactical combat systems like an Octopath Traveler or a Trails of Cold Steel, but compared to past Ateliers such as the mediocre Lulua, the combat is certainly less heavy.
Alongside it, and composing the element that makes the Atelier series unique, there is a very fun gathering and crafting system that makes up a good 70% of the game loop. In our experience we have found ourselves closer and closer to comparing Atelier Ryza 2 to titles like Rune Ocean or Animal Crossing than to a Final Fantasy, as the funniest and most interesting part of the adventure is to go in search and collect rare items to craft. a huge variety of items ranging from accessories and weapons to home decor, gathering items and much more. Obviously it remains very limited on this aspect compared to an Animal Crossing, but the feeling it led us to try is quite similar.
The innumerable secondaries of the game are also based on the crafting and gathering system, which are divided into simple "fetch quests" for anonymous citizens or better structured side stories in which you get to know better the characters of the game and the history of the world . The latter are obviously the most interesting, as well as being surprisingly numerous and sometimes long-lived, but also carrying out the simple crafting and gathering quests is engaging thanks to the continuous improvement of the alchemical skills of the protagonist Ryza.
So let's talk about another element on which the Atelier series is generally very light, the narrative. The story of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is rather simple and relaxed, devoid of real conflict most of the time and more focused on the progressive discovery of the secrets of one's world. Three years after the events of the prequel, Ryza heads to the capital Ashra-am Baird where, reuniting with Tao, he begins to investigate ancient ruins to discover the mystery of the strange egg entrusted to him by his master. From this point various old acquaintances and a couple of new additions will join the adventure that will slowly bring to light the story of an ancient civilization.
This is not the most compelling of storylines, but its integration into gameplay forces you to pay attention and we must admit that all in all it is a cute and suitable narrative for the type of product that Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy wants to be. The characters are all nice and have beautiful dynamics as well as credible interpersonal s that give them a good vitality, thanks also to the secondary quests that help to become attached to them easily. Ultimately, Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is not a title that we recommend for fiction, however if you are interested in the game for its gathering and crafting system and its unique formula, or even simply if you want a more JRPG relaxed and happy than usual, he can surely offer you a satisfying experience.
Small mention of the soundtrack, very characteristic and well orchestrated. It helps bring the world and character to the characters to life, however it gets lost a bit due to excessive re-use of tracks. For example, at every cutscene in the city the Ryza theme will always start, and it is also common to have 2 or 3 cutscenes in a row in which the song will restart from the beginning, sometimes being a bit annoying.
Ultimately Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a good title that brings the best version of the “Atelier” formula. Recommended for anyone who wants a more relaxed experience than the average RPG or anyone who has enjoyed titles from the series in the past. It will not surprise you in any department, but it maintains a level that is much more than sufficient at all times with few smudges and hours of additive loop of gathering and crafting within wonderful settings.
► Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is an RPG-Adventure game developed and published by Koei Tecmo for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, the video game was released on 26/01/2021 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 29/01/2021
Version for PlayStation 5 from 29/01/2021
