Version tested: Nintendo Switch
Today we talk about the new chapter of one of the most long-lived and loved videogame sagas by gamers, which one? Atelier obviously, one of the series developed by Gust that has accompanied our afternoons and inflamed our love for the JRPG genre since 1997. In this case, we are dealing with Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy.
This new chapter will take you to once again take on the role of the pretty Ryza and her nice friends, who after having faced the exploration of the island in the previous chapter, have decided to go on an adventure and explore the neighboring kingdoms to discover new mysterious truths.
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The new title leads us to take on the role of Reisalin “Ryza” Sout again three years after his first adventure. The young girl works at her Kurken Island as an alchemist and teacher, and although she doesn't despise this new normal, her soul is already aware that a new adventure is knocking on her door.
In fact, during a dark and stormy night, Moritz Brunnen (father of Bos, one of the girl's friends we met in the previous chapter) visits the young alchemist and asks her to find out more details regarding a bizarre egg-shaped stone. which he has kept for a long time. The girl accepts this new task without delay and decides to start her research from Ashra-am Baird, the capital of the kingdom.
Ryza is a country girl, and is uncomfortable in the chaotic city world, fortunately she meets two old friends: Bos Brunnen and Tao Mongarten. Thanks to their support, the girl begins her investigation, soon discovering that the bizarre stone, in addition to actually being an egg, contains a mysterious creature, nicknamed Fi.
Obviously, the young woman, and her increasingly large company, continue to investigate the connection between the "pucciosa" flying creature and the ruins in the capital. Oops, I've already said too much, it's the excellent narrative style of the development team that amazes you with its twists.
Little explorers grow up
The boys of Gust, fully aware of their narrative skills, wanted to test themselves (something that is always a pleasure) by offering us a new way of experiencing the main missions, forcing the player to explore the ruins scattered around the game world. All this was born with the aim of changing a little the style of the visual novel.
This new modus operandi will take you to scrutinize the ruins in the game in search of textual clues, all in order to reconstruct the history that lies behind these ancient places. To do this, you will have to face numerous adventures, from the depths of the sea to the rugged mountains, obviously without forgetting the rich presence of monsters and mini bosses, extremely useful in case you want to level.
Although there are no radical changes in the series, on the other hand, fans want the tenor of the game to remain the same, we can note with pleasure that the passive skill system has been tweaked, complete with a well-structured tree. Even recipe geeks will be satisfied, in fact a series of new and interesting functions have been included for them.
Let the fight begin
Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is a title that tries to improve compared to its predecessors from every point of view, and actually succeeds, so much so that it transforms the combat-system of the game into the real strength of the entire play experience, offering one of the most interesting and fun fighting systems tested so far.
The action is based on the false line of the previous ones, but the dynamism, the possibility of making the agreement with teammates fruitful through the skills and the timing of the attacks are elements definitely able to raise the bar. Moreover, thanks to the more fluid animations and the very rich and scenographic choreographies it will be possible to change the active character on the fly and have fun putting yourself to the test against different enemies.
Boss Battles are by far the most challenging sections of the game, putting you and all the various party members to the test, ultimately offering you a very rewarding experience.
Technical Department
The Atelier saga (which we have already talked about in this review), like many JRPG titles, lacks a technical sector that is not at the highest levels, even if it must be admitted that with the previous chapter we have seen significant improvements, for this adventure, the development team limited itself to a few adjustments.
As in the past, the environmental textures are modest and in some cases rough, especially with regard to the interiors of buildings. On the other hand, we cannot fail to notice that the polygonal models have been made more expressive, so much so as to give the young Ryaza a decidedly provocative outfit.
As for the soundtrack, we can't complain, in fact the music that accompanies this adventure is excellent, so much so that it offers the player that light-hearted feeling typical of the saga. Obviously, the Japanese dubbing is always of high quality thanks to the excellent interpreters who lend their voices to the various characters.
Performance on Switch
The Japanese console lends itself very well to the new adventure created by the boys of Gust, so much so as to enhance the new graphics engine both in portable and in TV mode. In fact, during the adventure we never ran into problems related to framerates, bugs, etc., all problems typical of colorful titles like Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy.
Final Comment
Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is certainly a title that surprised us, in fact, the development team has managed to further improve the good things already done with the previous iteration, equipping this new chapter with some small innovations capable of to spice up the gameplay. Unfortunately, once again the public will have to make do with English (First Reaction: Shock!), But we can assure you that the game is worth the candle. Obviously, before venturing into this magical world, we recommend that you play Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, so that you don't miss anything.
