We discussed some details of the sequel to Atelier Ryza, a title that continues the adventures of Reisaline Stout in a new adventure with her friends.
Last year there were several titles related to the Atelier saga that saw the light throughout it, including Nelke & The Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World, a spin-off with management mechanics, and Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, the fourth installment in the Arland saga. However, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout would also see the light, the twenty-first title of the franchise, which would end up becoming the best-selling installment of the franchise by reaching half a million copies sold, between physical and digital, to At the end of August this year, thanks, in large part, to progress in various aspects of the gameplay added to the charismatic cast of main characters, among which the main protagonist stood out.
In the absence of just under two months for the arrival of the second installment of this saga, we offer the impressions left by the first bars of the game that takes up the adventures of Reisalin “Ryza” Stout who will embark, along with his old friends and new ones for the occasion in a new adventure that will take you to investigate the ancient folk legends related to various ruins from the distant past related to the ancient arts of alchemy.
Three years have passed since Ryza’s adventure along with the rest of his friends, the young alchemist heading towards the capital of the kingdom, Ashra-am Bard, in order to find information about an ancient relic that Moritz Brunnen has given her. , Bos’s father, hoping to know her worth, which in turn prompts the young woman to embark on a new adventure. Upon reaching the capital, she meets Tao and Bos, who help her learn about the layout of the city and settle in it, the latter also thanks to the invaluable help of the young noblewoman Patricia Abelheim who provides her with a room that she will use as own atelier. Through Tao’s investigations into the popular legends of the kingdom, they will reach a ruin where they will find a mysterious artifact while the relic that Ryza is discovered as an egg from which Fii will emerge, a mysterious creature related in some way to the leyends. From this point on, the group will visit different ancient ruins located around the kingdom to unravel the mysteries that are hidden in them.
The center of the game will focus mainly on Ashra-am Beird, the capital of the kingdom, a city divided into several districts and offering a certain liveliness in its environment. In it you can find different points of interest such as several stores where you can buy objects in the commercial sector, the Café where you can accept orders to get money or the artisan district where you can find a store where you can improve weapons and equipment. In between you will be able to find several types of collectible materials, as well as see character events as you progress in the game, some of which will show the backgrounds of the protagonists or, failing that, will serve as an entrance to carry out your own commissions in which you will missing a specific item, either materials or others made with alchemy, to complete them
From this point, you will leave for the surrounding areas, where you can face enemies and collect materials necessary to synthesize, while you will also find access to new areas and, finally, the ancient ruins that the group will discover along the way. adventure, being able to access them quickly once the world map option is activated. In the ruins it will be necessary to investigate the mysteries that each one of them present, making use of artifacts such as the Collection Compass, which will help to find crystals and fragments necessary to, through the Exploration Diary, combine them in such a way that they allow to solve the problem. information they contain and obtain as a reward SP points, new recipes for alchemy items and other additional rewards.
As an additional aspect, apart from being able to use the different collection objects such as the ax, the hoe or the fishing rod, elements that Ryza must manufacture to use them, in each of the collection areas and ruins of the game, it will also be necessary to use certain objects that will provide access to other areas, solving in turn certain obstacles that will be on the way. Among these there will be a bracelet that, through certain platforms, will allow the use of a whip with which to solve areas separated by a cliff or a candy-shaped object that will give the opportunity to cross submerged areas to collect objects or, as it will be during the adventure , get to some hidden ruins at the bottom of a lake
During this new adventure, Ryza will meet up with his old adventure companions who will accompany him on his journey, as is the case with Tao, who shows a much more mature design while his skills in combat are based on the handling of two swords. , or Klaudia Valentz, who will join the group after a series of events, counting in turn with new allies in this installment, such as Patricia Abelheim, a young noblewoman who follows the rules established by her family and whom he The jovial character shown by Ryza makes her interested in joining his adventure, demonstrating through the use of his sword an extraordinary ability for combat. On the other side will be Clifford Diswell, a young treasure hunter whose first meeting with Ryza will take place shortly after landing in the territory and to whom the young woman’s skills in alchemy will attract his attention, mainly to be able to find priceless treasures in his journeys and thanks to the objects he can make, using a four-pointed blade as a weapon in combat.
The combat system of this installment maintains some of the characteristics seen in the previous game, such as the tactical level that progressively increases the amount of AP points or the crystal core to use objects in combat that the characters have previously equipped, including turn development through the turn-based active-time battle system. However, there are certain differences in the interface, redesigned with a much more sober style, and in the camera, focusing the perspective on the controlled character and the enemy that will be the target of the attacks, resulting in a combat that is more focused on action compared to previous deliveries. In turn, another of the features implemented is the break bar that allows you to reduce the resistance of the enemies in combat until reaching the maximum, at which time you will be defenseless against the attacks for a limited time, an aspect that will also be applied to the allies regarding the attacks received in each battle.
In the confrontations the development offers a certain versatility to be able to chain series of attacks together with special abilities, executable using combinations of buttons, each time in greater capacity as the level of tactics increases, which translates into greater amount of AP gained , while being able to alternate control between characters, including with the reserve, so that the damage caused increases. In certain cases, the allied characters will ask the controlled character to perform an attack of a specific type, which will result in them executing an additional technique with different effects, which can be both offensive and supportive.
Alchemy, an important aspect in the series, in turn preserves the material implementation system to increase the level of quality and add new properties to the resulting object. However, the divergent point in this new installment lies in a new feature: the skill tree. This option, which replaces the traditional system of improvement through levels, allows Ryza to learn new skills related to alchemy, both new recipes to make materials, collection items or weapons and to improve performance when collecting materials , its quality, quantity, etc., spending SP points for each of the nodes offered in the diagram of this option, the required quantity being variable. These points can be obtained through the synthesis process or as a reward for completing special events, while completing the investigations of each ruin will unlock new nodes for the skill tree.
The feeling left by these first hours of play of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy are positive since it maintains a good part of the aspects for which the previous game stood out, such as the renewed synthesis system and the fighting, in a way Enhanced to provide an addictive experience, especially when exploring each area. The return of Ryza with his friends is presumed as one of the titles of the genre to consider when it goes on sale from next January 29, 2021, for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC platforms through Steam.
