Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout originally 🌃released in Japan in September 2019 before making its way west a few months later, launching on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. And honestly? It’s been nothing short of a smashing success. Granted, as the 21st game in the long-standing series that dates back to 1997 (yes, that's the original PlayStation-era), the JRPG was likely bound to be favorable within its steadfast community. However, with a of 84 (and an equally im🙈pressive User Score of𓂃 8.1) and Steam User Rating of “”, it’s undeniable just how good Atelier Ryz⛄a: Ever Darkness &am𒉰p; the Secret Hideout is.
Koei Tecmo Games Co. is keeping the near-annual release streak alive with the upcoming laun🌺ch of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, which is slated to release on December 3 in Japan and January 21, 2021, in North America. I’ve h✃ad the chance to spend some time in a preview build of the game, and Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy has already positioned itself well in the lead as one of my most anticipated games of 2021.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy takes place three years after the events of the first game. A bored Reis🔥alin "Ryza" Stout decides to leave Kurken Island and head to the royal capital city of Ashra-am Baird after receiving a letter from her friend regarding the discovery of some ancient ruins related to alchemy - something Ryza is well-versed in, but always willing to learn more of . She is also given an alchemy-related quest involving a mysterious stone, leading her and her friends on another grand adventure.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is unapologetically a JRPG. Everything from the cute monsters to the cinematics and dialogue sets you up for a romp throughout a world of whimsy and mystery that you might expect to see in something from Studio Ghibli. In f😼act, that’s really what makes the Atelier Ryza series so appealing to play. For♚ instance, as compelling as the narrative in Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is, it’s arguably one of the more laid-back adventures within the realm of JRPGs, doing away with grandiose, cosmic storylines and condensing it down into a more intimate, character-driven setting. That trend essentially continues in Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, though there is still plenty of magic and intrigue to be found even within the game's first few chapters.
Running through the in-game world is an absolute delight - be it along a bricked patꦉh among the lush rolling hills or throughout the streets and alleys of the large, beautifully designed main cities. This genre is known for✤ its attention to detail when it comes to environments and world-building, where each area plays a pivotal role in conveying the tone of the narrative. Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy appears to be no different, nearly personifying the environment that Ryza is running around in as she collects alchemy crafting reagents, which can be synthesized at her home (in this case, her home away from home).
Upon her arrival in the big city, Ryza is set up in an incredible apartment to rest her head. Much like the first game, this is also where you’ll be able to save the game as well as brew up new concoctions in the cauldron that just so happens to come with Ryza’s spacious new digs. Through her work as an alchemist, Ryza will be able to combine different materials to create and upgrade items that will aid her on her journey. The branching system seems a bit overwhelming at first, but I quickly found it to be more intuitive than I thought it would be, which is great for some﷽one like me who isn’t a big fan of resource gathering. As I progress through the game, I find myself taking detours to snag any materials I see, since it will ultimately benefit me in the long run. Mostly, though, I think I just enjoy taking in the gorgeous sights and listening to the tension-reducing soundtrack, playing the game at a far slower pace than I usually might otherwise. It really does look and sound that good!
Combat is equally as engaging and intuitive, even with the sheer amount of things that are going on at once. Foundationally, it’s your typical turn-based combat. However, the level of interactions exte⛄nds beyond standard turn-based encounters thanks to real-time features such as blocking an incoming attack. That mechanic alone keeps me far more interested in each battle than I probably would be otherwise.
There are occasional hiccups in the gameplay such as "typewriter" moments near ledges or player boundaries, but it’s hard to fault those kinds of glitches in a preview build. My only other gripe is with the NPCs. Whereas Ryza and other main characters look great within the open-world and cinematics, NPCs look exceptionally flat and lifeless in comparison. There also aren’t a lot of them to be found, which feels especially odd within the bigger cities. This seems like something that’s less likely to be overhauled from the preview build to the final release, which is a shaౠme since the flat NPCs do take away from the immersiveness ever so slightly.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is one of those games that I would absolutely watch someone else play as a cinematic experience, but I'm happy that I'm 🧔the one behind the controller. The characters all play well off of one another, the voice acting is superb, and it has a mysterious narrative that I’m invested in, with a musical score that I could play on repeat on a lazy Saturday afಞternoon. It all adds up to a title that I can’t wait to see more of next year.
A PC preview code was provided to TheGamer for this preview🌳. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will be available on December 3 in Japan, and will be available on January 26, 2021 in N෴orth America for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.