The fabled Atelier series returns in the form of the Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack. Is this collection worth your time? Or is this another shameless remaster?
A Welcome, Yet All too Familiar Return
There are many games in the Atelier series over the years but none quite as unique as the Ryza Trilogy. The trilogy shook up the format of introducing new protagonists continuously by having Ryza, the main playable character throughout all three, and fans loved it. When Koei Tecmo announced this trilogy, my excitement for the prospect of new and innovative additions to this beloved series was palpable. Sadly, I was hugely mistaken. This trilogy is a mere port of the three games with limited improvements or additions to the story.
This trilogy is made up of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy and Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist Of The End & The Secret Key. For newcomers of the series, Atelier is a JRPG series with the main focus centred on alchemy and crafting. The trilogy focuses on Ryza, a young girl who becomes intrigued and fascinated by the world of alchemy. The games serve as a coming of age story for her and her friends as they battle foes and meet new characters along the way. The stories are fairly formulaic but it is the characters themselves that draw you in, with great side stories and wonderful dialogue. From a narrative perspective, if you own all three games already, I cannot, in good faith, recommend you purchase this game at full price as the additional content is simply not enough and laughable at best. Each game introduces new additional story content which ends up being minor side quests, adding nothing to the overall plot. Hugely disappointing.
All three games are repackaged with all DLC and content under the “DX” title. Koei Techmo have used the “DX” moniker in this franchise to bring old titles to newer platforms in order to excite fans of the series, but here it’s rather baffling. All three titles in the trilogy have been released between 2018 and 2023, making this port rather confusing, other than to simply release it onto the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 systems. If you are brand new to the series then this is the ultimate collection for the trilogy and has everything you ever need, but for returning fans, it’s simply not good enough.
Combat Is King, Exploration Improved
Whilst the story additions in this trilogy have been lacking, I’m pleased to say the gameplay updates and additions, along with some great quality of life updates, help make this trilogy pack the preferred way of playing. Each game in this “DX” addition allows new bonus characters to be added to your party for use in the games signature turn-based combat. Characters like Agatha Harmon, Kilo Shiness and Romy Vogel all can be a part of your battle roster. These characters are wonderful additions to combat and exploration as they are so damn charming! Each of them comes with animations and special attacks that are unique to them. It was a blast trying out these new characters and abilities in combat.
The biggest new addition to the combat loop is the introduction of the custom combat mode. Essentially, this mode is a huge sandbox for the player to test out custom battles. Whether it’s altering the levels of the enemies and characters, using custom modifiers or choosing your party, this is a fun mode that can recreate hours of replay ability for veterans of the series. Combat remains as strong, methodical and tense as ever in the wonderfully crafted turn-based gameplay loop. It’s like an intense chess match!
The crafting and exploration remains as addictive as ever as you scour environments to find materials to use in your alchemy. The quality of life improvements are also greatly welcomed, with key addtions such as an increased basket and storage size for materials and seamlessly gathering items from mounts. The most impactful addition I found was the introduction of the fairy character, Fi. She can assist you in exploration with hints and clues when near a hidden item and offer you bonus healing. This made exploration feel so much more rewarding! Whilst the narrative faltered, the additions in combat and exploration and the new QoL features are absoluely superb.
Remains Beautiful On The Eye
The Atelier series has long been known for its gorgeous JRPG visuals which craft a cosy and charming world, filled with beautifully detailed characters and enemies. This repackaged trilogy only enhances its beauty. Every environment looks gorgeous and dripping in colour as you scour different biomes and locations. Higher res textures are apparent, along with jaw dropping character models, making cutscenes and dialogue stand out. Performance has also been vastly improved with solid frame rate and strong visual fidelity. If you love the series and want an updated, even more beautiful looking game, then this is for you.
Similarly, the sound design remains strong, as you fight and craft your way through the story. Character voice acting is still very awkward and stiff however, but this can be forgiven in the grand scheme of things. Of course, the beautiful musical score from the three games remains as serene and calming as ever. This score blends nostalgic summer tones with lively adventure music, making this score feel atmospheric and wonderful. This is a superb effort across the board in visual and sound design!
Verdict
If this is your first time experiencing the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy, then you’re in for a treat. It has an intriguing and engaging story, great combat and exploration and beautiful visuals and score. If you are a veteran of the series and already own these three games, the disappointing additional story content may leave a sour taste in the mouth. Still, the addition of a new combat mode, improved crafting and exploration and solid QoL updates help soften the blow. A wonderful trilogy that could have been crafted into the perfect one.
