Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy Reviews
Atelier Ryza 2 has great crafting and combat. But that's because it mostly copies and pastes them from the last game. There's still some new stuff to see and the game is enjoyable regardless, but don't expect them to reinvent the wheel. Mostly, expect the same wheel.
I'm sort of in the same position as I was last time around: I enjoyed the experience, but I'm not exactly in a hurry to go out and pick up the rest of the series. If anything, I'll wait until the next opportunity I get to slip into Ryza's incredibly tight shorts. Given the series' typical pace, that will probably be in another year or so.
Atelier Ryza 2 is satisfied to offer more of the same gameplay from the first title, with marginal improvements over the game published last year. It's still a good JRPG but, unlike its predecessor, plays it a little too safe.
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Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy might not be ambitious, but if you enjoy Atelier titles, it's a solid and engaging experience. It's basically the original Ryza title, only larger and more polished. The Atelier franchise usually keeps things fresh with a new protagonist and cast for every game, but with the full cast from the original title, Ryza 2 can sometimes feel like a repeat of the previous adventure. This isn't bad, since the original Ryza was fun and the gameplay is solid, but it can sometimes feel a touch too familiar.
Atelier Ryza 2 is a beautiful role-playing title that refines the first Ryza game’s mechanics. The world is well crafted, and the new movement, battle, and exploration mechanics are a joy to experience.
Lets you head out on an adventure with friends, explore ruins to your heart’s content, solve mysteries with relics, and use alchemy to create useless explosive Uni in a big pot. What more do you need?
Overall, Atelia Ryza 2 is an excellent Japanese RPG that doesn’t reinvent the genre but provides an enjoyable story and gameplay experience wrapped up in outstanding graphics and musical score. As a result, Atelia Ryza 2 should be picked up by any Japanese RPG fan. It was an absolute pleasure to play.
Atelier Ryza 2 is a fun game with a crafting system that easily ranks as one of the best among the series. It doesn't offer any major leap for a sequel and the story is rather lukewarm, but the engaging cast and addictive gameplay loop makes it easy to recommend to others.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a great entry point for those unfamiliar with JRPGs but who would like to get acquainted with this perhaps mythical genre. At the same time, you also have to learn and put up with grinding, because now and then you will encounter bosses that are a bit too much for an under-leveled party. Thanks to the snappy combat, quick gameplay and easy traversal, you are back in the home base in no time for another go. Ryza’s bright attitude will rub on you and make it easier to go through chores and grinding of real life.
Ryza is back and, well, good news! If you liked her debut adventure, then you’re going to also love Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. It does a lot of what made the original game great. We have characters who are easy to love and face realistic problems. We have lots of materials to gather and things to make. There’s also more intrigue, since there are multiple ruins to explore. It’s also a lot more active than before though, with a new progression system for recipes, which might not be exactly what you’re looking for.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout was a great start, and Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy does an excellent job, for the most part, of building on what was already there. Is it perfect? No, it’s not. But that’s okay. Looking past the fact that this, plain and simple, is a fun game, Atelier Ryza 2 once again keeps my faith alive in GUST being on the mend. I don’t know if there’s going to be an Atelier Ryza 3, but I hope that there will be. And if there is, then I know that it will be even better than the two wonderful games that have made up the trilogy so far.
While the question remains if Gust will stick with this formula when they eventually move away from titles staring Ryza, I personally hope they continue to revise and refine this model. If Ryza 1 caught my interest, then Ryza 2 definitely has my attention.
Although I’ve picked apart several problems with Atelier Ryza 2, the bottom line is that they’re all minor issues. Rarely does anything detract from the joy of stepping into Ryza’s shoes and simply existing in this gorgeous world. There’s so much to do, and every element of the game – from exploring, to crafting, to combat – is immersive and rewarding. It’s a shame there’s no English voice acting, and a bit more direction would be helpful at times, but even with those faults, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy remains a delightful way to spend 40+ hours of your life.
While Atelier Ryza 2 won't set your world on fire, it does serve as comfort food for JRPG fans looking for a fix. However, those who aren't fans of the genre should stay far, far away.
The slow beginning of the first Ryza game is remedied somewhat here, and the ability to fast-travel from anywhere to almost anywhere else is pure bliss. The story's lighter fare, doubly so for the side quests, won't appeal to everyone, but the solid battle system, intuitive but deep crafting system, and decent overall gameplay loop were all enough to hold my attention and then some. Even though the concoction might not have come out perfect, it absolutely Ryza's to the occasion.
Although it occasionally gets bogged down under its own ambition, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy is consistently surprising and fun. It may lack the melodrama and heroics of most JRPGs, but it still offers a lengthy campaign full of compelling combat and exploration.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy overshadows its monotonous alchemy system with a fitting combination of charm, exploration, and a dynamic, living world.
This sequel to an already-decent entry in the Atelier franchise makes improvements in just about every area, giving fans good reason to reunite with Ryza and pals for another alchemy-filled adventure
Overall, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is what you'd expect from a sequel. It builds on the base, continues Ryza's adventure, and holds true to what players love about the franchise. The performance boost found on the PlayStation 5 is welcome, as is the more dynamic gameplay, though it is still going to be an adventure that appeals to that specific demographic. If that is fine, odds are you'll have a blast seeing what the future holds for Ryza, whereas everyone else might want to sit this one out.
Anyone who loves the Atelier Ryza – or the Atelier series in general – is going to love this game. The slight tweaks that the sequel makes to the combat and alchemy improve upon the already solid fast-paced JRPG turn-based combat known to the series without changing what already worked. Combine that with the vast setting and all there is to do in it, and you’ve got a solid recipe for an Atelier title.