Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout

mix stuff get stuff. fun

As I get older I tend to gravitate to the more "comfier" games as people put it.

The atelier series is a franchise I've tried to get into since my teenage days, and at the time I could not get into it for the life of me. I loved JRPGs but I found myself wanting to play other games instead at the time.

I spent the last 3 months playing through the entire Atelier franchise starting with Rorona, and having finished Ryza 3, I wanted to post this here and say that Ryza 1 is a great starting point for folks who are looking to get into the series. The whole Ryza trilogy is my second favorite save for dusk, and its the best starting point for folks who are looking to get into the series and want something with a modern feel to play.

The atelier series overall is not known for it's grandiose stories, but as the game's marketing puts it, its very much a slice of life RPG. You spent a lot of time watching cutscenes that dont really contribute to the overall story, but you get to know these characters and get to see them grow and evolve as people more in depth than your conventional JRPG, something I found refreshing.

Other than that, the game's crafting system is the main point of this game. You can craft everything from weapons/armor, usable weapons such as bombs, items for quests and the list goes on. The crafting system is REALLY addictive and I couldnt get enough of it across the whole franchise. IMO the crafting system in the Ryza trilogy is the best the series has to offer, and the easiest to understand (sorry mysterious trilogy fans).

Also, the soundtrack is just beautifully put together. Loved all of it.

If you're looking to get into the series, start here. It will take more than 2 hours to really get the game going so if you're on the fence get it on sale. As someone who in my early days could not stand the series, it has become my new favorite so even if you played it before in the past, its worth a shot trying again.

This is the first time i experience such a laid back jrpg. This game is fun and I like Lila's Gyatness thicc and Ryza's Thighs!!!!!

Final Verdict: 75/100

Player Opinion Steam Review

This is my first Atelier game. Ended up being a really comfy and fun game, I was pretty engaged with the crafting and rebuild system. Helps that there isn't a time limit mechanic (I heard all other Atelier games had that) so I can just craft at my leisure.

- Characters and story are fine, can't think of anything bad about them since the story is relatively low-stakes most of the time. Except Tao maybe...
- I actually like the game's soundtrack a lot.
- Battles are ehh... OK? I played on Normal and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be an easy or a hard game. I didn't really get to feel out the ATB-ish combat system because you can really dominate a fight with some high level items you crafted. Was one-hitting miniboss enemies by the time I got to the final dungeon...
- It kinda sucks that some materials can only be obtained thru enemy drops, and there's only 1 of said enemy in an area so you have to enter and exit to make them respawn. And that's if the materials actually DROP in the first place due to RNGs.

It's a 7/10 game, get it on a sale if you're like me and want to try out the series!

Ryza thighs FTW!!!!!!!!

But in all seriousness, as my first entry into the Atelier series, this was certainly an enjoyable and comfy game.

The story is a bit on the average side, but it gets slightly better as you progress through it. It's not the most groundbreaking story ever but the characters are likable and everyone has their own moments to shine. The side quests also adds to the charm of this game, it makes the world feel lived in and it's a nice change of pace whenever you want to take a break from progressing through the main story.

The main thing that kept me coming back was definitely the Alchemy/Synthesis system. I've always been a fan of games that allow you to craft items and have those items be used as materials for other items. There is quite an addicting gameplay loop to be found in trying to synthesize the best weapon/armour/accessories.

My main gripes about the game is the lack of explanation for most of the core systems in the game. Things such as how to activate Extra Skills, the optimal way to synthesis items (by morphing it from the lowest possible recipe for more levels for item rebuild), how Travel Bottles work and most importantly, direction on crafting essential gathering tools for traversing the map. While I'm not too bothered by it (seeing that I even 100% it), having to search for it on external sites is still a bummer. This isn't an issue for people who are willing to take the extra time to synthesize each and every recipe.

In terms of combat, this is my first time seeing this type of real-time-tactics-turn-based system. I wasn't a big fan of it at the start, since between the Tactics Level, Order Skills, Core items and magic skills, it can get quite overwhelming. However, it started to grow on me as the game went on, though I wouldn't go as far as to consider it one of my favourite battle systems, but it is certainly unique.

Give this game a try if you like gathering, battling and crafting items.

gem baguss

Love this game! I returned to Steam just so that I can play this game on a SteamDeck. Drop the quality to low and be ready to lose hours of your life!

Really fun, would recommend.

Cozy and fun to play. Nice for before bed play sessions.

Music (Does it fit the setting? Did I notice it? Did I enjoy it? Would I listen to it outside the context of the game?)
6/10 - Not bad but unremarkable overall baring a few exceptions

Sound design (Guns go bang, bombs go boom, enemies go bleurgh, and I go yay!)
8/10 - Does what it is supposed to do, but in terms of ambiance especially, feels slightly barebones

Art Direction (Do the visuals match the theme? Does it read well? Is it enjoyable to look at?)
7/10 - lacks artistic statements, but still very decent

Graphics (Quality of game's geometry, textures, shaders and such)
7/10 - A little simple at places, shader could use a touch of bloom here and there.

Scenario (The plot, is it understandable? Does it surprise? Does it feel like it has a point?)
7/10 - Clear and to the point, original enough, but not revolutionnary though.

World Building (How well the world is crafted and how it is delivered)
6/10 - Only what is pertinent to the main scenario is explained, the rest of the world is entirely blank, I'm not even sure they named the capital of the country, they just say "the capital", hard to feel immersed in a world when the devs didn't take the time to make us feel that it's there just beyond the limits of the game's map

Characters (Their writing, acting and visual appeal)
6/10 - Good friends though their personalities can all be reduced to a single sentence. Unbearable NPCs (plot relevant, but still) and a lack of charismatic antagonist. There is some decent character progression though.

Gameplay (Mechanics and balance)
9/10 - Very solid and enjoyable, would need some QoL here and there, and way more clarity in some areas of the alchemical process but I suppose those have probably been fixed in the sequels.

Overall experience / Immersion / Player integration (How immesed I felt)
7/10 - Not bad, Not very immersive in a lot of ways though sadly. The side quests tend to drag on and everythings a little too rigid, also why do we even have a jump button if everything is going to be blocked off by invisible walls, what's even the point?

Technical quality (Bugs, Optimization, fluidity of controls and ergonomy of menus)
8/10 - No problem for the first two so I'll give it a gentle 8, but the controls are the opposite of fluid and menu ergonomy really isn't that great

Total
71/100 - A good enjoyable game, though there's a bit of work left before I would call it a masterpiece.

The combat is the worst of turn based combined with the worst of real time combat. The character are cute and the desing is great.
And maybe it´s my problem for using a gaming laptop, but on my pc I played Cyberpunk 2077 totally stable, but I needed to play this game windowed on the lowest quality to even be playable...idk

thicc thighs

I wasn't expecting to fall in love with Atelier Ryza.
It's the first game that I got 100% achievements (it's not like that was super easy compared to other games I really like, not at all.... xD)
Now I NEED Atelier Ryza 2

I DON'T THINK I'M HAVING FUN

Quick and Simple

Breakdown

The game is very boring, voice acting is terrible (all japanes not English, guys with female voices, Old females with little girl voices), music is terrible (The music is relentless, never ending loop that is taking away your full attention when you try to read the English subtitles), there is not even a tutorial to explain anything (I am using a controler, I was not told you can run, I was not told you can jump, I was not told where to go, there are water that if you try to dive into you get blocked by an invisible wall, so you have to walk arround all over the place trying to find a path that does not put a text on screen "cannot enter area").
Can't enjoy this terrible game.
I will refund this trash.

Well, to be perfectly honest in my humble opinion without being sentimental, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking into this matter in distinct perspective and without condemning anyone's view and by trying to make it objectified and by considering each and everyone's valid opinion I honestly believe that I vividly don't have anything to say. Thank you.

its fun

太もも最高

Atelier Ryza is encouraging; It's polite, it's vibrant and colorful, and... a little jiggly.

Kurken Island (and the land nearby) has been a fun place to escape to for a few hours a day.

The music is outstanding; it's catchy, but the heartfelt tone almost renders it incapable of wearing out its welcome. The combat themes in every atelier game are fantastic, and this is no exception.

The combat itself takes some getting used to, and even once you understand what's happening, it's still a race to the correct button inputs. I'm still not sure I like the change from turn-based to real-time, but automating two of the three characters you control definitely speeds up normal encounters. It's a unique twist on their old formula, and a lot of the big flashy moves require set-up and timing. Very gratifying when you manage to pull them off.

The slow and relaxed tone of the game (outside of combat, of course) puts the character writing in the spotlight. The islanders are a diverse and quirky cast, and the dialogue spares no effort. I enjoyed each of the protagonists in their own way, and it was fun to see how they grew as the story played out.

There, I went out of my way to avoid using the word "wholesome", so I could drop it in at the end; there's no better broad summary.

fun

greatest game known to man

it was alright but prince of persia is a better game. 2/10

You're here for thick thighs and a chill ride. Not a super remarkable story, it's as simple as an adventure with a bunch of teens.
Great music, and I appreciate the option to set music for any environment you can walk in as you unlock new biomes and hear new music. This works especially well for the atelier, since you'll be spending prolly half your time there fiddling with ingredients (if you want to).
Alchemy system is addicting, and once you get how it works, you will destroy everything even on the highest difficulty. Fiddling with ingredients to get the most OP items is very fun. Slapping endgame ingredients that fills out every node in the tree just triggers my dopamine response every time. As good as it is, it is entirely optional as this game has no restrictions on difficulty. You can change it any time with no effect to achievements.
Characters are pretty basic, but they're teenagers figuring out their place in the world. It's a good starting point for the sequels.
The environment looks good for the most part, especially more unique biomes that aren't ruins. It's a shame that the interactivity with the world is pretty low, limited to gathering and using traversal items you craft later on at determined points. This is massively overhauled in the sequel, and I think it's worth playing this just to appreciate the upgrades the devs made alone.
The combat is simple. It can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning, but once you find a comfortable combo and rhythm, it's just like any other turn based RPG. Enemy variety is fairly low, and they don't have a lot of strategic interactions. Bosses can be entirely trivialized with good item management. It fits the goal of this game to be a chill, relaxed experience.

20 hr in main story questline , not too grinding if not aim for 100%achievement

the achievement itself suck yourtime as much as story mode (15-25 hrs) (all 84 sides quest & requirement to grind for quality of item )

suit for who want to spend time working on perfect crafting the item because this game others environment of JRPG is not good as other famous JRPG

40 hour JRPG tricks you into playing 30 hour menu simulator

and I love those menus

Ii had no thoughts going into this game but ended up being so happy that I downloaded it on a whim. I found the time-based fighting system to be really well done and enjoyable, especially as it's not as common in RPGs as turn-based. And while the synthesizing process occasionally felt a bit grindy, it honestly kept me interested and engaged with all the different items and skills you could make with it.

Once I beat the main story, I was excited to see that there are two more games in the series, so I can't wait to start those!

Good game, runs great on deck, does reset graphics settings on restart though.

I like very much how the combat evolved, and I also like the alchemy part.
I will surely want to continue with Ryza 2 because I saw how wonderful the story evolves.
Didn't want to see more because I didn't want to get a lot of spoilers, I prefer to be pleasantly surprised. After playing Ryza for so long, I can't wait to see the best Ryza game, Ryza 2. :)

I wish there was a mixed thumb for these reviews because I think that would probably sum up my experience with Ryza a little better. I am a JRPG and RPG fan in general, this was my first Atelier game and I felt that after a little bit of research I'd know what to expect, some crafting, some battling, some story and repeat. I don't think though I quite realised how MUCH crafting there is. I say this to try and help people like me who think they understand an Atelier game but have never played one.

Crafting is really detailed and extensive, building items though a long process where you fill nodes with items. Each item has different qualities, some have different effects (e.g Attack + etc), some debuff enemies and the list goes on. This is really great, I like the idea of creating some stupid powerful weapons and items. What I didn't enjoy though is the gathering. As you go around the world various things, be they rocks, flowers or trees, sparkle to show there is an item you can gather from there. You then use different gathering tools you've created to collect, for example your staff on a bush may get leaves, while using a bug net would capture bugs. Items and their location are tracked through your notebook. However, extremely vaguely. For instance " Oh you want that red bug you found 18 hours ago, well it lives in this field with a million bushes but only in one of them, good luck" or "Oh you want this item an enemy dropped, well they live in 5 different places, but only one of them drops it with a drop rate of 1% but we won't tell you that until your eyes bleed from harvesting the same thing for hours".

Numerous times, especially late game, I'd be aiming at crafting the best quality weapon or armour I could, only to be short a few items. But, to create those items it meant another 25 mins hitting a weasel until it coughed up the sparkly thing I wanted with it's dying breath. To be honest, I just stopped crafting end game stuff eventually, ground down by the back and forth between fields and the atelier to synthesise.

But this was a negative for ME, it could not be one for you. I can see a world where if I was a little more relaxed and patient, it would be really relaxing taking my time gathering, enjoying the world and music. It's a shame I just couldn't vibe with that part, because I really like everything else. The characters are great, I love how it looks and I really enjoyed the chilled out story (though the focus is always crafting above story).

If you can get along with gathering the I would recommend the game. As I got toward the final credits, I'll be honest, the bittersweet ending did make me realise I'm going to miss these characters and world, even if at times I felt like story and character took a backseat to me hitting a rock.

I love this series. Gameplay is fun and addicting, story is really nice for what it is, OST is amazing, characters are super likeable and the voice actors give them so much personality. The crafting system, I can literally sit there for hours just doing it. It's that engaging. Absolutely love these games. Love them so much I have 100% all 3 of them on console and i'm re 100%ing them on PC.

tldr: i'll give the game 8/10, pretty good if you want something cozy, could be improved in other aspects like the story but i'm not exactly the pickiest person

Atelier Ryza is my introduction to the atelier series and man it's pretty addicting. Graphics are really pleasing to look at. **Character design** was definitely a plus lol. It's a super chill resource gathering game and the alchemy system was definitely fun to learn! It is pretty overwhelming when you're new to the atelier series, but once you get past the learning curve you just can't stop playing

I have to admit though that there are many things I didn't like with the game, including story having lack of depth & the optimization updates kinda ruining the performance. Pacing was a bit off and the NPC quests were also pretty annoying to finish at times. The ATB system in Ryza was a bit confusing at first, however, you get used to it pretty quickly towards the middle of the game. I feel like a lot of this was offset by the core gameplay, so I honestly didn't think about those problems too much

Overall, I think Ryza 1 is a great game if you're looking for an easy-going, comfy game. There is definitely room for improvement, but we will see when I get to play more atelier games. See you guys when I finish Ryza 2 lmao

Written-by Mr. Kim Dotcom, circa August 18, 2024:

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I’m not antisem itic nor a N azi. I’m simply a former hacker with great analytical skills who understands what’s happening in the world.

At the end of this post I will quote from a world domination plan. You will recognize the truth immediately because that’s what’s currently happening in the world. Today’s reality suggests that this plan is real.

When you do your own research you will learn that the origin of this plan was discredited and that the alleged creators have nothing to do with it. But who was the person providing the key evidence?

It was allen dulles. The man who raised money from US industrialists to fund Ad olf Hi tler, his Na zi party and his war. The man who later became the director of the CIA during Kennedy and the head of The Warren Commission that investigated the Kennedy Incident. Why would anybody believe a man with such a questionable character?

The protocols of the elders of zion have unquestionably borrowed ideas from several authors but you can say that about most important writings throughout history. It was called a fabrication and is one of the first uses of the term ‘conspiracy theory’.

Why do zionists have a massive over-representation in the media, politics, banking, and world-affairs? How did such a small community get to dominate all the centers of power and information?

Why can isreal ignore UN resolutions, international-law, and commit a genocide in Ga za, to standing ovations in the US Congress? Why is isreal acting like it is above the law seemingly without any fear of consequences.
Read some of the alleged zi onist world domination plan below and compare it with reality. Is all of this just a coincidence?

“Our power will be more invincible than any other, because it will remain invisible until the moment when it has gained such strength that no cunning can any longer undermine it.”

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“Our master card has been, is, and shall be, the destruction of all privileges, on the ruins of which we shall set up our absolute autocracy.”

Please be mindful that most pro-isreal comments on social media are generated by the largest bot network in the world, not by real people.

Specifically, this is what has been done, using video-games to brain-wash, indoctrinate, demoralize, and fractionalize, young(er) people who would otherwise be focused-on family and community, is IN-YOUR-FACE, now, and is openly-known to be happening with the games we buy from Steam, and others.

Search for this article using the following search-terms: Zero Hedge "Leftist Consulting Firms Exposed Behind Wokification Video Games":

""How the tables have turned in the past decade. If you were involved at the inception of the culture war around a decade ago then you probably remember an abrupt and distinct change in popular media from 2015 to 2016. There was a surge of far-left and feminist propaganda in movies, television, commercials and even video games that was highly aggressive, perhaps even militant. Some people spoke out at the time and questioned the motives behind the trend, only to be smacked down by angry mobs of activists and corporate journalists with accusations of “conspiracy theory” and “bigotry.”

In other words, their claim was that you were not seeing what you thought you were seeing. There was no feminist agenda. There was no gay or trans agenda. There was no socialist messaging. It was only in your head.
If there is one rule that encompasses all political endeavors, it is this: If you have to hide your intentions and lie about your goals when trying to spread your ideology, then something is probably very wrong with your ideology. This is exactly the problem inherent in the attempt to spread woke doctrine – Activists and provocateurs never ask anyone if they want to hear about woke ideas; they seek to force everyone to see and hear woke ideas, to the point that people cannot escape the messaging.

Even more insulting is the fact that even though most of these activists claim to be fans of the media they target, they are usually discovered to be frauds. Woke ideologues have little sincere interest in nostalgia, movie making, video games, comic books, etc. They only care about these properties because they see them as a vehicle to be co-opted, infected and dominated. Leftists know well that if they control pop culture they can control the thinking of the next generation."...

Quite confusing and overwhelming at first, but stick to it and it's a really enjoyable game.

A charismatic crafting sim game with light-hearted story, but manages to capture you with its charms. Ryza is cute, the gang is cute, everyone here is cute. Recommended if you want a relaxing craft-and-gather simulator but also wants combat elements. There is a difficulty setting in the game, so everyone from all levels of skills including newbies to Atelier games can try their hands on it.

My first Atelier game and it was uplifting. Ryza is a classic bubbly female protagonist and kept the energy through most of the playthrough. The gameplay loop was pretty exciting since your overworld experience is affected by the items you craft and their quality; the way exploration and crafting complemented each other had me hooked.

The story was competently done, though largely not for me. Lots of sentimental moments that for me maybe felt a bit forced, but there was still a sensible and engaging story underneath so I gave them a pass. I feel that's just kind of the territory you're in with anime-esque games.

Can't wait to play the sequels!

Very calm and charming game

tldr: Game is good, recent "optimization" updates trashed performance.

Fun game. Wish there was less menu navigation, and the story isn't the most engaging. But the crafting can get pretty in depth and combat is decent. Looking forward to the sequels.

As a newcomer to the atelier series, it took me a while to get hooked on this game. However once I learned the mechanics of the game, I couldn't stop playing. The crafting in particular is enjoyable despite the fact that it is normally a turn off for me in most other games. Highly recommend if you like jrpgs or a more relaxed gameplay loop.

Klaudia.

First Atelier game for me and I think this is a great entry point in the series - runs great on the steam deck. Colourful world and memorable characters. The synthesis is definitely the highlight with it being an atelier game and I found it easy to understand and quite addictive. Gathering the materials and creating powerful items is super fun💗

At first it was fine, a few hours in it got better, then once the adventure really starts it stops... It was becoming somewhat exciting and all of a sudden a routine sets in (partly because you have to wait for some quests) so you go fight some monsters, explore and harvest your 458th ingredient... Thing is the combat is not great and not really rewarding, the alchemy is confusing and a bit frustrating while the exploration is limited.

All in all it's not great, there's quite a lot of cutscenes that break the rythm of the game and if you're looking for a chill adventure game, just know that it's real-time turn-based combat so you have to act fast.

And why the enormous breasts seriously...??

played a few other atelier games. although the art direction is not my favorite (i like the dusk series more), this one is more fun to play by far. looking sooo forward to the upcoming games featuring yumia!

Cozy collection/puzzle game mixed with hardcore classic style JRPG? Um...yes, please. And some feel good Japanese young adult fiction which comes off quaint and down to earth despite existing entirely in a fantasy world of magic and monsters? Ok. I can do that.

Lyza... I'm sorry *cough* Ryza-no-Atelier is a great entry point into the series.

This is my review after 100% completion

-VERY GOOD GAME OVERALL + minor complain (mostly technical)
-This game remind me of good ol Mana Khemia, Ar Tonelico and Atelier Iris series (miss all of this game so much i wish they will bring to STEAM) PLEASE !!
-Battle system is fun, fast and engaging
-Awesome character artsyle
-Beautiful graphic
-Great story (TRUST ME ITS GOOD)
-Good/meaningful sidequest which include NPC background and story
-Variety of party member to choose which is unique on their own
-Banger music (especially the Elemental boss fight)

Small issue with this game
-Lack variety of enemy (MOSTLY recycled/recolor of the same enemy bruhh) THE Elemantal waifu theme is nice but at least make other 4 elemental different like fire demon, water leviathan, thunder beast etc
-Some minor performance issue (u must have joystick plugged in to avoid stuttering and i have to disconnect my 2nd monitor coz dual screen cause my FPS dropped below 30 during synthesis)
-NO STEAM TRADING CARDS :(

10/10 (PLEASE BRING BACK MANA KHEMIA AND AR TONELICO SERIES <3)

Lighthearted adventure with friends, while doing alchemy. What do you want more? Oh yeah, zettai ryōiki.

Boring

Barrel~

The game control is extremely awkward. It's not keyboard friendly, and I do not own a game pad. Thus, I cannot play this game ......