Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Review – Three JRPGs, One Addictive Loop

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Review

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack contains the Atelier Ryza games–three classic titles from the Atelier franchise. These games combine action RPG gameplay with the slow-paced, slice of life fantasy that Atelier games do so well. And that’s not even touching on the expansive crafting system that grows more complex with each installment.

On Kurken Island, a girl named Ryza dreams of adventure. When she and her friends sneak away to the mainland, she encounters the power of alchemy.

Ryza wants to become an alchemist so she can do something meaningful and help her friends achieve their dreams. But its power is linked to the mysterious relics of the extinct Klint civilization. And if Ryza’s not careful, the tragedies that plunged this land into ruin once could come back to haunt everyone.

Each game follows Ryza at a different point in her life. It’s pretty fun to return to her after she’s done her initial coming of age journey and see where she’s headed next. The character development feels very natural, and it’s satisfying to watch Kurken Island slowly develop due to Ryza’s efforts.

An Addictive Cycle

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy games are action RPGs with a real-time battle system that relies on both careful planning and button-mashing. The details change with each installment, and by the third title, combat feels almost like a rhythm game. It’s important to keep tabs on which character you’re currently playing as, what items they have, and what they can do to change the tide for everyone else.

Gameplay alternates between gathering and crafting. When you’re exploring the world, you’re looking for items you can use when crafting. And when you’re crafting, you’re envisioning how useful your creations will be when exploring. There are drugs less addictive than this core gameplay loop.

Ryza unlocks new recipes through shopping, exploration, and plot advancements. Crafting with these recipes increases her alchemy level and lets her make more advanced items.

Each game adds new tweaks and variations to the basic crafting mechanics. However, as with combat, each of Ryza’s adventures builds on each other nicely. Don’t worry about having to re-learn everything in each new title.

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Contains Wonders

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack features new playable characters and scenarios. It also bundles in previous DLCs, UI changes, and plenty of quality of life improvements. The result should be the definitive way to play the Atelier Ryza games.

The environment graphics and background character animations can be a bit odd, but the main cast look great. The character designs have held up quite well. Even Empel and Lila’s deliberately edgy designs are a nice contrast to Ryza and company’s more subdued looks.

And these games have a genuinely wonderful soundtrack. The sound design does a fantastic job of capturing Ryza’s wonder as her world grows larger. Each game’s setting feels wonderfully vibrant. Kurken Island isn’t quite as big as the worlds of some Atelier titles, but it does feel very homey. And when Ryza travels to a new location, the whole atmosphere shifts, making it easy to get swept up in her curiosity. No matter where she goes, the music is always lovely.

As usual, you don’t really get money from fighting monsters. In order to raise funds, you have to master the crafting system, which grows more intricate every game. From traits to recipe morphs, there’s a near-endless well of customization options.

The fast travel options aren’t as convenient as more recent Atelier games, but they make the games’ pacing brisker. Ironically, I didn’t find myself abusing them much. Exploring on foot is important for gathering, after all.

Cold World, Warm Hearts

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack’s games are quite slow-paced. They focus heavily on slice of life, getting to know Ryza’s friends and family, and community-building. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to touch on mature themes.

From depression to alcoholism to the horrors that once tore down an alchemy-using civilization, Ryza’s world has a lot going on. That Ryza and her friends try to greet each day with a smile despite this is a sign of strength. Ryza’s development from a stubborn teenager to a burnt-out adult to a pillar of her town is delightful to watch.

The additional episodes add some extra plot and character development for each game. Each title also features cute DLC outfits, though most of them are just palette swaps. And there are some neat new maps, battles, and playable characters.

The first game is showing its age, but most of its issues are dealt with by various quality of life tweaks. However, the first game has a lot of loading screens. They last just long enough to be annoying every time.

All in all, Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack is the best way to enjoy these classic JRPGs–and their crafting systems. I recommend these games to anyone with a JRPG-shaped hole in their lives.

***Steam code provided by the publisher***