3. Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (Switch)
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key ends Ryza's three-game run on a high note, serving up a heady mix of exploration, crafting, and combat that benefits greatly from a narrative arc that's had time to develop and grow.
The new key mechanics add more depth to combat, synthesis, and exploration, the world is more seamless and diverse than ever before, and the whole thing comes together to form a satisfying end for this hugely popular protagonist.
We did have some issues with small text, no English dub, and a little fussiness in how information is relayed, but overall this is Gust's finest adventure to date and a JRPG experience that long-term fans and newcomers alike will find plenty to delight in.
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2. Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (Switch)
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout lifted the series to new heights in 2019 with a reinvigorated, newcomer-friendly alchemy system and an excellent combat overhaul.
The new graphics engine looks glorious and runs beautifully on Switch, the story is thoughtfully paced and heartfelt, and the traditionally slow early hours do a fantastic job of detailing Ryza’s journey from complete beginner to master alchemist.
Gust did a brilliant job of taking this long-running franchise and making it appeal to the mainstream more than ever here, and Ryza quickly became a firm fan favourite.
1. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy (Switch)
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy took everything good about its predecessor and further refined it, resulting in what we would say is the best entry in the franchise to date. This may still be a relatively small-scale, old-fashioned JRPG experience, but it's one that's full of heart, great characters, slick combat, and some excellent ruin-based dungeons.
Anyone looking for a relaxed and enchanting JRPG to sink their time into need look no further than this second entry in the Secret trilogy.
And there we have it! We'll be updating this list with future releases, and it'll be fascinating to see how they slot into the ranking. Let us know below if this ordering matches your own, and highlight your personal favourites in the series.
Comments 23
All the main series games are great in their own ways and are really hard to split so I don't think there's too much to be taken out of a list like this but if I had to rank them, my list would probably look very different. I'd probably actually have Totori last of the Arland Trilogy games and Sophie 2 first overall.
I fell in love with this series when I first got to play Atelier Lulua but it's definitely not in my top five. I'd have to go with Ryza 1 (yes, I prefer its story over 2 though the sequel is definitely excellent), Totori, Firis, and... I don't know, I can't settle on a fifth. I love them all.
Wasn't some of these only Asia physical as well.
As an Atelier fan, I can't even argue which is the best. I wanted Sophie to win, but Totori deserves it more, I think. Great protagonist, fantastic music and a somewhat lenient time limits make it a superb entry. That seaside feeling makes it a masterpiece.
Tried getting into one of these games and I just couldn't stay into it...and I'm usually into collecting stuff and using it to create new stuff, too...
Strange ranking, especially when it comes to Switch ports, but generally you can't go wrong with any of them. The first Sophie is great as an introduction.
Actually surprised to see Totori as #1 and not Ryza. But glad to see it. It's such a good game.
But as other have said, you really can't go wrong with any of the Atelier games. (Except Nelke. Avoid that if possible. Not horrible but not a proper Atelier game)
ryza games should be 1&2
I Need to try these Games soon. I've heard so much positive about them. (And also Because I like RPG Games in General.)
Been wondering about these. Thanks.
However, to go from that sterling sub-header to “which games is best”? Gavin, Gavin, Gavin. (Kidding, of course.)
I loved the two Ryza games so I definitely wanna get around to the others someday. Sophie 2 is in my backlog but with Ryza 3 releasing soon it'll have to wait awhile longer.
Wait, Sophie 1 is better than Sophie 2? I enjoyed the few hours of what I played of the first game, but the second game's mechanics and improvements "replaced" it for me.
Ok, so what I see, I didn't make the worst choice with the entries I bought.
Personally, Atelier Ayesha is my favorite, but it was the first I played so I am forever biased. I liked that it was somewhat short and contained and the combat was simple and non-distracting, although I think those two positives are negatives for some. I've quite enjoyed all the Atelier games I've played though. Ryza 2 is still on my backlog, but looking forward to playing it when I have time.
I want to give these a try buying Ryza, but they are so so so expensive. The physical is even more expensive than digital, which is odd for game this old. Must have been a limited release. I guess I wait for a sale.
@HefHughner The standard Ryza release goes on digital sale for $30 a few times a year. Not super cheap, but a decent price for a good game.
@FishyS Yeah, I will wait for a sale. There are so many and most of the games are years old, so I kinda expected to be able get them a lot cheaper.
I saw that these are highly rated games, so I wanted to give them a shot. Then I realized there are SO MANY, and a lot of pricy collections. I did some research and it seems it's best to play the games in a series in order as the story continues, and that the first Ryza is a good place to start so I bought that. I really should play it soon to see if I should continue the series or not. But I hear words like "wholesome" and "cozy" that give me pause, as I hated Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
I'm actually overwhelmed by my ignorance of how many Atelier games exist on switch
I'm really surprised that Totori is #1 and Firis to be as high as it is, I thought that a lot of fans hated it and I wasn't part of the norm. So I'm thrilled, to say the least. I'm a tad salty that Lulua is as low as it is as that's my favorite entry and my second pick is Shallie. But with all that in mind not a bad list; it'll be interesting too see how this changes in the coming months.
The only Atelier game I've played is Ayesha, which was and is one of the most singularly charming experiences I've ever had with a video game. And the soundtrack was gorgeous. The fact it's so low down the list makes me suspect I've been missing out.
I randomly bought Atelier Rorona, the original not DX version, for my PS3 in the bargain bin a lot of years ago and fell in love with the series. I had the Iris trilogy in the PS2 but those games were somewhat different. Since then I have played all the atelier games and I have the platinum trophy in all except Ayesha DX and Sophie 2. I am waiting to play Ryza 3 later this week!
@Nancyboy Don't know what you mean. Move along, nothin' to see here. 👀
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