Teased by Koei Tecmo just last week, Ryza is back! Atelier Ryza: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key was announced during yesterday's Nintendo Direct, and it sees Reisalin "Ryza" Stout returning as the star in her third Atelier game. And we don't have long to wait, as the game will bubble up on Switch on 24th February in the West, and 22nd February in Japan.
Details on the game were light, but we did get a look at some of the game's locales, as well as some familiar faces returning from the previous two games. Gust's premier franchise is looking and sounding as pretty as ever.
Here's what we know so far about the game, straight from the eShop page:
Ryza and her friends are living their lives on Kurken Island when news of a sudden appearance of a mysterious group of islands in nearby waters arrives.
To find a way to save her island, Ryza and her friends will set off on final adventure surrounding the "roots of alchemy."
The stage for this adventure is a vast open field!
The field is made up of multiple maps that are connected seamlessly. Enjoy this adventure in a vast and ‘living’ field that is one of the largest in the Atelier series.You can do many things with the key!
Obtain various types of keys which can be used in different instances of exploration, synthesis, and battle. Each key has a different effect, so use it to enjoy the adventure conveniently!A total of 11 party members!
Reunite with characters from previous games, and meet new characters who will be key to the story. Mix and match your favorite members and enjoy the adventure!
Atelier seems to just keep getting better and better, and as Gust is currently celebrating the series' 15th anniversary, it seems like it's going all-out for its flagship series. We called Ryza 2 "the best game in the series to date" in our review of the game last year.
We'll be getting a first look at Atelier Ryza 3 later today — at 5am PST / 1pm BST / 8pm AWST / or 12am on 15th Sep NZST — via the stream below.
Are you excited for Atelier Ryza 3 next February? Stir up some comments below!
Comments 24
Just picked up a copy of Ryza 2 on sale last week from Best Buy. I haven't played it yet. I'll definitely pick up a copy of Ryza 3 on release, assuming it will have a physical version of course.
Every Atelier game is awesome so I'm keen. Gust have been on a bit of a roll lately too with Blue Reflection: Second Light and Atelier Sophie 2 being particularly good.
Never played an Atelier game, though Ryza is indeed a cutie.
Not sure I can handle getting into another long-running JRPG series at the moment as I'm barely managing to play all the ones I need to get through already.... but maybe some day I will get around to this series. Who knows?
A while ago I did see some amount of one of the previous Atelier games - Escha and Logy I think it was... and that game seemed like it was mostly a bureaucracy simulator lol. I suppose these games' worlds are rather laid-back and relatively low stakes compared to most RPGs, which is cool and unique in its own right.
I was so happy to see this in the direct! I bought the first Ryza as a blind purchase last year, and now here I am hyped for the new one
I love Atelier games and like that we will see a game with Ryza and co. one more time, probably the final one. Seems that the game will also come on Steam, PS4 and 5.
A shame they're wording this as the final one for Ryza. Every iteration in the Atelier series deserved more than 3 IMO. But hey, hopefully the finale is worth it! I really enjoyed the first two.
Actual highlights on each of her thighs, and her cleavage now emphasized by shirt, vest, AND jewelry. ^^
These guys know what they're doing.
I'm not really into this series, but this one really caught my attention! It looks good indeed, the world is really cool!
@Pod No kidding. They said they were surprised by fans' reaction to her design in the first game. I'm sure the same can't be said about 2 and 3. While her clothes could be described as functional for exploring what appears to be hot climate tropical islands, stilettos are the exact opposite of that
Currently playing through AR1. Having a really good time.
I'm looking forward to enjoying the adventure conveniently!
I played the second one and thought it was good. But I won't buy the third one unless they voice it in English. Reading subtitles for 70+ hours get boring way before that mark. I've also had no plans of replaying the game after beating the main story and I never got into the post-game content.
I bought the first one but never got very far. I'd like to give it another try but unfortunately, Xenoblade 3's still running my life. I gotta stop buying lengthy JRPGs...
The Atelier games are practically an annual release at this point. And they are full fat experiences too with lots of fun gameplay! It's unbelievable that there have been 3 Atelier Ryza games alone released between Zelda BOTW 1 & 2 (not to mention all the other Atelier games that have come out in between).
@Zyph - Depends on the "series." A couple later on got an extention with another game untethered by the main story the trilogies are commonly known for.
Good example is Sophie 2, which was pretty recent.
I still have 1 and 2 in my backlog, so 3 probably isn't going to be a day one buy for me.
So is that how you pronounce atelier?
I enjoyed the first two games, though the second was a bit underwhelming compared to the first. Still going to jump on the third as soon as I'm able. It's a fun series.
More like *Thigh-za... she's def not Shy-za. K I'm done.
... Wun can only hope.
I swear I can’t finish these fast enough.
@Primarina They won't be everyone's cup of tea, especially some of the earlier ones with time limits. Really chill JRPGs with likeable characters and funny interactions but no huge overall plot most of the time and the mechanics are always pretty addicting.
I'd never played an Atelier game until a few years ago when I took a chance on the Arland Trilogy when it was on sale but I've made up for lost time and have now played all 13 on Switch, haha. A single playthough will usually be somewhere between like 25-50 hours depending on the game so not super short but also not the longest JRPGs ever. I definitely wouldn't say they're too grindy as if you're struggling to win battles, the best solution is usually just to synthesise better equipment/items.
I have yet to completely finish all previous series...or load some of them up.
@LCampoy8
A telly, eh?
This looked like the better JRPG of the all the others in the Direct. I've never played the series but I don't think I can handle the anime.
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