Review: Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout (Reviewed on PS4/Switch, also on PC)

[@Alpheus_09C]

My first ever platinum, i absolutely adore this game

[@avalon_amy]

While Lydie and Suelle gave me a great intro to Atelier, and Ayesha gave me a sneak peek of where the series evolved from, Ryza really solidified my love for this series. It’s the first game I’ve ever played that I’ve wanted to complete absolutely everything and explore every nook and cranny that I can. I even grew to love the battle system, even though it made me nervous when it was first introduced. Once I 100% it, I’m going to go back and go through the Arland series (including Lulua), and then back to Ayesha to finish the Dusk series. I haven’t been into a gaming series in such a long time, if ever. It’s such a unique series, and hits all the marks I look for in games.

[@Hambs23]

The first game I've played on the series was Atelier Annie on DS. At the time I didn't even knew Atelier was a series (probably because it wasn't very well estabilished on the west at the time, with Iris and Rorona being the only localized games and they were on consoles I never had). I thought the combat was crap, but the rest of the game was pretty fun. A long-ass time later I discovered the actual series and got to try Firis. I hated it. Then I played through a game called Ar Tonelico and went to find other games the director made. I found Atelier Iris and Mana Khemia. I played through maybe half of Mana Khemia and loved every second of it. Then I went to try the Dusk series and now I'm a fan. I'm waiting for my wallet to get a bit fatter so I can buy Ryza on Switch. For now I'm on my way to finish Ayesha then start Shallie (finished Escha & Logy already), and I'm also replaying Annie on my 3DS. Annie's combat is still underwhelming, and the facility management and the characters are still as fun as I remember.

[@NnLiMedia]

This game ROCKS. The crafting system is intuitive enough for noobs like me to get into, yet it's so robust and you have an immediate sense of how useful item attributes impact battle. And the potential of crafting is *ridiculous*. Eventually you can make items that one-shot groups of enemies, mass heal your party, and reforge weapons into absolute monstrosities; currently have Ryza's staff at 681 ATK..and counting! So glad that your videos put Ryza (and the Atelier series overall) onto my map ^^

[@606hunter1]

The vibrant colors and laid back feel make me excited to get my hands on the game. It's a little in the backlog cause of the sizable chunk of cold steel 3 left but I can't wait to play

[@BacklogBattle]

I've mentioned before that I was looking for a RPG that was slice-of-life that also had its core rooted in traditional RPG gameplay and I'm happy to stumble upon the Atelier series. I'm really curious whether or not they'll continue the rest of this series with Ryza, as Gust recently tried to poll people about this.

[@natehammondtrio]

I read that this was the best release of an Atelier game in the series existence, I think we will get more

[@ataridc]

Did you?

[@richie616]

Seems like every time you do a review, my backlog of must-play/must-own games increases by 1. ^.^ Awesome job on the video and content; you really are one of the best reviewers on KZbin.

[@Axel181]

Its just, so good. I haven't had this much fun with an Atelier game in a while. Ryza's quickly become one of my favorite Ateliers in recent times, and I'm grateful for it. The Synthesis system is by far the best one Gust's created so far and it makes it so easy to follow thanks to the visuals and the skill tree. Gathering is so much simpler too, and I really just love how you don't lose the items you create in battle or on the field, making them far more useful in long trips. Really, Gust homerun'd this one out of the park, and I'm excited to see what comes next after Ryza. Its such a pity that I know a lot of Atelier friends that hate this game just because of how it changed/revised all the systems and disliked it rather unfairly, without even giving it a chance; even going as far as calling the cast bland, and that Ryza shouldn't be an alchemist because of her fanservicey clothes (yikes). Even me trying to argue with them ended pretty harshly, and I'm sorry they're missing out on a such a great game, just because they wanted Atelier to stick to its roots. Ryza proves change can do a series good if it knows what works and what doesn't, and how to improve it. Ryza just raises the standards of an Atelier game, period. 50 hours in, and I don't regret it, and that's the most I've put into an Atelier game, asides from Ayesha and Shallie. So that says a lot about how much I love this game.

[@cirmothe9]

Good review. Glad you gave it the time to complete the game and give it a full run instead of trying to squeeze the review out as fast as possible on release.

[@rustbucket5189]

This was my first game in the series and im glad i got it

[@chriscangelosi9438]

Your review has convinced me to finally jump into this series, thanks !

[@JRPGJungle]

Glad to hear! Enjoy :D

[@Mike55690]

Your review of Lelua really did persuade me to give this series a try and i'm glad i did ! Very detailed and enjoyable review and i can agree with the score as well, specially loving the combat system as well ! As always stellar work Jungle !

[@R3GARnator]

It's so nice to see this series finally meeting its full potential. It doesn't feel held back by its budget anymore.

[@Gilannun12]

Ryza was my first Arelier game. I bought it more out of curocity and it was a possible it woul end up on a shelf like MGSV or Bloodborn. Bot no, this game is amazing and i was my first platnum trophy. Now i'm planning to play more Atelier gsmes like Sophie, Meruru or Marie :-)

[@thesmoky1]

I've never played an Atelier game before but have always been curious about them. Decided to purchase Ryza after watching your review. Great review and very informative, I'm loving the channel so far.

[@Clfairy]

Hyped for Atelier Ryza 2 coming this winter!!

[@JRPGJungle]

Me too! :D

[@lcdsoundfan8012]

Great review. The ATB battle system and the graphical update sold it to me. With that battle system it almost looks like a new Grandia game.

[@HybridAngelZero]

Gosh, this game is just enchanting! While I haven't gotten a chance to grab this game yet, it's one of my most wanted titles right now, and this review makes me want to play it even more

[@RandomTube-is6gt]

I went nuts and bought the 2 Ryza games without ever playing an Atalier game! Was looking for a relaxing game to play and this looks like it. I also randomly bought AI Somnium Files, not sure if you've played that one.

[@JRPGJungle]

Ah I love that you bought them! Hope you love them as much as I did! And I need to find time for AI, I know it’s supposed to be great :) enjoy! ^__^

[@kirindas4691]

I’m having a blast with Ryza as my first Atelier game! I’m so glad that I can freely explore everything I want to and synthesize as much as I’d like.

[@Alpheus_09C]

Same, bought the entire trilogy and am loving it

[@ReadsBeforePlay1814]

Looking forward to checking out the Atelier series for the first time with Ryza on the Switch (glad to hear that version’s top rate, with the usual sacrifices of Nintendo systems). Gotta have something more easygoing every now and then, and this certainly fits the bill.

[@federicabasili8554]

Fantastic review, as always! You made me know and fall in love with this series 😊 This game seems wonderful, can't wait to play it! Now I have Lulua, Ryza, and the upcoming Dusk trilogy Dx to play, time to decide in what order!

[@PloysMaw]

Thank you for the review. I've yet too finish Ryza but I've a lot of praise for what time I have spent in it's wonderfully charming world, that OST is top notch the only issue I have is how the Traits of items are transferred. Personally I prefer combining two Traits of a similar nature to create stronger versions of those Traits ie: Destruction Up + and Destruction Up++ = Intense Destruction. Though I know this just nit-picking on an otherwise great game.

[@PrettyGuardian]

I just bought this game while it was on sale on Steam. Thanks for the review!

[@musiclover01ization]

This was a good review. Ryza seem pretty interesting. I might try it.

[@DrMrMrColin]

I'm loving this game so far.

[@opticgamer3731]

Can't to see what happens in the next part of the atelier series.

[@MrHued]

Regarding the localization error, I am not sure if I have caught it in the game. There is one that does bug me where a certain female NPC has her name swap between two different spellings several times throughout her quest chain. It could have been an oversight if there were more than one person running the localization, but I really do wish they had someone quality check for spelling errors such as this.

[@JRPGJungle]

Interesting, I must have missed that one :3 wonder if I'll notice in my second playthrough 🤔

[@msvelvetcrowe]

Amazing game I love It!!!! I got hooked on ryza and being new to atelier I thoroughly enjoyed my time atelier ryza and can't wait for atelier ryza 2

[@263malice]

Game is really awesome. I’ve been playing Atelier since they started releasing on PS3. Thanks for the review. 😊

[@JRPGJungle]

Thanks for watching ^__^

[@KJ-vd9mj]

Good review i'm gonna give it a shot. never heard of this franchise it just happen that my mom randomly bought this for my birthday yesterday.

[@JRPGJungle]

Hope you enjoy it :))

[@Choom89]

Imagine if Pokemon looked like this... thanks for the review!

[@Mecha82]

I might get Atelier Ryza at some point but currently it's not among my list of priority games to get.

[@porkyvonchop6458]

still havent played this yet (currently having a blast on xenoblade~late comer). from what i see on youre review this will be great and not overwhelm new comers especially on synthesis

[@jconny65]

great review!

[@meegs369]

I've always been interested in these games, but I've never played one... I heard some have time limits and some don't. So I'm not even sure where to start.. but this game looks damn good.

[@JRPGJungle]

Ryza is a great spot to start as there's no time limit and the gameplay is the best version of its systems IMO :3 and it look pretty haha :)

[@meegs369]

@@JRPGJungle awesome then I may try this game out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

[@Grayard]

Giiiiiirl I really want to play it, but it is way expensive than I thought xD (at least here) so ll wait a littlr until it gets less expensive Thank you, I loved your review have a nice day

[@themexdaniel]

I just started playing the atelier games. I really love how I can just lay in bed and relax. I'm in love with lydie and suelle those twins are cute!!

[@JRPGJungle]

They're adorable! The prettiness of Ryza got me wanting to return to the painting worlds from Lydie and Suelle! haha glad to hear you're enjoying the series too ^__^

[@Zodia195]

I do have 2 major questions since I am still playing Lulua- 1. Is there a time limit in this game to do things? What I am loving about Lulua is the lack of one. 2. Can you only a certain number of items in your inventory? My biggest complaint about Lulua is that I can only have so many items in my inventory and as a result, I am having to sell them which gets very tedious very fast. I never had to worry about that in Mana Khemia- Alchemists of Al-Revis. Sounds like this game's gameplay system is very similar to the Tales series where you can customize what your other party members do, but the best idea is to still control one char.

[@pt313]

There is no time limit. The inventory has a limit but you will never reach it because you will convert unneeded items to gems, which you need for rebuilding items, replicating items etc.

[@markphillips8605]

Gust should employ you as a saleswoman - I've been determined to avoid this game but you've sold it to me and I now have no choice but to pick it up. Curse you! :P

[@TWHISPERER]

Excellent review

[@JRPGJungle]

Thank you! :)

[@trcsonic]

I hope Ryza will be on Smash Ultimate's Dlc.

[@JRPGJungle]

That would be everything!

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

Her thights would have to be censored to get in (look at female Corrin) and she isn't as claimed or popular as Hayabusa. Would love her, tho.

[@Metalkake]

Thanks for the video 😁

[@neosnex4907]

Just finished this game the day this went up lol.

[@OneManCast]

While I love the Ryza series, it pales to the Mysterious Quadrology.

[@1wayroad935]

Ryza's thighs are a gift from heaven.

[@rico3285]

Wise words

[@themarchinggoblin8294]

What would you recommend as the preferred platform? I have access to both ps4 and switch but I dunno if one performs better than the other. Never played an atelier game either but this is apparently a good one to start with

[@JRPGJungle]

Both perform fairly well, I prefer the PS4 version for slightly nicer textures and sharpness personally, but either version is more than passable, just depends how picky you are with visuals :)

[@bretttanner6798]

I'm excited to hear the english voice actors

[@jub8891]

thanks for the review. is it already out?

[@JRPGJungle]

It is indeed! :)

[@etiennev.cordova7876]

Very interesting. I definitely want to try this. I just have one question: what is going on with this reviewer's accent? It goes between American (maybe Canadian) and British multiple times. It's very peculiar. The word 'character' in particular stands out.

[@TheHokkaidogaijin]

Tara I seen you showcase a game in the past and I just can't find it. I remember your character was running around and had this other little character following you around but she was in this little flying car. Could you or anyone else help? What is the title of that game?

[@JRPGJungle]

Oh man, I wanna know what this is! I scrolled through my videos and couldn't quite figure out what it was >< do you remember if it was a male or female protagonist or from this year? hahaha :3 If anyone else remembers, please feel free to chime in! :)

[@TheHokkaidogaijin]

@@JRPGJungle This year and a female protagonist

[@JRPGJungle]

I'm not totally sure, gah I wish I knew haha only one I think maybe could be Death End re;Quest (Shina has a little buggy that follows her but it's not really a car...) If it rings a bell, I will let you know!!

[@ChristianPrants]

Can i play this one without knowing anything about the previous ones?

[@JRPGJungle]

Definitely! Ryza is the starting point of the latest trilogy, so you'll be absolutely fine with this one :))

[@nevereververerr3762]

I like the game, but when I first got it, I was discouraged by the seeming complexity. After familiarity with the games systems, it is fun. And I really like the characters voices, even though it is in Japanese. They match with their personalities. 'Dondo sussima!'

[@nikolasberger3716]

Is this a good starting game for the Atelier series????

[@lyinginertia]

Probably the best one to start with

[@yozzu5101]

Star ocean R review please

[@Heroinedown]

The dlc stories for each character are pretty expansive, are they even worth the trouble? I don't like when games hide story elements behind paywalls like dlcs, when you buy a game full price, you should have all the game content and that's it. As one of the very few gamers who liked Atelier Iris/Mana khemia better than any modern Atelier games, I hope this game will have something interesting to tell but I am not holding my breath.

[@JRPGJungle]

I tried the Klaudia DLC recently and liked it, but yeah they’re a little expensive. I’m gonna do a video on the experience soon, but basically it was 1.5 hours long to complete, an item carried over and there are a few other conversations I could unlock if I did a few more things in the DLC. Reminded me a lot of the conversations from previous Ateliers and to have to pay for that isn’t great, however I don’t regret the purchase cause I liked the story moments so yeah :3 I can only speak on the Klaudia one right now, but I hope that answers your question a little :3

[@rezrezzy7781]

I pre ordered it and have only played 6 hours of it. I'm not sure if it is any good overall. It is very slow and did not hook me yet. I may revisit it

[@khandarwilliam5439]

everywhere else I only see 1-word review

[@tlotpwist3417]

Checked PS store, they only put a 74€ deluxe ultimate like version, and no trace of just the plain game. But god if there isn't a lot of scantily outfits sold for 2.5€ each. Didn't know the saga before Ryza but I already hate the editor

[@Justin_Anime]

Does this one have auto text advance?

[@JRPGJungle]

I just checked on my Switch, I don't think it does (only has skip by the looks of things :3)

[@yunussaid9288]

Liked the review! Small remark: It's a-til-ye with a pronounced lengthened e with tension (not meaning the English kind of ee)

[@justsomeemokidfrompersona3825]

Still waiting for the lila swimsuit dlc

[@natehammondtrio]

Big negative is the lack of enemy types. That and the design of Empel and Lila is obnoxious. Otherwise I love this game! I voted it my game of the year on STEAM

[@nikkithomson1395]

I me name s Nikki Thomson I me new friends in your KZbin video and I like watching your game video from Nikki Thomson 😘 😘

[@liamthelamb]

Constantly afraid to do it!? just but it’s so

[@halahmilksheikh]

You have an odd accent, sometimes it sounds like American other times it seems British?

[@R3GARnator]

She's Australian.

[@UsernameInvalidTHIS]

@@R3GARnator I picked this too. I think her accent has some American influence too though.

[@IceStorm-l4t]

These games are just way overpriced. I'd try these games out but refuse to pay this much.

[@Zaurthur]

"Atelier Rizer"

[@helpfulthinker3082]

the most boring game on earth and you never take damage most of the game you will take 1 damage from any monster

[@jono601]

i was like wtf is going on with the male character designs? especially with the big guy that wears xs small shirt that only covers his pecs? In what universe does that look normal??? Horrible character design.

[@gmanawesome5773]

THANK TO YOUR REVIEW, I WILL PLAY THIS GAME ON THE SWITCH

[@dynastystar5515]

I haven't played it but character design-wise: Ryza