Developer: Gust, Koei Tecmo Games
Publisher: Koei Tecmo Games
Platform: PC, PS5, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian – Review
It’s that time of the year when our backlog keeps growing exponentially due to the many new releases. For this reviewer in particular, it has sadly gotten to the point that Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian’s review has been delayed so much that we actually featured the later released Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack first on the site. Luckily, the wait is over now, and we can present you with our review of the latest title in the Atelier series, which managed to entertain us quite a bit.
Story
The story has two different protagonists that you can choose from, altering the story slightly, but still keeping the key points intact. You can either play as Rias or as Slade, who are both returning to the town of Hallfein. This once bustling town has undergone a mysterious tragedy where most of its residents simply disappeared. Now that both Slade and Rias are of age, they return to the town, each with their own motivations and reasons. Rias decides to explore a nearby dungeon, only for her to be trapped by a massive monster. Luckily, Slade saves the day, and they decide to venture forth together. When stumbling upon a hidden room, Slade manages to open it with the Geist Core on his bracelet, uncovering an atelier of sorts with a big cauldron in the middle. Rias is immediately attracted to the cauldron, and this is how her adventure begins as an alchemist. With Rias’ alchemy and Slade’s combat prowess, the duo might just be able to get to the bottom of what happened in Hallfein.
All in all, the story progresses at a steady pace, and while some story beats are somewhat predictable, it’s a pleasant narrative nonetheless. You’ll be treated to many dialogues, a few cutscenes, and there’s a proper balance between gameplay and story exposition. The colorful cast of characters all have their own personalities and traits, and add a lot of value to the unfolding story.
Graphics
Just like many of the Atelier games in the past, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is extremely pleasant on the eyes. You’ll be treated to an extremely colorful experience, with a very soft color palette to make sure that things don’t become straining to look at. The quirky cast of characters has received most of the attention here, as they all look delightfully unique with interesting outfits and fairly expressive facial features. The world itself also looks nicely crafted, but even this newest iteration in the series does suffer a bit from the same issues as many other titles, where the world feels a bit empty at times. Dungeons tend to feel a bit hollow and empty, as you’ll only see the enemies roam around bigger corridors and halls, and clutter and decorations are kept to a minimum. Of course, this makes it easier to navigate, but it did remind us a bit of older PlayStation 3 JRPGs in terms of more basic world design.
Sound
The sound design of Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is quite good. The game features numerous voice-acted dialogues, which significantly enhance the overall atmosphere. The cast does a formidable job of bringing their characters to life, even though many of the characters in the game adhere to stereotypical archetypes. The music is also great, with an adventurous soundtrack backing up everything you do in the game. The music changes depending on the situation, and the game has a nice vibe from start to finish. The sound effects provide decent audio feedback for the in-game actions.
Gameplay
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is a fairly traditional JRPG experience, and veteran Atelier players will probably already know what to expect for the most part. You’ll play through different dungeon-like areas to complete main and optional quests, propelling the story forward. The game builds upon tried-and-true mechanics from the genre and adds a few original twists of its own. Everything feels very straightforward, and even newcomers will have an easy time getting into everything the game has to offer.
Combat follows a fairly standard turn-based format, stepping away from the more free-flow experience we saw in Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land. This doesn’t mean that everything feels very basic, however, as you’ll have to pay attention during battles, as defending works with a Paper Mario-esque system where you need to time button presses to reduce or negate incoming damage. The combat system then gets further expanded with frontline characters and those in the back row, special moves, link attacks, and so on. While many of these aspects we’ve seen in earlier games or other JRPG titles, they add some strategy to the mix. If you’re looking for a more casual experience, the game luckily offers quite a few difficulty options.
Outside of the usual synthesis of making new items for quests or to support you during combat, Atelier Resleriana also introduces a new shop component. As it’s Rias’ dream to reopen her grandfather’s shop, it was no surprise that something involving a shop would be introduced here. We were mainly surprised that it’s an actual active gameplay element, rather than just for story purposes. You’ll be able to manage a store here and use the funds you earn to help with the restoration of Hallfein. There are some things to keep in mind here, as decorating your store will grant you buffs, and there’s even some micromanagement present where you’ll have to keep the shelves stocked with specific conditions in mind. Items you put on the shelves have different color codes, and matching color codes with the adjacent product will again give you a buff. It’s a fun new addition to the gameplay loop of an Atelier title, and it’s one that really makes sense too.
Conclusion
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is a great new entry in the Atelier series, and it’s accessible for both veterans and newcomers alike. You’ll be treated to cute characters, solid JRPG gameplay, and a colorful world to explore. If you’ve played and liked many of the previous titles, you’ll feel right at home here, and you’ll love what the game has to offer. If you’re new to the franchise as a whole, then this game is a great entry point to get familiar with what these games have in store for you.
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