In a lot of RPGs, crafting is essentially a form of fluff. It doesn’t make a ton of sense for Geralt of Rivia to stop everything he’s doing and hunt down ingots so he can make a new sword, but it gives you something to collect and a way to increase your power a little bit at a time. But done right, a crafting system can form the backbone of a great RPG on its own, and that’s always made the Atelier series an interesting one. It’s got all the RPG trappings of monster-slaying and uncovering ancient civilizations, but all of that is meant to support its real core: alchemy. Choosing just where to start with the sprawling series can be tricky, but a new trilogy package makes that decision a lot easier.
The larger Atelier series is mostly divided into trilogies focusing on similar characters or locations. Of them, the Atelier Ryza trilogy is one of the most beloved, as well as the most tightly connected as a trilogy. I’ve been interested in checking out the crafting-centric Atelier series for a while now, but my first foray into it with this year’s Atelier Yumia left me wondering if it might not have much to offer me after all. But now that I’m working through the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack, I’m pleased to say that I may have found my way in after all.
