Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 623 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy Game Cover
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy is a lighthearted JRPG, with an incredibly compelling gameplay loop of crafting and leveling up.
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"Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy" is a role-playing game where players join Ryza and her friends on a new adventure in a ruined city. The game features gathering tours to areas from the previous title and various costumes as bonus content. The main gameplay involves alchemy and battles with monsters in an open world.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 623 reviews
story84 positive mentions
grinding41 negative mentions
  • Improved combat system that feels more dynamic and engaging compared to the first game.
  • The alchemy system is deep and addictive, allowing for extensive customization and crafting.
  • Charming characters and a lighthearted story that focuses on friendship and exploration.
  • The story is weaker than the first game, feeling repetitive and lacking significant stakes.
  • Excessive cutscenes can interrupt gameplay, making the pacing feel slow and tedious.
  • Some technical issues, such as stuttering and poor optimization on PC, detract from the overall experience.
  • story392 mentions

    The story in "Atelier Ryza 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less engaging than its predecessor. While some appreciate the character-driven narrative and slice-of-life elements, others criticize the plot for being mundane, predictable, and lacking depth, often feeling like a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling tale. Overall, the game is seen as a relaxing experience with charming characters, but the story's execution leaves much to be desired, especially for those seeking a more substantial narrative.

    • “The story is still the same laid-back vibe and good enough overarching plot.”
    • “The story presented is also interesting although a little less memorable than its predecessor series.”
    • “The story is great and touching.”
    • “The story felt very lacking compared to the first game and just seemed as though it had no purpose or reason to exist, which only until after 40-50 hours did the story start to pick up and become interesting and more so near the end.”
    • “The story is so bland it took all my willpower to not skip every cutscene; they're somehow cringe-inducing and boring at the same time.”
    • “The overarching story was very, very bland.”
  • gameplay176 mentions

    The gameplay in Atelier Ryza 2 has received widespread praise for its improvements over the first game, particularly in crafting, combat mechanics, and exploration. Players appreciate the engaging alchemy system, new traversal options, and the balance between crafting and combat, although some find the abundance of mechanics overwhelming. Overall, the game offers a cozy and addictive experience, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre, despite some critiques regarding repetitiveness and story depth.

    • “Gameplay/combat 10/10 does what the last game did but better.”
    • “The combat system was massively improved, the alchemy level system was dropped for a skill tree, alchemy mechanics were refined or new ones added, new exploration tools were added on top of the previous ones and a development system was added that improved the NPC shops.”
    • “A great sequel that builds onto and improves mechanics that were used in the first Atelier Ryza game.”
    • “There are not many changes to the gameplay since the first game.”
    • “Nevertheless, the game can be pretty overwhelming due to its massive number of mechanics.”
    • “With all the sheer amount of mechanics, there were several times during the game when I felt overwhelmed as there is a lot of information to keep track of.”
  • music78 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy, memorable tracks that enhance the overall experience, with many noting improvements over the previous installment. Reviewers appreciate the diverse range of themes, from intense boss music to calming exploration tunes, which effectively complement the game's visuals and gameplay mechanics. While some mention occasional repetitiveness, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a standout feature, making it a delightful aspect of the game.

    • “The music is delightful, which is a staple in Atelier games at this point.”
    • “Intense boss music, peaceful exploration music, and mood music for each zone of the game that fit with the design of those maps.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “The quality of the voice and the music did not change since the first game.”
    • “The music is somewhat similar so no songs really stand out, and they even reuse some of the original storyline which makes this story boring and predictable.”
    • “The style change can also be found in the music, which has devolved into generic RPG music, especially the boss themes.”
  • graphics70 mentions

    The graphics in Atelier Ryza 2 have received mixed reviews, with many praising the updated anime art style and improved environments, while others note that some textures and lighting issues detract from the overall experience. Although the visuals are generally considered better than the first game, some players feel that technical flaws and low-resolution textures undermine the aesthetic quality. Overall, the game showcases beautiful artwork and detailed settings, but it also suffers from occasional graphical glitches and performance issues.

    • “The already pretty good-looking graphics from Ryza 1 have been updated to be more high quality, and all the areas have been upgraded as well, making for a nice new anime-styled aesthetic.”
    • “The graphics are the most advanced out of every other Atelier game.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, environment: breathtaking visuals and a great setting for this game.”
    • “Graphics, well that did not change much since the first game.”
    • “The graphics are fine, but some textures are really low res.”
    • “Seriously, despite the stylish design and more or less amusing visuals, the game is horrible in every technical aspect of its realization: the game kept dropping resolution to something HD-like until I locked the config file; absolutely horrible controls - all those menus/submenus/confirmation windows pop up on one another making it hard to navigate; skill tree and crafting menu are even harder to navigate and select; sometimes it's unclear whether I've pressed the right or wrong button - I had to figure it out experimentally; overall, the game looks like a guest from 2010 - those sloppy animations, flickering textures, abrupt dialog sequences...”
  • grinding44 mentions

    The grinding aspect in Ryza 2 has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious and overly reliant on backtracking and gem farming. While some appreciate the crafting system's improvements and the ease of item collection, others feel that the game still demands excessive grinding for materials and levels, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the experience can be rewarding for dedicated fans of the series, but it may also frustrate those seeking a more streamlined gameplay experience.

    • “But then, I don't really play Atelier games for the combat, so as long as it's not too tedious or difficult, I'm good with it.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “As usual with the Ryza games, they are tedious and mostly basic and boring... but this one also adds the annoyance of stupid puzzles and 'stick the lore to the lore points' type of things, making it an incredibly annoying task to gather all the pieces. Until you find out that some pieces are blocked, with no indication on the map or minimap about it, often needing more progress for you to get that sweet dopamine of having 100% written on the place.”
    • “The synthesis system barely evolved since Ryza 1 and got more confusing. The combat has been nerfed as they expect you to quickly go to 999 quality, and as such, grinding gems is the best way to progress, which is very frustrating, especially if you do not know the good spots.”
    • “Just be prepared for 80 hours of grinding for materials so you can one-shot every boss by emulating Gilgamesh.”
  • emotional35 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming narrative, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears and nostalgia, especially during character reunions and development. While some critiques mention a lack of depth compared to previous entries, many players appreciate the cute, fun, and relaxing experience, highlighting the touching moments and strong friendships that define the story. Overall, the game successfully delivers a comforting and emotional journey, making it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.

    • “I can give no spoilers and would never do that, but I do have to offer a warning by way of experience; I cried for about an hour after I beat this and struggled not to immediately start a new save.”
    • “Seeing Ryza reunite with her old friends – especially Klaudia – was just heartwarming, and their relationship dynamic is shining brighter here than ever before.”
    • “The story is great and touching.”
    • “They gave her the most bland and boring story compared to the other Atelier games.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and lacked genuine impact.”
    • “I didn't connect with the characters at all; their struggles felt superficial.”
  • optimization27 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly for its stuttering issues on PC, which persist even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080. Players report that performance drops are frequent and frustrating, with some suggesting that using a controller can mitigate these problems. While there are potential fixes and configuration adjustments that can improve performance, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, especially for PC and Steam Deck users.

    • “Use the atelier sync fix; your FPS will hardlock to 60 on Steam Deck after the initial loading of areas, and it's insane why they left so much performance on the table.”
    • “Set resolution to native, graphics level to low, and then work out what you can increase from there. I recommend a general order of texture/geometry quality to high, then render distances long, then shadows/bloom/AA/DOF/SSAO on for the greatest visual to performance gain.”
    • “Seamless performance, beautiful graphics and cutscenes, no frames lost, no crashes encountered.”
    • “The game is badly optimized, so expect to use high TDP to hit consistent FPS even on low settings.”
    • “The issue with the PC port is that the game maxes out your GPU each frame, which is terrible for performance and battery.”
    • “Note: it is poorly optimized on PC and your FPS will most likely stutter every few seconds.”
  • character development21 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the growth of returning characters from the first installment, others feel that many characters lack depth and engaging dialogue. The sequel offers a continuation of character arcs that enhances the overall experience, but the impact of choices on character development is limited to side stories and additional content. Overall, fans of the original will likely enjoy the progression, but newcomers may find the character development underwhelming.

    • “Pick this one up, it's fun, the story and character development will make you want more (in a good way).”
    • “If you love the characters from Ryza 1, you will be glad to see the continuation of their character development.”
    • “Not only do I love how Atelier Ryza 2 shows great growth in character development for the original cast, but it also has a large amount of stories waiting for you to discover – making the character content very engaging.”
    • “There are a few instances of character development here and there, but it's not fleshed out for most of them.”
    • “All the original characters return, but offer no interesting dialogue and no character development.”
    • “Character development: nothing too outrageous and definitely nothing new.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and amusing moments, particularly during combat scenarios where over-leveled enemies hilariously scurry away or when players resort to comical stunlocking tactics against bosses. Overall, players find the game to be a funny and cozy experience, enhancing its appeal.

    • “Funny cozy game.”
    • “That until you get over-leveled and they start scurrying away, and it looks hilarious!”
    • “The drawbacks of this combat system are clearly seen during the battles with bosses - the only option to stay alive (if the boss is of higher level than your party) is to try to stunlock it, which is hilarious.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a colorful and upbeat artistic design that creates a relaxing experience, though some players feel that the cheerful melodies and certain character actions detract from the mysterious ambiance of its ancient ruins. Overall, the atmosphere is light and accessible, appealing to players seeking a casual gaming experience.

    • “All the quests are simple and relaxing, much like the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The art direction is designed to run on lighter handhelds like the Nintendo Switch; the game is very atmospheric in place of realism.”
    • “I love the colorful artistic design, which gives the game a positive, upbeat atmosphere.”
    • “The mysterious atmosphere of ancient ruins with tragic history is completely ruined by the overcheerful melody and Ryza's annoying victory pose after combat.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers note that the repetitive nature of the monsters in the game significantly diminishes its replayability, making it less appealing for players seeking varied experiences in subsequent playthroughs.

    • “The monsters are still very repetitive, which makes Ryza a less replayable game.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with players reporting no significant bugs or glitches during extended gameplay. However, some users draw unfavorable comparisons to previous titles, citing issues like repetitiveness and control problems.

    • “This game plays and feels like I'm playing Atelier Ryza 1, which is terrible because I did not enjoy that game for its repetitiveness or its buggy controls.”
    • “I played this on the PC and I do not recall encountering any bugs or glitches throughout my 60 hours of gameplay to 100% this game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the sequel has been criticized as feeling like a cash grab, leaving players disappointed despite any discounts offered.

    • “I was hoping for a better sequel to the first, but it was honestly really disappointing from the get-go and kind of seems like a cash grab, even when it's on sale.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It’s frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy

Play time

28hMedian play time
25hAverage play time
6-35hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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