Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian PS5 Review

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is the latest addition to the long-running and beloved Atelier series, serving as a follow-up to the mobile title Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator. Although it shares the same world and features some returning characters, it isn’t a direct sequel and is designed as a fully offline experience. The game introduces new settings and mechanics that generally succeed in refreshing the series, though some aspects fall short of expectations.

The story centers on two protagonists, Rias Eidreise and Slade Clauslyter, who explore the deserted town of Hallfein after a mysterious event causes its citizens to vanish. Rias searches the ruins for materials to revive her family’s shop, while Slade investigates relics connected to the town, which are mementos left behind by his late father.

An Atelier Multiverse Game

The game begins as the two meet in the caves leading up to the town, but while trying to find a way out, they discover an unknown alchemist’s room. There, Rias learns she possesses the natural abilities of an alchemist, while Slade learns that the items he possesses are keys that can open these mysterious rooms and portals to other worlds. The two decide to help each other fulfill their personal quests and uncover the mystery behind Hallfein, all while meeting and assisting several new and familiar characters and revitalizing the town in the process.

Atelier Resleriana has a narrative structure similar to that of other games in the series, but it also notably lacks the grandeur and high urgency properties of some games in the series. In lieu of a grand goal or villain to foil, the game focuses on the main characters, their personal journeys, and the many strange and whimsical parallel worlds they visit. As such, the story is more cozy and serves as a slice of life multiverse game in the series as it includes several beloved protagonists across the franchise, including Ryza, Sophie, Ayesha, and more. While it’s a shame the game lacks a strong narrative direction compared to other games, seeing all these protagonists interact and events centered around them is incredibly entertaining, especially for fans of the franchise. The game’s characters are its highlight, as they possess great personalities, especially Rias, who’s as cheerful and boisterous as most protagonists in the series, and her dynamic with Slade is entertaining.

Same Gameplay Flow With New Additions

Gameplay-wise, Atelier Resleriana carries over much of the same elements seen in other games in the series. Players explore ruins, forests, and caves in third person, collect items, fight monsters, and, outside missions, synthesize items using alchemy. The alchemy system works similarly to the other games but is notably more streamlined. Players have increased access to items that enhance item quality, new synthesizing methods including a new color matching based system, and the ability to synthesize with other characters, among other features. The alchemy system is perhaps the most beginner-friendly in the series. It is less complex than in previous games, which makes it more engaging as a result. Players can also sell items they’ve synthesized and use the money to invest in the town’s development, which also unlocks new synthesis recipes and new parts of the main story.

While it is a bit frustrating to have to do extra tasks to progress the story, the process is not invasive or annoying. Aside from that, fans of the series will be familiar with the game’s combat system. However, Atelier Resleriana includes some new elements. Players fight enemies and bosses through turn-based combat and select up to three characters and place them in the front and back rows. The rows add a level of strategy to combat, which helps an otherwise bland combat system.

Combat System With Caveats

The game also features Link Attacks and Multi Actions. Link Attacks, like in many JRPGs, see multiple characters execute large attacks together, whereas Multi Actions sees a character do multiple large attacks in quick succession. These special attack types, along with other types players learnt through levelling up, add a little variety to combat. Additionally, players can use several types of weapons, items, and combat tools acquired through synthesis.

As enemies get tougher as you progress through the game, you’ll need to grind and acquire high-end items, weapons, and armor to get over the challenges they provide. However, the combat experience, for the most part, is quite underwhelming, except for the challenging moments. The combat system, while detailed enough to be functional, is too bare-bones and repetitive to be wholly engaging.

Final Thoughts

Visually, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is impressive and consistent with the series’ recent releases. Its art direction shines through lush environments and strikingly designed fauna, while the characters are distinct and detailed. Although it doesn’t break new visual ground, the game maintains a vibrant, cohesive, and pleasing aesthetic throughout.

In the end, while Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian may not deliver a groundbreaking or transformative experience, it remains a charming and worthwhile entry in the Atelier franchise.