Review: Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian (Switch)

In the realm of the Atelier franchise, diversity is the essence of existence. One might presume that with over 25 titles deep into developer Gust’s enduring RPG saga, the allure of that signature gameplay loop involving material collection, recipe acquisition, and item crafting through alchemy would begin to fade. Nevertheless, with every new installment and accompanying sub-series, Atelier consistently discovers methods to refresh itself and present a distinct twist on its established gameplay formula. From the darker, more action-oriented Atelier Yumia to the expansive adventure epic of the Atelier Ryza trilogy, every title possesses its own unique essence.

This is precisely why Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, the 27th principal entry in the series, presents such a complex narrative to convey. Much of its character is indebted to what preceded it. It acts as both a standalone sequel to a free-to-play gacha game and a significant crossover event that features characters from earlier titles, and a self-declared return to the franchise’s turn-based foundations. Simultaneously, it distinctly stands out, narrating an original tale with new protagonists and innovative gameplay ideas.

A lesser title might falter under the burden of all the roles Atelier Resleriana is meant to fulfill, yet it adeptly integrates each responsibility into a unified experience. The end product is one of the more robust Atelier offerings in recent years and, thankfully, an enjoyable journey that remains largely unencumbered by Switch 1’s dated hardware.

Taking place after the events of 2023’s Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night (a mobile and PC gacha game that is no longer accessible outside Japan), this installment shifts focus to two new playable characters: Rias and Slade. They originate from Hallfein, a once-thriving town that endured a mysterious disaster 12 years before and has since fallen into a state of neglect. Upon their meeting and discovery of an abandoned atelier, the duo determines to harness the power of alchemy to rejuvenate their hometown and unravel the enigma behind its decline.

Reflecting its narrative emphasis, Atelier Resleriana’s gameplay is characterized by three pivotal areas: traversing the environment and its dungeons while gathering alchemical ingredients and combating foes; synthesizing and enhancing new items through alchemical recipes at the atelier; and improving the town’s quality by selling items in Rias’ shop or undertaking extra quests and side activities. Each component is distinctly outlined with its own complexities and systems to explore, and the interplay among all three is crucial for progress.

The updated alchemy system allows you to merge ingredients to generate items and gear for your party. Materials feature two different color attributes that must be linked together to effectively transfer unique traits and effects. It may appear to be a straightforward match-the-color mechanism at first glance, but numerous nuances and additional features significantly elevate the crafting complexity.

Having significant depth in the alchemy framework is a hallmark of Atelier, though this version’s tutorials do not always effectively illuminate all the essential aspects. This ambiguity can be aggravating, particularly as a few battles later in the game escalate in difficulty to challenge your crafting proficiency.

You gather materials by delving into locations and advancing through a variety of floor-based dungeons with procedurally generated layouts that shift with each visit. The act of gathering materials essentially comes down to pressing a button to effortlessly harvest useful items. You can collect one handful of resources after another in a matter of seconds, and the steady influx of valuable ingredients into your inventory is genuine gratification.

For their part, combat has reverted to a turn-based structure reminiscent of earlier Atelier installments. In this setup, you govern the actions of up to three party members at the forefront. Most genre conventions are present — each character possesses unique stats and skills (which can be expanded and advanced via a skill tree or leveling up), and they may use their turn to execute an elemental attack or utilize an item. Enemies have elemental resistances and weaknesses that can be exploited for temporary stuns. Party members that take actions in succession can also follow up with additional attacks.

The fundamentals of combat may be straightforward, but Atelier Resleriana incorporates several essential mechanics that maintain a dynamic and fresh battle atmosphere. Perhaps the most significant feature is the visible turn timeline akin to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which you can use for strategizing multiple moves ahead and even manipulate to modify turn timings and gain specific bonus effects. Determining when to trigger an Interruption action for a free item use or deciding which target to claim an effect from on their next predicted turn adds an entire extra layer to the confrontations.

Additionally, the Multi-Action mechanic permits you to expend earned Technical Points to enable an active combatant and two of your inactive party members to perform actions in unison before swapping out the main fighter for someone from the back line. This twist allows for some rather devastating combinations while ensuring all of your party members remain relevant and engaged.

There are further battle mechanics to experiment with beyond these, but the essence is that Atelier Resleriana’s combat is a commendable fusion of traditional turn-based RPG elements and innovative concepts that encourage added strategy and optimization.

Lastly, there’s the town enhancement system, which revolves around the management of Rias’ shop, Mistletoe Miscellaneous. Here,

You can accumulate items you’ve created, recruit fairies as personnel, and personalise the décor to your preferences. As the shop markets goods, you can both generate revenue and enhance various aspects of Hallfein.

It’s also feasible to elevate the town by undertaking optional side quests and engaging in other pursuits nearby. Certain shops, products, and visitor characters become accessible as Hallfein develops, but witnessing the struggling area’s situation visibly improve throughout the game provides a gratifying sense of growth in itself.

On that note, I genuinely appreciated the restrained and relaxed essence of the narrative. While it’s not devoid of high-stakes instances and sporadic turns to maintain excitement, Rias and Slade’s adventure feels refreshingly quaint with a heightened focus on character interactions. It certainly helps that the primary cast comprises exceptionally likable and endearing individuals who come to life due to seamless animation and fully-voiced cutscenes.

The individuals you encounter are kind-hearted and eager to lend assistance quite frequently, making it easy to support the team as they rally for Hallfein’s revitalization. It may not appeal to everyone’s tonal taste, but the entire experience merely feels very delightful and genuinely sweet without tipping into cloying territory.

You will spend a significant amount of time with these characters, too, with a considerable number of cutscenes both throughout the main plot and within optional character episodes and side quests. These narrative segments are generally enjoyable for the reasons outlined above, although there are indeed numerous instances of them, which can sometimes be rather protracted.

Cutscenes are also simple to activate, even when unintended. Visiting a particular area or conversing with a specific character can lead to multiple cutscenes stacking up, automatically unfolding one after another and halting progress significantly. Suffice it to say, there are plenty of intervals when all you can do is set the controller down and observe the events unfold.

It’s also notable that both the main narrative and side content include a host of returning characters from Atelier tradition who comprise most of the central and supporting cast, including the majority of your party members. Thankfully, the game skillfully avoids letting this crossover aspect overshadow the core narrative and effectively introduces everyone without much confusion. That being said, you’ll certainly gain much more from all the subtle nods and references woven into the storyline if you’re acquainted with prior installments.

You’ll also be relieved to know that Atelier Resleriana appears on Switch without significant performance compromises. The game operated at what seemed to be a stable 30 frames per second throughout my playthrough, which feels fluid enough to complement its moment-to-moment gameplay.

Graphics have undeniably taken the most considerable hit, as it can become quite blurry and jagged in handheld mode. Fortunately, the stylised art direction shines through even in the more chaotic moments. Atelier Resleriana on Switch may not be as sharp or smooth as it is on other platforms, but it still functions well and stands as a more-than-viable version.

Conclusion

With a restrained scope and structure that harkens back to the classic Atelier titles, a plethora of novel gameplay twists of its own, and a treasure trove of fanservice for seasoned players, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian feels like a jubilant tribute to the entire series’ legacy.

More crucially, it’s simply an outstanding RPG experience. Appropriately, it combines a multitude of quality elements — an uplifting narrative, tactical and dynamic turn-based combat, intricate crafting systems — and synthesises them into a delightful adventure. There are certainly a few bumps along the way, but the journey is too enjoyable to dwell on those for long.