Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Review

When you think of the Atelier series, unless you’re a fan who has followed it all the way from the start, you’ll probably remember a character who has really risen to popularity through her beauty and charm, and maybe some exceptionally well-designed anatomy. Reisalin Stout came along and won the hearts of many, culminating in a full-fledged trilogy that brought the series to wider attention. While fans may have already played each title individually during its release window, the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack is the perfect way for newcomers to discover what the fuss is all about.

Don’t expect a remaster or anything of that sort! As mentioned, the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack is the most complete way to experience Ryza’s journey, bundling Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, and Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, all wrapped up in a convenient DX package that includes previously released DLC and sweeping quality-of-life upgrades that players will surely appreciate.

Alchemical Reaction

Atelier Ryza tells the story of Reisalin Stout, our charming heroine, as she embarks on a grand adventure and discovers the wonders of alchemy during an unexpected encounter. Alchemy is a central theme in all three titles, and as the name implies, players will be collecting and gathering various items to mix, match, and craft their way to defeat what stands in their way.

Perhaps one of the most enticing aspects of the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy is experiencing Ryza’s story through all three entries, seeing how everyone grows and develops throughout their journey. Starting as a starry-eyed adventurer and becoming a seasoned alchemist, players will be able to connect to the story better while maintaining continuity based on familiar mechanics and systems.

While playing back-to-back may seem tiring, the game’s features keep it fun and interesting. The games run at a slower pace than usual, as this is a “journey, not the destination” experience that offers players a deeper look at the characters’ lives and personalities rather than non-stop action, especially with the added content. The added character episodes in this collection are greatly welcome too, as they give players a deeper appreciation of these characters.

In case you have not played any game in the series, it would be easy to dismiss this as another turn-based RPG. Still, the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy offers a slight twist, blending turn-based and real-time systems that make encounters both fast-paced and strategic. During battles, players will only control one character, but can switch control of characters in real-time to issue commands, chain skills and combos, and more.

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy uses an Action Points (AP) system to determine which abilities a character can use. Attacking will boost the AP up, and once AP is accumulated, players can choose to spend those AP to “level up” their gauge, unlocking more attacks and more powerful abilities, making resource management critical in the more challenging battles.

Keeping an eye on your AP to know when to level up, the command timeline, and your HP can sometimes be tricky since all of those items were on different parts of the user interface, but it only takes a few battles to get used to the flow of combat. At a certain point, it may feel button-mashy, but combat is mostly fun and enjoyable, especially as you go to the later entries in the trilogy.

The great thing about a trilogy is its continuity and improving a formula through iterations, and that’s what Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy does exactly. The second and third entries in this deluxe pack further refine the combat mechanics, making gameplay smoother and more compelling. Longer combos are allowed through chains and follow-ups, making combat feel more rewarding and meaningful through more responsive controls and feedback. The added custom combat mode is fantastic as it lets players tinker around with how they want to approach combat, especially for newcomers.

Alchemy, as the name suggests, is a large part of the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy. Throughout her journey, Ryza can collect materials, unlock recipes, and craft items to increase her alchemy level through the Material Loop system, allowing for better items. It’s pretty straightforward and reminds me of the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X. You’ll clearly see what materials are needed and what effects you’ll get as you place the materials into their respective nodes, so learning the ins and outs is relatively easy and beginner-friendly.

ROG Xbox Ally Performance Test

Playing the game on an ROG Xbox Ally, the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy performed pretty well, considering this is the weaker of the two Xbox Allies. It is generally a smart idea to tweak settings first, turning some sliders to medium or low while keeping the resolution anywhere between 720p and 1080p. Depending on your preference, you can play at 1080p, but I recommend keeping it at 720p, as the small screen size can easily compensate for the lower resolution.

Playing unplugged on the 15W Performance mode at standard graphical settings, while keeping the frames capped to 30, will result in frame rates fluctuating in the mid-20s. If you want to lock it to 30fps (or even reach mid-30s), switch to low graphical settings and pump it to the 20W Turbo mode. It still looks and plays decent at 720p 30fps, all things considered, but be ready for some frame dips, especially during some busy battle sequences. Whatever the case, the game is certainly playable on current handhelds.

While it would be a better choice to play it on the PS5 or even your desktop PC, handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally can undoubtedly take the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy on the go. Handhelds provide a decent experience, enough to enjoy the game, without sacrificing too much for portability.

Verdict: Buy it!

The Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack bundles all three adventures of Reisalin Stout into a convenient and polished collection. The refinements to combat and alchemy, combined with performance upgrades and bundled DLC, make this the definitive way to experience Ryza’s adventures. Watch out for the slightly pricey admission fee, though!

If you’ve already played the games back when they released, there’s very little reason to do so again unless you want to revisit Ryza’s adventures while checking out the added content. It could be a tough sell for fans, especially without an upgrade path, but newcomers will love this trilogy, and it is the perfect place to jump into the Atelier series and finally find out what the buzz is all about. Either way, these three titles are fun and great games on their own, so revisiting Kurken Island is almost never a bad thing.

*Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack was reviewed on an ROG Xbox Ally with a review code provided by the publisher.