Atelier Resleriana: Red Alchemist & White Guardian is a truly enduring and timeless turn-based JRPG that never tries to be something that it's not, and unlike most games today, it doesn't need a three hundred-million-dollar budget to get its point across with a beautiful aesthetic, well-written characters and a long story that develops wonderfully overtime in a way that the player will feel significant change while building relationships with the characters.
Team NINJA actually plays a serious role with this game, but whether it be publishing or developing; it all seems a little unclear as they don't project themselves or take enough credit for the game through social media or other functions, but their quality shows rather it just be graphics design or actual in game development. Their famous logo also happens to appear on the original Resleriana title Forgotten Alchemy & The Polar Night Liberator. So, in essence you could say that Team NINJA has played mysterious role for the first time with this franchise for the first time, and that the mystery revolves around Resleriana.
Red Alchemist & White Guardian is easily my favorite turn-based RPG of the year; perhaps even the best I've played in the past five years. Simply put, every aspect of this game is good, but what will stick out to players immediately are the characters. Gust offers you two protagonists Rias & Slade and allows to select which character you want to start off with. Like every proper Atelier Saga, there is a pernicious evil afoot that is attempting to torture and stress out our comrades. Thankfully, because it's Atelier; the game is also extremely cozy with character development that's comparable to dripping honey and butter on warm toast.
It's always the duty of an alchemist to unravel mysteries and explore their world while gathering ingredients to create, but in the act of Rias, she's a bit over encumbered with duties. Her older sister is a powerful figure in their world's government, and she was considered to be the next up-and-coming capital official, but her life takes her on another quest that involves restoring the protagonist's hometown; a place that isn't beaming with capital profits and was previously haunted by a red mist curse and a war. As the mystery begins to unravel, our dear Rias begins to find out that the town's past blunders could only be the beginning as they continue to rebuild.
The main characters reminisce a lot about their past lives, and you find some depth here when it comes to painting a picture of who they really were. Not enough games give us character flashbacks anymore due to budgets and present-day storytelling, so this is a great change of pace compared to what the average player would be used to. This game is for a patient player that likes organization and structure in their storylines, wanting everything to make sense at the same time.
To make everything make sense, there is a lot of dialogue; and I mean a lot of it. Characters in your party will talk for great quantities of time, and it feels like you are warming up in your favorite chair to a good book next to a warm fire. There is no need to rush through this game, let it melt away your heart on its own and you will find that this is the best way to enjoy it. If you missed some dialogue by skipping through there is a convenient dialogue storage box that Koei Tecmo has been adamant about giving us with their narratives, so you don't miss a thing.
This game connects all of the different worlds of Atelier together spinning a well-crafted multi-verse tale. You never know who or what you will find next, which gives this game added layers of surprises throughout your entire playthrough. If you love Atelier or are just coming in; this game is constructed in a way that will inform and delight every player.
With as cozy as the game is; there are significant evils that must be defeated. The villains are surprises in their own right and will be fascinating to anyone that enjoyed Forgotten Alchemy & The Polar Night Liberator. When you factor in every possibility, this title goes above and beyond what Gust had to do to make this game work from a cinematic user experience.
This game will not just take you through space, portals and dimensions on your quest to unravel the mystery, but it does it in a way that only Atelier could and these dimensions are what brings everything together. From the wonderful world map to the replay value to the overall visual and the huge cast of characters. The storyline merges everything through these portals while making it easy for the player to understand that this is magical; not complicated.
Team NINJA had to have had a say in the graphics because they are so well known for their distinct pallets and wonderous animation; something that is offered here above and beyond my wildest dreams as an Atelier aficionado. There have been a lot of Atelier games this year and they all hit a whimsical, magical stroke that is impossible not to fall in love with.
All of the different characters you meet on your journey are thriving with personality that comes out perfectly with Gust & Team NINJA's visual design. You're restoring a peaceful town that has been downtrodden and overlooked by the capital's government, but the townspeople remain hopeful and adamant to their cause. The world map is as varied as you would expect, but it features another coat of paint that I'm not even sure Yumia had.
The vistas, and locations might be filled with monsters and creatures that you battle, but they also visually pop with peaceful and serene forests, painted with vegetation and gardens, beachside and lakes. You also will be immersed by crystal caverns that glow from the night sky through the cracks on the ceiling. These patterns don't often times repeat themselves so everything you are looking at feels unique and refreshing. As a player you will always get something new and something visual with this game.
There is also a day and night cycle which truly adds to the visual flair of the game. Through this cycle you will not only get the lovely visual change as you grind your way to success on the battlefield, but it also changes the enemies prowling or bouncing about the map and also the gatherable items you can collect.
Amongst all the different environments within this title, a fan favorite will definitely be the alchemist lounge that must be very centerpiece that connects every world and every game and every environment. You could gaze at the gushing effects of space and time here for hours as you ponder your next recipe or utilize some other alchemy invention that assists you on your adventure.
The connecting points and dimensional waves that take you places are probably the most eerie consideration. That one thing that will break you from your serene environment and bring you to the climaxes of the game reminding you that this world does suffer from an internal conflict that is up to Rias & Slade to solve.
While the alchemy space is a nice environment, and the perfect way to organize yourself the town itself acts as the central hub for all of your shopping and management. There is a capital building where you will manage the town, and also Rias' store that is fully customizable to cater to your customers that buy items you have gathered and displayed. You can also take a rest in the backroom as your collected fairies (an Atelier staple) happily work at the store.
My one graphical complaint pertaining to this title is that the town itself falls a little flat, but as you restore the town back to what it was over a decade ago, you do begin to see things transform. I just wish that the characters residing there were more interactive with schedules and walking around to make things livelier. Outside of this one complaint, it's one of the best-looking games of the year that will run nicely on almost ANY PC.
The audio adds an extra layer of magic to the already stellar presentation. Some of the audio tracks are indeed locked through a paid BGM DLC, but these are added to the storefronts if you want to experience soundtracks from other games in the series and it's honestly a really affordable way to extend your range if that's desired. Outside of knowing that information, the soundtrack the base game offers is substantial in size all on its own.
Of course, you get some well-articulated K-POP that is fashioned for Western taste as well, but you also get some electric guitar thrown into the dramatic bits assuring players that you are not getting a generic JRPG experience and that this title has a fully realized taste that is catered to the player imagination. The music never gets stale or feels out of place. You'll be fully ready to embrace the Irish flutes and darker tones fueled by electronic riffs depending on the environment you are in because everything you hear blends with the visual presented impeccably.
Replay Value
The Alchemy options alone at the alchemy space will give long-time players and newcomers alike hours of replay value You'll spend a lot of time putting S-ranked items together, duplicating, enhancing while contemplating the best options for each individual piece of armor, each accessory and every weapon. Most players enjoy laying back and putting items together they like they are a jigsaw puzzle, and Gust has found the perfect formular here to make this a mentally stimulating process that has a sincere payoff when put into motion through gameplay.
Though to spend time at the alchemy space will require to explore the colorful world and gather items. Your basket can hold a lot of different items, but you'll need to go to the alchemy space frequently to drop gathered items off into your main game container that keeps everything you have collected over the course of your adventure organized through various filters that can be used within the container space itself.
You'll spend plenty of time exploring the world map and you'll enjoy your time grinding for rare items or switching between day and night to find new possibilities. You'll find the best items in the dimensional zones by completing dimension waves. This is sort of the endgame of the title. It's similar to the purgatory in Persona 5. You go fight for as long as you can in these zones, and after a challenging boss you are given the option to continue or leave.
Most players will also choose to invest in the restoration of the town. You'll have to meet crafting requirements, and you will also need basic supplies such as ore and wood which can be harvested by simply gathering around the linear pathed locations and playing the game as you normally would. Within the town you will not just be restoring what was lost, but you will also need to be mindful of your own store that is managed by your party and the fairies that you acquire in dimensional zones that are more than happy to help.
For those that want to continue enjoying the game after the credits roll, you are in luck, as the endgame content is presented in a similar fashion to how Fairy Tale 2 was crafted. You will be rewarded for all of your efforts with some additional surprises and treats. You can also check out Gust's Season Pass if you want to continue your gameplay in the near future that extends into 2026.
There are many playable characters in this game with some being from different worlds entirely than that of Rias & Slade. There are nice varieties of combat options because each character feels completely different from one another and each character seems to be the host of a particular element so there isn't any confusing and pointless mismatching. You'll follow a skill tree and strike or use magical abilities each turn like any other RPG.
You will also need to use link strikes and switch between front and back row party members on the fly. This is a nice addition because it feels like you are truly utilizing all of your characters in a tactical way. None of them are wasted by being placed to the side or never used. You always have a visual of your party members no matter what so everything and everyone can be properly propagated.
While the game can be played on multiple difficulties, 'Very Hard' seems to provide the best balance for skilled veterans of the series such as myself. I found this game to be quite challenging at times, and it's because the enemies you fight are not just standing there taking hits; they are actively trying to knock your party out and they'll do it with speed, defense, self-buffs and status infliction.
My favorite gameplay mechanic is the precision guard. All of your characters in the front row of your party can guard attacks, and if you get the precision guard right before an enemy strikes you will take far less damage and maybe even get a buff or two out of the performance. If you miss your guard, you don't get another shot during move animation to get it again, and you'll have to learn enemy patterns as they can completely fake you out causing you to miss guards entirely.
When you increase the difficulty, you are essentially increasing the enemy damage and also vastly increasing their health. Players looking to have a great time while experiencing clutch matches shouldn't hesitate or be afraid to switch to this difficulty. Overall, this is one of the more optimal Atelier titles in terms of strategical battles taking place.
If you are a fan of traditional JRPG or a long-time Atelier player; you can absolutely not go wrong with this title. It's a very refined game and it requires some skill to play. This game will mentally stimulate in many ways, and its story will soothe your soul. We may not know how Team NINJA contributed to this project, but we can see the prestige, and we can see the quality that both Team NINJA & Gust can bring when working together in a collaborative effort.
Team NINJA actually plays a serious role with this game, but whether it be publishing or developing; it all seems a little unclear as they don't project themselves or take enough credit for the game through social media or other functions, but their quality shows rather it just be graphics design or actual in game development. Their famous logo also happens to appear on the original Resleriana title Forgotten Alchemy & The Polar Night Liberator. So, in essence you could say that Team NINJA has played mysterious role for the first time with this franchise for the first time, and that the mystery revolves around Resleriana.
Storyline & Cinematics
Red Alchemist & White Guardian is easily my favorite turn-based RPG of the year; perhaps even the best I've played in the past five years. Simply put, every aspect of this game is good, but what will stick out to players immediately are the characters. Gust offers you two protagonists Rias & Slade and allows to select which character you want to start off with. Like every proper Atelier Saga, there is a pernicious evil afoot that is attempting to torture and stress out our comrades. Thankfully, because it's Atelier; the game is also extremely cozy with character development that's comparable to dripping honey and butter on warm toast.
It's always the duty of an alchemist to unravel mysteries and explore their world while gathering ingredients to create, but in the act of Rias, she's a bit over encumbered with duties. Her older sister is a powerful figure in their world's government, and she was considered to be the next up-and-coming capital official, but her life takes her on another quest that involves restoring the protagonist's hometown; a place that isn't beaming with capital profits and was previously haunted by a red mist curse and a war. As the mystery begins to unravel, our dear Rias begins to find out that the town's past blunders could only be the beginning as they continue to rebuild.
The main characters reminisce a lot about their past lives, and you find some depth here when it comes to painting a picture of who they really were. Not enough games give us character flashbacks anymore due to budgets and present-day storytelling, so this is a great change of pace compared to what the average player would be used to. This game is for a patient player that likes organization and structure in their storylines, wanting everything to make sense at the same time.
To make everything make sense, there is a lot of dialogue; and I mean a lot of it. Characters in your party will talk for great quantities of time, and it feels like you are warming up in your favorite chair to a good book next to a warm fire. There is no need to rush through this game, let it melt away your heart on its own and you will find that this is the best way to enjoy it. If you missed some dialogue by skipping through there is a convenient dialogue storage box that Koei Tecmo has been adamant about giving us with their narratives, so you don't miss a thing.
This game connects all of the different worlds of Atelier together spinning a well-crafted multi-verse tale. You never know who or what you will find next, which gives this game added layers of surprises throughout your entire playthrough. If you love Atelier or are just coming in; this game is constructed in a way that will inform and delight every player.
With as cozy as the game is; there are significant evils that must be defeated. The villains are surprises in their own right and will be fascinating to anyone that enjoyed Forgotten Alchemy & The Polar Night Liberator. When you factor in every possibility, this title goes above and beyond what Gust had to do to make this game work from a cinematic user experience.
This game will not just take you through space, portals and dimensions on your quest to unravel the mystery, but it does it in a way that only Atelier could and these dimensions are what brings everything together. From the wonderful world map to the replay value to the overall visual and the huge cast of characters. The storyline merges everything through these portals while making it easy for the player to understand that this is magical; not complicated.
Graphical Capabilities
Team NINJA had to have had a say in the graphics because they are so well known for their distinct pallets and wonderous animation; something that is offered here above and beyond my wildest dreams as an Atelier aficionado. There have been a lot of Atelier games this year and they all hit a whimsical, magical stroke that is impossible not to fall in love with.
All of the different characters you meet on your journey are thriving with personality that comes out perfectly with Gust & Team NINJA's visual design. You're restoring a peaceful town that has been downtrodden and overlooked by the capital's government, but the townspeople remain hopeful and adamant to their cause. The world map is as varied as you would expect, but it features another coat of paint that I'm not even sure Yumia had.
The vistas, and locations might be filled with monsters and creatures that you battle, but they also visually pop with peaceful and serene forests, painted with vegetation and gardens, beachside and lakes. You also will be immersed by crystal caverns that glow from the night sky through the cracks on the ceiling. These patterns don't often times repeat themselves so everything you are looking at feels unique and refreshing. As a player you will always get something new and something visual with this game.
There is also a day and night cycle which truly adds to the visual flair of the game. Through this cycle you will not only get the lovely visual change as you grind your way to success on the battlefield, but it also changes the enemies prowling or bouncing about the map and also the gatherable items you can collect.
Amongst all the different environments within this title, a fan favorite will definitely be the alchemist lounge that must be very centerpiece that connects every world and every game and every environment. You could gaze at the gushing effects of space and time here for hours as you ponder your next recipe or utilize some other alchemy invention that assists you on your adventure.
The connecting points and dimensional waves that take you places are probably the most eerie consideration. That one thing that will break you from your serene environment and bring you to the climaxes of the game reminding you that this world does suffer from an internal conflict that is up to Rias & Slade to solve.
While the alchemy space is a nice environment, and the perfect way to organize yourself the town itself acts as the central hub for all of your shopping and management. There is a capital building where you will manage the town, and also Rias' store that is fully customizable to cater to your customers that buy items you have gathered and displayed. You can also take a rest in the backroom as your collected fairies (an Atelier staple) happily work at the store.
My one graphical complaint pertaining to this title is that the town itself falls a little flat, but as you restore the town back to what it was over a decade ago, you do begin to see things transform. I just wish that the characters residing there were more interactive with schedules and walking around to make things livelier. Outside of this one complaint, it's one of the best-looking games of the year that will run nicely on almost ANY PC.
Audio & Extended Soundtrack Sample
The audio adds an extra layer of magic to the already stellar presentation. Some of the audio tracks are indeed locked through a paid BGM DLC, but these are added to the storefronts if you want to experience soundtracks from other games in the series and it's honestly a really affordable way to extend your range if that's desired. Outside of knowing that information, the soundtrack the base game offers is substantial in size all on its own.
Of course, you get some well-articulated K-POP that is fashioned for Western taste as well, but you also get some electric guitar thrown into the dramatic bits assuring players that you are not getting a generic JRPG experience and that this title has a fully realized taste that is catered to the player imagination. The music never gets stale or feels out of place. You'll be fully ready to embrace the Irish flutes and darker tones fueled by electronic riffs depending on the environment you are in because everything you hear blends with the visual presented impeccably.
Replay Value
The Alchemy options alone at the alchemy space will give long-time players and newcomers alike hours of replay value You'll spend a lot of time putting S-ranked items together, duplicating, enhancing while contemplating the best options for each individual piece of armor, each accessory and every weapon. Most players enjoy laying back and putting items together they like they are a jigsaw puzzle, and Gust has found the perfect formular here to make this a mentally stimulating process that has a sincere payoff when put into motion through gameplay.
Though to spend time at the alchemy space will require to explore the colorful world and gather items. Your basket can hold a lot of different items, but you'll need to go to the alchemy space frequently to drop gathered items off into your main game container that keeps everything you have collected over the course of your adventure organized through various filters that can be used within the container space itself.
You'll spend plenty of time exploring the world map and you'll enjoy your time grinding for rare items or switching between day and night to find new possibilities. You'll find the best items in the dimensional zones by completing dimension waves. This is sort of the endgame of the title. It's similar to the purgatory in Persona 5. You go fight for as long as you can in these zones, and after a challenging boss you are given the option to continue or leave.
Most players will also choose to invest in the restoration of the town. You'll have to meet crafting requirements, and you will also need basic supplies such as ore and wood which can be harvested by simply gathering around the linear pathed locations and playing the game as you normally would. Within the town you will not just be restoring what was lost, but you will also need to be mindful of your own store that is managed by your party and the fairies that you acquire in dimensional zones that are more than happy to help.
For those that want to continue enjoying the game after the credits roll, you are in luck, as the endgame content is presented in a similar fashion to how Fairy Tale 2 was crafted. You will be rewarded for all of your efforts with some additional surprises and treats. You can also check out Gust's Season Pass if you want to continue your gameplay in the near future that extends into 2026.
Gameplay & Mechanics
Among my personal favorite Atelier titles for gameplay; this title steers away from the nontraditional, but riveting Yumia and settles you back into old school fun you've always remembered from this series. The battles are standard JRPG, but there are various twists such as a panel on the right of the interface that creates stipulations for you depending on what turn you're on; like a wheel of fate spinning as you fight that can be effective for both player and your foes.
There are many playable characters in this game with some being from different worlds entirely than that of Rias & Slade. There are nice varieties of combat options because each character feels completely different from one another and each character seems to be the host of a particular element so there isn't any confusing and pointless mismatching. You'll follow a skill tree and strike or use magical abilities each turn like any other RPG.
You will also need to use link strikes and switch between front and back row party members on the fly. This is a nice addition because it feels like you are truly utilizing all of your characters in a tactical way. None of them are wasted by being placed to the side or never used. You always have a visual of your party members no matter what so everything and everyone can be properly propagated.
While the game can be played on multiple difficulties, 'Very Hard' seems to provide the best balance for skilled veterans of the series such as myself. I found this game to be quite challenging at times, and it's because the enemies you fight are not just standing there taking hits; they are actively trying to knock your party out and they'll do it with speed, defense, self-buffs and status infliction.
My favorite gameplay mechanic is the precision guard. All of your characters in the front row of your party can guard attacks, and if you get the precision guard right before an enemy strikes you will take far less damage and maybe even get a buff or two out of the performance. If you miss your guard, you don't get another shot during move animation to get it again, and you'll have to learn enemy patterns as they can completely fake you out causing you to miss guards entirely.
When you increase the difficulty, you are essentially increasing the enemy damage and also vastly increasing their health. Players looking to have a great time while experiencing clutch matches shouldn't hesitate or be afraid to switch to this difficulty. Overall, this is one of the more optimal Atelier titles in terms of strategical battles taking place.
Overall Rating
If you are a fan of traditional JRPG or a long-time Atelier player; you can absolutely not go wrong with this title. It's a very refined game and it requires some skill to play. This game will mentally stimulate in many ways, and its story will soothe your soul. We may not know how Team NINJA contributed to this project, but we can see the prestige, and we can see the quality that both Team NINJA & Gust can bring when working together in a collaborative effort.
✮✮✮✮
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