It has not even been a full year since its latest release, and now both developer Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo are looking to capitalize on the recent success of the Atelier series with a brand-new game releasing later this year. This announcement from yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Mini was monumental for two reasons; one is because this is the shortest gap between two connected Atelier titles, and the second is that it is also the first in the series to feature the same protagonist from the preceding game.
And who can blame Gust? Ryza singlehandedly brought the series newfound popularity to make Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout the best-selling Atelier game, selling 420,000 copies as of March of this year. The twenty-first mainline entry to the long-running series featured an overhauled combat system as well as a streamlined alchemy system, which proved to be a big draw for newcomers to the series – not to mention the incredible charm of its main protagonist.
The sequel, titled Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, will be releasing for the same platforms (PlayStation 4, Switch and PC via Steam). The announcement was accompanied by a short feature trailer in Japanese. Strangely enough, the announcement was made only during the Japanese Direct Mini, although it was also announced that a special movie that’s transcribed for both English and Japanese will be aired at a later date. Check out the trailer for Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy below.
The trailer did much to showcase Ryza’s brand-new look, and it has already been confirmed that Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy takes place three years after the events of the first game. It looks like it will be set in a brand-new location, away from the rural sights and sounds of Kurken Island and more into a bustling and well-developed city. The trailer also showed off that the game will have underwater levels, as well as new ways to traverse environments such as with grappling hooks and riding animals. As for the supporting cast, only Klaudia was shown in the trailer fighting alongside Ryza with a slightly different combat system. That said, checking out the game’s website here (which displays a countdown until the special movie airs) shows off mosaic close-ups of the cast, including both Lent and Tao. No sign of either Empel or Lila, though.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy will be released for the PlayStation 4, Switch and PC via Steam this Winter.
