I had a go at Ryza 1 last year, and it really is crafting heavy - and charming, with it. That game was set in a small village and spent a lot of time building up its core gang of friends. It’s also anime as heck though, and I drifted away from it fairly quickly. Bigger JRPG fans than me enjoyed it plenty though, as in Steven Wright’s review for us: Ryza 2 continues the story three years after the events from the first game, “and depicts the reunion of Ryza and her friends.” There’s turn-based combat, grapple-hooking exploration, workshop interior decorating, and impractical asymmetric costume designs. I’m going to make Ed review it. Atelier Ryza 2 is out now on Steam, where it costs £50/€60/$60.
