Gust Corporation's Atelier series has been on the go now since 1997. Yes, that 1997, the one that was ages ago.
Traditionally, this is one RPG franchise that's never been a massive mover in the West. It didn't officially see the light of day over here until 2004, after which, I think it's fair to say, it spent quite a long time being so niche in its offerings that the idea of it really taking hold seemed far-fetched. It's all very low stakes, low-key, and incredibly fan-servicey.
However, it's been very interesting — speaking as someone who's reviewed many of the games on Switch 1 — to watch how quickly the Gust devs have, in the past six years or thereabouts, started to appeal to a different, bigger audience, particularly since the genuinely fantastic Atelier Ryza trilogy released and went from strength to strength.
Indeed, while the first of Ryza's adventures, Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, was a slight but meaningful shift in the right direction, with a more explorable world, better mission structure, improved combat and a bunch of other Good Things™, by the time the final entry arrived in 2023, it felt like a proper full-on shift from often-difficult-to-parse fare and fan service to the sort of RPG that I (and I'm sure a bunch of other folk) want to get stuck into.
The core alchemy in these games has always been entrancing - this is some super-deep stuff for folks who like to get into ingredients. But this core is now hugely enhanced by modern open worlds, gloriously fun combat, and things that make for a full loop of gaming goodness, rather than what often felt like half of one.
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, with the arrival of the next entry in the series, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, just around the corner, I got the opportunity to fire off some quick questions to none other than Junzo Hosoi (head of Gust Corporation and the game's general producer), Yasunori Sakuta (its development producer), and Yuki Katsumata (its director)...
Nintendo Life (PJ O'Reilly): There are now a total of 27 Atelier games in this fantastic series, including [this one]. This huge number of games is then further divided into several sub-series - tell us how Atelier Resleriana fits into all of this.
Junzo Hosoi: The mobile version of Atelier Resleriana stands as the 25th entry to the series (A25). As for this title, as it features events that take place at the same time ones in the first part of Atelier Resleriana (A25), it is considered within a part of A25, so we think of it as "A25-2".
The first Resleriana took the very different form of a mobile Gacha game. What was the decision behind choosing this form of game, and how did it work out overall?
Yasunori Sakuta: The mobile version of Atelier Resleriana was created with the intent to allow users who didn't know the Atelier series to casually get in touch with it and discover the appeal of the series. As a result, a lot of people within and outside of Japan mentioned that it became the reason they discovered the Atelier series and their interest in Resleriana is what made them decide to play other Atelier titles.
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is set within the same universe as the first Resleriana game. Can you tell us what the main differences are for this new adventure?
Yasunori Sakuta: This game takes place within the same setting as the previous Resleriana, so we partially used its system as reference. However, this is a completely new title, with a plot that takes place within the same timeframe as the mobile game, but in a different region.
For those who have played the mobile game, I'd think of it more as a "spin-off" of sorts. These players will be able to see connections to the original game, but those who have never played the mobile version can experience this game as a completely new title.
Several Atelier games feature dual protagonists, such as the pair we find in this new game, and in others (Escha and Logy, for instance). What are the main attractions, benefits, and drawbacks of having dual protagonists in this type of adventure?
Junzo Hosoi: There hasn't been a male protagonist in the Atelier series in the last few years, so we wanted him to have an active role this time. That's how Rias and Slade were born.
With two protagonists we were able to fully illustrate their relationship, allowing for a more immersive experience. At the same time, if the balance between the two of them is not properly done, only one will be active and the other will not stand out. So that's quite a difficult situation to handle. It was quite challenging to keep the balance between the two protagonists throughout the story and game system.
Is Atelier Resleriana planned to be a trilogy, or are there any future plans for this particular sub-series going forward?
Junzo Hosoi: We are focused on Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian and are not currently thinking ahead. Of course, we are considering the next title for GUST, and there's the possibility of considering a third title for Resleriana.
I am a huge fan of the Atelier Ryza series, which you were producer on. Those games felt like they were pulling the Atelier franchise into a more mainstream position, in how they dialled back fan-service and made the games more “modern JRPG”-like. Does Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian attempt to further the franchise in this way?
Junzo Hosoi: Thank you very much! I'm so glad to hear that!
For me, Ryza was a challenging title, as we wanted it to make more people play the Atelier series. And we continued that flow with Yumia. But, during the establishment of the series, I also understand that there are many different needs. For the development for this title, we wanted to make it a series that carefully envelops the turn-based aspects and a kind world.
Atelier Yumia took the series to another level in terms of its open world. Can we expect something similar here, or is this a different sort of experience?
Yuki Katsumata: This time, the field is not an open world but players will have a sectioned area to explore, similar to Atelier Sophie 2. Additionally, there are multi-level dungeons called "Dimensional Paths" around the field. The map's structure changes every time players enter them and the gimmicks and monsters also change slightly. The obtainable ingredients there are also better than the ones regularly found in the field, so players can also challenge themselves by re-entering them time and time again.
[This] Atelier Resleriana is releasing on Nintendo Switch and a few other, more powerful platforms. Can we expect to see a Switch 2 port at any point?
Junzo Hosoi: As this title was developed for the Switch, we currently have no plans to port it to Switch 2.
Speaking of Switch 2, do you have one yet and, if so, have you any favourite games so far?
Junzo Hosoi: I do own a Switch 2! The recently released Donkey Kong Bananza is really fun. I return to a childlike state to destroy and release my stress!
Finally, and something which has been causing a lot of controversy recently, AI and its many uses within the production of video games. How do you feel about using the likes of generative AI to help on projects, whether it be for background tasks or something like the art or writing in a project?
Junzo Hosoi: I feel the application of AI in game creation is incredibly vast. That being said, I think creators play an essential part of it, which is doing what AI cannot do, such as coming up with new ideas and bringing them to life. Moving forward, the balance between what we can leave up to AI and what creators come up and bring to life may become essential in game production.
Sincerest thanks to Junzo Hosoi, Yasunori Sakuta, and Yuki Katsumata from Gust Corporation for taking the time out to answer my questions.
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian releases on Switch on 26th September.