As much as I want to rope more people into playing Gust titles, I cannot honestly recommend Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator to be anyone’s first (Gust) game. If you’re a big fan of the Atelier series, you may appreciate the fan service and eye candy this title brings, but it still comes at a hefty price, and this time, it’s not because you’re juggling multiple deadlines to save your workshop/reputation. Instead, you’ll succumb tothe brutal gachaAtelier Resleriana throws your way. So, gear up for a turbulent ride as I go hands-on with Gust’s new gacha Atelier Resleriana, which is sadly far from one ofAndroid’s best gaming gems.
Mobile performance could use some improvements
Straight up, the performance could be better on Android. For mobile devices that don’t offer cooling fans, you will want to crank the graphics down from the default settings. My Redmagic warmed up during cutscenes and battle sequences to the point that I felt uncomfortable holding it in my hands, even with the internal cooling fan on full blast.
I tested controller support on Android and PC and had no luck, though I didn’t find the absence to be a massive deal-breaker. The experience with touch controls (or a mouse) is fine, thanks to the auto-play feature and the ability to skip/auto-advance the dialogue. It’s also not an overly active game that requires precise controls and navigation. But it still would have been a nice consideration, given the series' (console-gaming) origin.
Gust’s talent for graphical polish shines in Atelier Resleriana
The visual presentation matches Gust’s latest console and PC titles (Atelier Ryza series and Atelier Sophie 2). Gust is known to offer some of the coziest shell-shaded graphics that have ever graced the industry. Thankfully, this is where Resleriana shines: the animations are top-tier while in battle and during cutscenes (it’s easy to get suckered into Resna’s starry-eyed expressions). But other than the excellent graphics, the game is pretty shallow.
I have no complaints about the UI; it’s clean and not overly cluttered. There is not an overwhelming amount of menus to work with, but the game operates at a linear pace, where you’ll dump your stamina into story/battle stages. Unfortunately, this is where the game stagnates compared tothe top gachas out there.
The gameplay and story are pretty mediocre
Atelier games aren’t known for emotionally gripping storylines. There’s rarely a deep plot; it’s never about saving the world from some evil threat. These games mainly emphasize the importance of mastering the alchemy craft with (inserted) themes of friendship and family. But that’s part of the charm. You play an Atelier game to get some R&R from the more heavy and emotionally draining titles out there. But when the underlying plot point for a crossover is that every alchemist (from other titles) ate a lollipop, magically putting them in Resleriana’s universe, the writers aren’t even trying to come up with anything interesting.
And it gets even worse. You’d think that by beingconsidered one of the mainline titles, the developers would ensure synthesis remains fun and somewhat meaningful. Atelier Resleriana waters the most interesting mechanic of the series down to the point that it may as well not exist. Synthesis feels more like a chore — so much for bringing the magic of alchemy back.
The game’s battle system doesn’t bring anything new or exciting, either. It’s the same old boring system found in most turn-based gachas: actions split into two skills and a burst. But to actually win battles, you will have to take advantage of the break system when selecting moves; enemies have a stun (health) bar, and after depleting it, you do more damage, and the enemy’s actions become delayed. The only interesting mechanic is you may use items you’ve synthesized in combat — not a new feature if you’ve played other Atelier titles.
The gacha system is ultimately Resleriana’s undoing
I have no qualms that there’s gacha, I enjoy many in my free time. However, the rates and introduction to paid-only banners create an awkward system. Paid banners have greed written all over them. Coincidentally, the rates for the non-paid banners are atrocious (6% rates for the highest rarity, with a 2:1 split between characters and Memorias). It also takes 3000 Lodestar Gems for a 10-pull, and I barely earned that after completing the tutorial. The prices in the cash shop are appalling, and there is no option for a monthly pass for the meager spenders. It all adds up to a game that feels stingy, and that’s not what you want to see from a gamepredicted to be on its last legs.
On the plus side, re-rolling accounts only take 5 minutes. you’re able to skip the cutscenes and race through the tutorial to start your gambling. The game only gives you enough to collect 20 pulls (via the Shop), so use those pulls wisely.
Atelier Resleriana is a cash grab
It’s difficult not to recommend a game so tailored-made to the fanbase, but Resleriana plays more like an Atelier fever dream than anything you’d expect from the mainline series. The music and graphics carry the entire game, but even then, that’s not enough when seeking a meaty Atelier game on Android. I came in hoping for a Priconne (Princess Connect! Re:Dive) replacement, a relaxing gacha that had a fair grind, but instead, I got another monstrously greedy gacha that feels out of touch with its playerbase.
If you want a truly authentic Atelier experience, Ryza or Marie on consoles or PC is still the way to go. Still, if you’re curious to see how Atelier Resleriana plays on yourfavorite Android gaming phone, you’re able to snag the install through the Play Store widget below.
