Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian – Review
Release date: September 26, 2025
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Series: Atelier
Developers: Gust, Koei Tecmo Games
Composers: Kazuki Yanagawa, Daisuke Shinoda
Genres: Role-playing video game, Adventure game
Publishers: Koei Tecmo Games, KOEI TECMO AMERICA Corporation
“Review Copy Provided By Koei-Tecmo”
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian is a visually stunning RPG that shines with artistry and charm, even as a few lingering flaws hold it back from true greatness. This entry stands as the most beautiful in the Atelier series, featuring expressive facial animations, painterly environments, and character designs that perfectly match their personalities. The eyes, especially, glimmer with emotion, bringing every scene to life. Visiting the Atelier itself feels magical—white sigils drift in the air under a starlit sky, evoking a sense of wonder.
Frequent cutscenes give players ample time to bond with the cast, though the pacing occasionally suffers from their frequency. Despite a few flat characters (notably Slade), the ensemble feels well-rounded. Fans of the series will recognize familiar faces—heroes from past Atelier entries mysteriously transported to this world, much like Dissidia: Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem Engage. These cameos enhance the story’s scope without stealing focus from the main narrative.
The central story revolves around rebuilding a town devastated by disaster twelve years prior. As Rias learns the ways of alchemy, the town evolves alongside her progress. Investing in businesses and improving facilities recalls the sense of progression from Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. Watching shops open and new goods appear as you develop areas like farming and manufacturing gives the game a rewarding rhythm of growth.
Narratively, Resleriana excels at maintaining intrigue without overcomplicating its mysteries. However, key dialogue often appears as small text in the corner, making it easy to miss important nuances. The Japanese voice acting, though initially jarring with Rias’s high-pitched tone, fits the characters well once adjusted to. Performances sound genuine, enhancing the game’s emotional moments.
Combat takes inspiration from Final Fantasy X’s turn-based system, allowing mid-battle character swaps and emphasizing elemental matchups. Skills unleash visually striking attacks, and crafting new gear directly impacts battle efficiency. A well-forged weapon or high-tier armor can drastically shift the tide of combat, rewarding those who embrace the series’ signature crafting depth. However, the enemy roster feels repetitive, recycling a limited pool of models with palette swaps—a clear cost-cutting move that dulls variety.
The game’s crafting and exploration systems remain both its strength and its weakness. While crafting is satisfying, the tutorials fail to clarify key mechanics. Tools like the Bungee Gem and Exploration items—essential for gathering materials such as lumber or insects—are poorly explained, leaving players to experiment blindly. Ingredient management can also frustrate: recipes display icons without clear labels, and the absence of alphabetical sorting makes navigation clunky. Thankfully, the Quest Tracker’s ingredient locator helps mitigate this issue.
Late-game difficulty spikes are another sticking point. Most of the adventure maintains a relaxed pace until Chapter 6, when two brutally overpowered bosses appear. Even on Easy mode, their cinematic attacks can one-shot party members, turning a chill experience into an exasperating challenge that feels unfairly tuned.
Performance issues add further frustration. On startup, Rias’s campaign sometimes crashes outright, requiring a hard reset, while Slade’s route runs more reliably. Frame drops during flashy boss attacks can disrupt timing-based defenses, and some cinematic angles obscure incoming attacks, making reaction difficult.
Yet amid the flaws, Resleriana’s heart remains strong. The soundtrack, highlighted by the enchanting Atelier theme “Starry Sky Hideout,” perfectly captures the warmth and whimsy of the series. Players can freely customize background music, a delightful touch for longtime fans.
In the end, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian delivers a gorgeous and heartfelt adventure that balances crafting, storytelling, and exploration with classic Atelier charm. Despite uneven difficulty, unclear mechanics, and minor technical hiccups, it’s a journey worth taking. Rias’s optimistic spirit, the vivid worldbuilding, and the serene music combine to create an RPG experience that enchants for hours on end.
