Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana - Final Play

Ah, Atelier Iris. The bloom is off the rose a little, but I still have an overwhelmingly positive feeling towards this game. There are some extraneous things I have yet to complete (like the special dungeon that opens up after you finish the main story), but I am done with the main game itself.

Even after many hours with the game, I’m as charmed by the look and feel of the game as I was in the beginning; however, I’ve grown much more frustrated with the mana system as I’ve progressed through the later stages and bosses. The difficulty of the bosses ramped up significantly, and while that’s to be expected in any RPG, I am NOT used to having to utilize extraneous systems (ie, beyond your basic levelling/weapon upgrade) in the game to actually be able to finish. In this case, I really had to go back and do some aimless running around to gather mana crystals (which is more of a pain than it first sounds like, since you can only hold 9 at a time) in order to play with the weapon upgrade system. Beating some of the last bosses seemed to be based more on luck than skills or stats, and the only way to tip the scales in your favor was to level up those weapons like mad. Things like this always leave a slightly sour taste in my mouth; I don’t like having to basically put my game on hold towards the end so that I can actually finish it.

But, other than my frustration with the mana crystallization/weapon upgrade system, my opinions on Atelier have changed little. I still think it’s a really fun game (just get started on that mana crystallization early in the game!), and I have a feeling I’ll be playing through it again. The wild goose chases for the item synthesis side quests have been more fun than frustrating, and the whole tone of the game just really strikes me in the right way. I still feel that the story is lacking in some aspects, but there is a sequel on the way (in Japan at least - no word if it’s going to see a US release), so perhaps things will be better explained or tied up then.

I love playing games that can have fun with their genre, and Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana really fits that bill. Sure, I love playing the long, involved, and more serious games like the Final Fantasies, but Atelier has been a fun ride for me. It’s one of the shorter, more compact, less-serious RPGs I’ve played that has been a very satisfying experience; it’s nice to take a break from the 100-hour behemoths that have become pretty standard in the genre to have a little fun with a shorter, friendlier RPG. It’s really a great homage to the genre as a whole, without taking itself too seriously. I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed that US gamers get to see some more of the Atelier Iris franchise. It’s been fresh and familiar all at the same time, something I think is a pretty impressive feat for any game.