With games in a trilogy, there may be a question about accessibility. The answer to a question like, “should I play previous Atelier games before Atelier Ryza 3 is a tricky one. This is because while yes, there is some “required reading” here, you don’t need to go overboard to prepare.
Should I play other games in the general Atelier series before Atelier Ryza 3?
If you want! The thing about Atelier games is that they aren’t connected. Yes, they all involve alchemists who are just learning their craft and the mechanics may be similar. However, the entries are pretty much contained in their own spheres.
For example, the first three Atelier games ever made, Atelier Marie, Atelier Elie, and Atelier Lilie, make up the Salburg trilogy. Likewise, one of the more recent groupins was the Arland collection, which consisted of Atelier Rorona, Atelier Totori, and Atelier Meruru initially. However, a few years later the follow-up Atelier Lulua came along to make that a quartet.
So you’re completely fine with not playing every Atelier game and spin-off before Atelier Ryza 3 before that game launches.
Should I play Atelier Ryza and Atelier Ryza 2 before Atelier Ryza 3?
Yes. You 100% need to. The Atelier Ryza entries, in general, are designed to be accessible to a wide audience. I’d say they’re the most beginner-friendly of all the Atelier games. However, this is the culmination of not only Ryza’s character development, but also her friends, over three games as young adults grow up and come into their own. Likewise, the backstory and lore of their world built up over three games. So, you should play the first two as well.
Fortunately, they’re easy to find! All are available digitally and physically, though physical copies can get a bit limited and expensive. The original Atelier Ryza is on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. Atelier Ryza 2 appeared on the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC.
Atelier Ryza 3 will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC on March 23, 2023 in Japan and March 24, 2023 worldwide.
