Atelier Iris 2 The Azoth of Destiny

Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny was destined to be a niche RPG the day it was unveiled. It's low on technical advancements, favoring old-school artwork, generic battle animation, and fantasy environments over the futuristic/industrial theme recent RPGs have taken. Outside of the action/adventure genre, where old-school is welcome, RPGs are the only games that can get away with doing this. Especially when it's done right.

Atelier Iris 2's journey begins in a peaceful world with a place known as Eden. Within the first 20 minutes the game's heroine, Viese, is given a gift (two rings) when she becomes an official alchemist. The rings are known as Share Rings – you keep one and give the other to someone special. She of course has a young man in mind, a brave warrior known as Felt. As the two discuss their accomplishments and what they hope for the future, an earthquake erupts, halting their fun. No one appears to be hurt during the quake, but that was just the beginning of their problems. The disaster turns out to be something much more dangerous than a quake, causing nearly half of Eden to disappear.

Fearing that this is a sign of things to come, Felt investigates. He receives a strange message, almost as if it were from a power beyond their world. It urges him to grab the Azoth protector – a sword that has been stuck in the ground for generations. The sword starts to glow. Even though he can't explain it, Felt believes it has chosen him. To do what, exactly? No one knows. He grabs the sword and from then on feels that he must see the journey through.

Before he leaves to explore new, possibly dangerous territory, Viese gives him the other ring and tells him what it means. She lets him know that she'll be waiting for him when he gets back. Could this be the end for Atelier Iris 2's potential lovebirds?

I haven't played the original, so I can't draw comparisons to how the series has or hasn't advanced. I can tell you that as far as old-school gaming goes, this game hits the bull's eye. The story is filled with hokey moments and sentences that just don't work, but overall it's pretty engaging. The characters have an unusual look to them, which adds to their likeability. Some reminded me of the cast of Darkstalkers. Character stills are used during long dialogue sequences to show expression – not always with the best results, but it's the whole usage of them that makes the game work. The artwork is good and the voice-overs are of a much higher quality than other RPGs in its class. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the final version is even better. 

Atelier Iris 2's backgrounds are technically dated but look very good. They're obviously hand-drawn – if not, then they were designed to look like they were. Each environment is formed with a 1960s-quality background that use a basic color palette. Character models are 2D; moving in and out of the environment does not change the camera angle or alter the dimension of the characters.

Thus far the battle visuals are no better than a 16-bit RPG. In any other genre that would be a complaint, but like I said, RPGs can get away with it. The combat is quick and painless. Selections are made easy, with basic attack options that grow as your party members gain EXP. I didn't encounter too many grueling battles in this build, and right now I'm not complaining. I would like a few rough challenges to conquer, but if the story lives up and the music is memorable, I'd be satisfied with a fairly easy-going quest. I can get exhilarating battles from Grandia III. If there's one thing I want from this game it's an exhilarating story.

It's still too early to judge the longevity of Atelier Iris 2's music, but so far it has been quite a treat. The sound quality is nowhere near what the PS2 is capable of, but the compositions heard within each level are already getting stuck in my head. Most of the tracks are deep and/or emotional; others are merely catchy and fun. Depending on the scenarios in which these songs are used, the soundtrack could be just as memorable as a Square RPG.

One of Atelier Iris 2's most interesting gameplay features is item synthesizing. Collect or purchase the proper pieces, bring them back home to the fiery cauldron (as if you were a witch or something!), and synthesize to create new pieces necessary for battle. Health items are the first you'll get a crack at synthesizing, but that's just the beginning. Cure ailments, raise battle statistics, and more by mixing the required ingredients.

Scheduled to win the hearts of old-school RPG enthusiasts everywhere this April, Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny is one of the most promising RPGs of the season.