It seems
that in the offices of Gust (Japanese video game developer)
someone woke up "based" and decided to blurt out truths that hurt.
While we all love the Atelier series for its impeccable
designs (and let's face it, for the cultural impact of Ryza's thighs), the
developers have put the handbrake on. Taking advantage of the release of
the Atelier Ryza: Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack this February,
the studio bosses admitted that they can no longer live only by selling pretty
waifus; The future of the franchise depends on the game being truly fun.
The
gamer does not live by "design" alone
Junzo
Hosoi, the head of Gust, was brutally honest in a recent interview. He
basically said that the explosion of sales with Ryza was a
kind of "bubble" and that, if they want to survive in the long term,
they need to create titles that fans recommend for their mechanics and not just
for the girl on the cover. The idea is to stop being seen as a simple
"waifu simulator" and compete head-to-head with RPG giants through
much more polished and deeper alchemy and combat systems. It's
not about eliminating the kawaii, but about gameplay ceasing
to be a secondary accessory.
This new
philosophy is already being noticed. Producer Katsuto Kawauchi noted that the
"quality of life" improvements in the new Deluxe Pack — such as
faster synthesis and fluid combat chains — are just a taste of what's to come.
They know they're competing in an ocean full of sharks like Final
Fantasy, and while their niche of "crafting relaxing RPG" is
unique, the modern audience demands more than just gathering herbs with a
charismatic protagonist. It's a pure survival move: evolve or stagnate in
the fan service niche.
About
the Atelier saga
For those
who only know memes, Atelier is a historical franchise that
has been mixing turn-based RPGs with super-addictive alchemy systems since
1997. However, in recent years, the conversation has turned almost exclusively
around character design (especially with the Ryza trilogy,
which sold over 3 million copies). This change of direction seeks to balance
the scales so that reviews on Steam stop talking only about aesthetics and
start praising the depth of the game.
