Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 34
  3. Negative: 1 out of 34
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  1. G4 TV
    40
    Mana and magic system aside, the game’s primary selling point is the same as so many other RPGs: a couple dozen hours of content. And if merely killing time is the goal, then it could fill the bill.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PS2 Game of 2006
51
#51 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22
  1. GenTrailsFan
    Mar 1, 2022
    8
    Definite improvement from the first part of the Iris trilogy. Music was good, story was better if a little predictable. Crafting system wasDefinite improvement from the first part of the Iris trilogy. Music was good, story was better if a little predictable. Crafting system was much improved, I love the smithing addition. The story playing out form two different perspectives was very fun and a unique little twist I'd like to see more of in games.

    Story 7/10
    Graphics 7/10
    Gameplay 8.5/10    … Full Review »
  2. SpeedStar1642
    Aug 10, 2023
    9
    Atelier Iris 2 isn't the most deep and complex RPG, but this is an RPG that is just plain comfortable to sit through. The story is cliche to aAtelier Iris 2 isn't the most deep and complex RPG, but this is an RPG that is just plain comfortable to sit through. The story is cliche to a fault, but given the tone of the series is more light-hearted, this is acceptable by my standards. I am totally OK with a cliche story in my personal feelings. And I do love the two side perspective as that game has and it's not like our heroes can't keep in touch thanks to some magic communication rings to also provide a valid excuse to why the protagonists share inventory space. The cast of this game is competently executed and while not the most deep cast, that's OK. Almost every character is likable despite that. (Though I will say my favorite of the main party is the dragon man. He's the most static character, sure. But he's a man that got cursed with this dragon form but this is a Cursed with Awesome scenario. And the icing on the cake is that for once, the cursed beast doesn't face prejudice. Great subversion for a change!). The gameplay loop of gathering materials and crafting with them is simple and to the point. And a small upgrading weapon system was a welcome choice to have. And the combat has a satisfying loop of charging your tech gauge while keeping the enemy stunned and it fixed game 1's issue of only having its protag be allowed to use items which I felt was a dumb choice. I do think the difficulty curve is a bit too jarring by the halfway point where enemies did over half of your health, but I can tank some grinding to get there. As for the presentation, I'd say it's miles better than the first for having a more consistent style throughout and the map system in this game is in a drawing form so that that part in the game doesn't feel outta place. Sprites got a nice upgrade in the style, character portraits lean more on the anime side and it doesn't feel wrong to look at, and the backgrounds while static do their job pretty well. And I'd consider Iris 2's music to be the most memorable for me by series standards. And plus we got some great actors in the cast. To show off my inner actor nerd, Spike Spencer and Michelle Ruff are the protags, the late Bob Papenbrook being the dragon man, Mona Marshall being the annoying fairy (Though I still love Mona's voice work), and Liam O'Brien basically playing as the Jerkass Rival villain. Not one performance was awful per se, but the line cutting got pretty annoying. That's the only other gripe in this game that bugged me. All in all, Iris 2's a much more refined game and fun to come back to if ya want some cliche, but still fun RPG goodness. And this is what I'd consider to be a prime example of an RPG that is just plain fun without deep tones.… Full Review »
  3. Barjoe
    Jan 1, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Lots of reused assets & have the worst soundtrack out of any Atelier game, a bland Gary Stu protagonist that everyone in the game magically likes & is good at almost everything, and they makes you craft the exploration tools this time instead of infinite use like in the previous game.

    As a fan of the series I can safely say that everyone should just do themself a favor & completely skip this game.    … Full Review »
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