Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 38
  3. Negative: 1 out of 38
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  1. VGPub
    93
    One of the most enjoyable RPGs I’ve ever played. It’s got a leisurely feel and pace to it unlike anything else I’ve seen.
  2. RPG Fan
    90
    You may not like it as much as I did, but in the end, you will have enjoyed this game more than a lot of other PS2 games out there.
  3. Da Gameboyz
    90
    If you are looking for a good RPG to sink into for a while, buy this. For RPG and Anime fans, it's not to be missed.
  5. AceGamez
    90
    One the best RPG experiences to grace the PS2 in a while, ranking up there with Final Fantasy X and Disgaea. Every aspect from story to gameplay to audiovisual appeal is well executed, making it a fresh, unique experience.
    All this publication's reviews
  6. GamingTrend
    88
    The biggest complaint is that some of the English voices are really lacking, especially comparing them to how the Japanese voice actors sound doing the same (or similar) lines, and the entire jumping mess. Outside of that, this is a very solid title, and quite possibly a contender for 2005 RPG of the year.
  7. eToychest
    86
    Atelier Iris isn’t without its faults, and it will not appeal to everyone – the humor is consistently tongue-in-cheek which will drive some people away. In all, though, this game is a rare treat for the traditional RPG enthusiast.
  8. Worth Playing
    85
    A wonderful game and recommend it for any RPG fan who needs a game to spend 40-80 hours on.
  9. Deeko
    85
    Characters may seem clichéd and the plot itself may feel repeated, but the game offers up a gameplay experience that is simply fantastic.
  10. Game Chronicles
    85
    Like an old shoe: you know it so well, and it's made so sturdily, that every time you slip back into it, it feels like it belongs there. It's a comfortable, deeply satisfying game, the type of game that you'll find yourself taking more from than just a fun story, despite yourself.
  11. Game Informer
    83
    The icing on this cake of RPG happiness is the clever and relatively gaffe-free localization. [June 2005, p.128]
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  12. Into Liquid Sky
    83
    For those who pine the 16-bit days, Atelier Iris is a wonderful bit of nostalgia that's good fun to play.
  13. netjak
    83
    If you like RPGs and games that have a sense of humor you should get this now. You'll be happy that you did.
    All this publication's reviews
  14. BonusStage
    82
    A more-than-solid RPG throwback that does much more right than it does wrong.
  15. Play UK
    81
    With over 400 items to be discovered or created in the game, Eternal Mana is a micro-manager's dream. [Apr 2006, p.103]
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  16. PSM Magazine
    80
    A decent localization, really likeable characters (despite the bland main quest), some rather funny dialogue, and the meaty synthesizing feature are simply too satisfying to pass up. [July 2005, p.84]
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  17. Eurogamer
    80
    This is a quintessentially Japanese videogame reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles such as Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, albeit married to a Nippon Ichi-style fanaticism for detail and Pokemon's kleptomaniacal Gotta Catch ‘Em All mechanic.
  18. GameBiz
    80
    Atelier Iris Eternal Mana may not be as polished as other similar titles but does provide a fun and addictive RPG that should appease old school RPG gamers.
  19. GameZone
    78
    While this is very much a linear experience, the pacing is relaxed and gamers could enjoy the puzzles and the diversity of the crafting experience.
  20. Inside Gamer Online
    78
    Stylistically, the game borrows heavily from many predecessors, including Lunar, Grandia and all entries of Squaresoft’s Secret of Mana franchise. But with just the right amount of borrowing and combining of different elements into something new, alchemy becomes wholeheartedly amusing, entertaining and rewarding.
  21. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    75
    A potent concoction that should appeal to any RPG fan. [July 2005, p.112]
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  22. Play Magazine
    75
    As a lighthearted, beautifully drawn RPG, Atelier Iris delivers exactly as promised, a deep, non-violent, involving, at times engaging fantastical quest, which is surely more than suitable for its niche. [June 2005, p.52]
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  23. Detroit Free Press
    75
    A purely traditional -- some might say dated -- role-playing game that's so engrossing and charming that its lack of innovation is forgiven.
  24. Just RPG
    75
    With its unique sense of humor and style, Atelier Iris will more than likely appeal to fans of previous Nippon Ichi titles.
  25. PALGN
    75
    The innovation is there, and what’s expressed is done well. But Atelier Iris suffers from some really stupid mistakes. In a genre that relies heavily on keeping gamers interested, the backtracking, silly errand missions and slow progressing story don’t help at all.

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Best PS2 Game of 2005
77
#77 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
72
#72 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 48
  3. Negative: 5 out of 48
  1. MartR.
    Jun 30, 2005
    5
    The bright anime slideshow keeps up the pace and the moronic alchemy keeps you entertained for the major part of this ordeal, however, only a The bright anime slideshow keeps up the pace and the moronic alchemy keeps you entertained for the major part of this ordeal, however, only a tired mind will keep going after the initial burst of energy is spent. Fighting gets pushed back, making headway for endless trading, synthesizing and chat missions. Which is a shame, because fighting is so much fun in this game. The utterly atrocious translation kills another three points off the score.… Full Review »
  2. vahn
    Dec 11, 2012
    8
    Among the many creators or RPGs, Gust is one of my favorite after Atlus (and for the western side, Bethesda). For what I recall, this was oneAmong the many creators or RPGs, Gust is one of my favorite after Atlus (and for the western side, Bethesda). For what I recall, this was one of their first games that was released outside Japan (infact, it's one of the fewest Atelier games where the main character is a male because of the habit of having male characters in here), and I was hooked immediately by the game's charm: it has a sloppy but cute graphic, a roster of simple yet interesting characters, and a (small) world to explore and play, without mentioning that you can also interact with the enviroment (you can jump, for starters, and you'll have spells to help you clear the way or pass over obstacles). The Atelier series (and almost all Gust games) is clearly known for the synthesizing feature, and unlike many games where this is hard and manytimes useless, it's actually rewarded and it's "rarely" a chore. It plays like a turn based RPGs, a simple yet good system, and you're also able to change characters between turns if needed, because characters are strongly unique in both their attacks range (one can attack in a vertical line, some can attack in a wider, etc) and spells (Klein, the main character, is the only one who can create strong spells with alchemy, and Lita is the fastest character and can sometimes attack twice in a row). Of course, being a Gust game, it has plenty of flaws (and few bugs). First of all, the prospective used in the game is sometimes very hard to follow. The locations are all set in a isometrical prospective but unfortunely it can become hard to see where to go: some ledges might be lower than you think and at times you think you can jump somewhere close, but it's higher than your jump: this can be extremely frustrating because you'll never understand how the places are designed. Also, the graphics are definitely not high quality and the animations are very minimalistic and even though I don't bother bad graphics and such, some people might not be able to get over it. Same goes for the battle system: it's actually well thought and kinda deep: you are in a small invisible grid and depending on which position you are, you can avoid area, and you won't be able to target all enemies at once because of their divisions. Each character has also their skills (about 8 in total: passive and active included), each one upgradeable by using different manas and at every level up, with also few skills to obtain with some extra missions. Again, this might discourage some players because it's kinda deep, but not completely necessary, and unless you really want to maximize your characters you won't be really bothering that much, since a good grinding will do the trick anyways. The world map also, which is small but a nice addition (this is one of the fewest game I've played on the PS2 where there's an actual world map), but it's terribly done and, once again, if you cannot pass the bad graphics, you will NOT endure this. The story also isn't bad but it's also that great, for two reasons: 1) you'll focus your time doing synthesizing in order to make more items (which, by the way, trigger more sub-events that explains the background characters, which are very remarkable) 2) the main villain is very forgettable and while the story itself is interesting, you'll never remember why you're doing all this. Also, some characters with you aren't very good (two of them) because one will be hindered by an event in the game, while the other...has a very bad skill list, and so you'll focus on three or four max (luckily, all characters share exp, just halved). All in all, I can say this: it's a fun game to play and has its own style, but the game and graphical flaws might discourage people to play it. If you're a nostalgic and don't mind bad graphics, but a different JRPG from the usual Final Fantasy, I highly recommend to give this game a try. On the other hand, if you cannot play a game that's not as high in quality as Final Fantasy, don't even look at this game. Or else you will faint from just seeing the graphics and bad translations bits (some dialogues are ok though)!… Full Review »
  3. Nekotora
    Jul 19, 2012
    6
    Very interesting RPG with an easy to use battle system.
    Some of the dialogue can be cheesy, but overall a good story with good voice actors    Very interesting RPG with an easy to use battle system.
    Some of the dialogue can be cheesy, but overall a good story with good voice actors (Japanese anyway, I couldnt really stand the dub).
    The battle system is fairly straightforward and allows you to swap out team members while in combat, which can really come in handy during certain fights (or if a team member dies).
    The Synthesize system, which although very interesting, can also be very tedious. Getting new recipes can sometimes require you to check back into a shop several times before a new one pops up. Some recipes require rare monster drops and thus need to be farmed. And of course, you will get new recipes which require ingredients from recipes that you do not have yet (and need to keep checking back in or synthesizing new items).
    I would rate the game overall a 7/10, but the ending felt very lackluster and short.    … Full Review »
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