Great game for the old-school RPGer. 2D Sprites the way they should be. Don't be put off by the kiddie atmosphere!
User Rating: 9.2 | Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana PS2
I personally believe that the professional reviews of this game are a little off the mark. This game accomplishes exactly what it presents itself as, an old-school style, 2D Sprite, handrawn background, Japanese RPG in the SNES/PS1 style. There are no lip-synced ultra-realistic graphics in this game. I absolutely love the graphics for the nostalgia factor. This is how an RPG should look to me as it looks like all the games that I grew up with. You have a whole bunch of 2D sprites that run around on static backgrounds but the amount of emotion and character they can squeeze into those flat little sprites is astounding. The story line is pretty good, it's nothing awe-inspiting but it is by no means terrible either. The crafting system is one of the most fun I've seen in any recent RPGs and really raises the standard. The sound is so-so and the world map is kind of bland but this game doesn't try to be a technical marvel. This game is incredibly amusing, while having its serious moments, and is a great game because of its character. If you won't buy the game, do yourself a favor and rent it.
