How many Atelier games have you played? I don't ask to establish credibility or as a form of gatekeeping, but rather because the designers of Atelier Resleriana: the Red Alchemist and the White Guardian are counting on you having more than a passing familiarity with previous entries in the franchise. Although protagonists Rias and Slade are unique to this entry, other characters are not. Characters from Escha and Logy, Ayesha, Sophie, and many others all show up as part of the “Wanderer System,” a method whereby the protagonists of past games can wander into Hallfein and environs to interact with and help Rias and Slade with their quests. If you've played these other games, it's a lot of fun, and a good way to revisit old friends without having to replay an entire game. But if you're more of a casual consumer of Atelier games – or were too young to play the earliest ones or simply didn't have the correct console – it's much less engaging, and at times can feel like an exercise in frustration as you try to place everyone and wonder if each new character is from an expansive game library.

That is the biggest barrier to entry for this otherwise charming RPG. The game features two playable characters, Rias and Slade, and you can switch between them at any time, although initially you need to choose one to start the adventure. (I went with Rias.) There are minor differences depending on which you choose to start, because the game will automatically switch you to the other if the plot demands it. This is comparable to both Escha & Logy and Lydie & Suelle, and it also features a front-and-back battle system with two lines of fighters. As usual, gameplay is divided between gathering/exploration, fighting monsters, and alchemy, and there's also an enhancement system to improve crafted items. Slade does enhancing while Rias does alchemy, but again, the game will automatically shift the POV character to do what's needed, regardless of who you're playing as.

It does take a while to unlock the alchemy portion of the game (you have to find the atelier itself), and until then, you also have to rely on the autosave feature. That's largely fine, but like all autosaves, it always feels like it saves you in a mildly inconvenient spot. But gameplay itself is easy and fun – alchemy, enhancement, and shop matters are color-coded to make for what feels like an extra minigame as you match side colors; you don't have to, but your items will be better quality if you do. Crafting more items will also result in more gatherables, as you need specific tools to harvest some goodies. No in-game time passes while you're crafting, so you don't lose anything there. Each item has a tree that shows the possible evolutionary path, and if you follow it, you'll unlock new craftables. All of this ties into the shop Rias and Slade run, but if you don't want to mess around with it, you can leave that to the fairies.

The fighting system is simple and to the point. It's turn-based, and points after a successful battle can be shared among the fighters. Admittedly, that took me a bit to work out, and I ended up with one grotesquely overpowered character before figuring it out. If you get in over your level with a fight, you can flee, except in a boss battle. The fight animation is fine, although the monsters sometimes look a little too glossy with attempts to make them look encased in magic.

I played the Nintendo Switch version, and I'm not sure if the visual issues I had are present on a newer console. Among them are the aforementioned monster gloss, but more annoying is the rigging on Rias' original costume. She has a strap hanging down from her outfit, but it's rigged to move with her leg rather than flapping with the rest of her clothing, which makes for a very weird look. I'm generally not thrilled with her default outfit at all; not only is she wearing significantly less clothing than Slade (who is buckled and buttoned all the way up), but her shirt makes zero sense, featuring a ruffle where a button-down shirt's front placket would be. It is, essentially, a guideline directly into her cleavage. Since there's minimal jiggle in the animation, it feels particularly egregious. Fortunately, the DLC does involve new outfits (and recolors) for both Slade and Rias, and despite hers involving a bandeau top, it still manages to be more covering and practical than her initial get-up. Even Slade's "relaxed" outfit covers more than any of the women's clothing combined.

With an intriguing plot that involves solving a decade-old mystery and solid voice acting (Japanese only), Atelier Resleriana is a good entry into the franchise. It relies a bit too much on previous experience and has a slow start in tutorial mode, but it's enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it as your first Atelier game, but franchise fans should have a good time.