Atelier Iris 3 : Grand Phantasm PS2

| Posted in PS2 , PS2-A |

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The previous Atelier Iris games hark back to role-playing games of old and succeeded largely on their good-natured sweetness. Grand Phantasm certainly maintains much of the cute appeal but suffers from tedious quest design and a dud of a narrative. It doesn't feel like an old-fashioned RPG; it just feels old. The result is an inoffensive and forgettable adventure with a lot of character but little substance.

In this installment, young Edge and his alchemist friend Iris are on the search for gems that will piece together a book that grants the owner any wish. They are also members of the Raiders guild, which doles out quests to mercenaries looking for a buck or two. In the course of the gem search, Edge and Iris happen upon fairylike creatures called manas, which gradually help unlock the mystery of the gems, as well as bestow more abilities on the party as the game progresses. The stakes aren't particularly high, and though the story develops some intrigue as it unfolds, it never feels close to epic. Considering how much time it takes to get to anything interesting, late-game developments are a letdown.

Where Grand Phantasm succeeds is in its characters. Edge isn't a particularly noteworthy hero, but that's OK because Iris has enough personality for the both of them. While the actress that voices her isn't great, she approaches her lines with the same kind of silly charisma that permeates most of the dialogue. Once your party gains a third member, the easygoing banter gets even nuttier. You'll meet a grouchy guilder, a sweet ghost, and a love-smitten researcher, amongst many others, who are all kooky in their own ways. Spoken dialogue is accompanied by colorful character portraits that often look even more hysterical than the lines that accompany them, so everything has an over-the-top appeal. It's too bad that all the fun is limited to the side quests, while the main story fizzles long before you begin to care.

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