Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout cover art

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout

A crafting-focused action RPG where navigating the alchemy recipe tree and managing material quality RNG defines mastery.

On Steam ↗
Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION3 /10READS1 /10VARIANCE5 /10OPTIMIZATION9 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    3/10

    Real-time ATB element fills add light timing; mostly menu-driven

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    1/10

    Enemies are scripted; no adaptive AI

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    5/10

    Alchemy recipe trait rolls and material quality add substantial RNG

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    9/10

    Alchemy tree routing, material quality stacking, and recipe chaining form the core solve

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

Compare with

Similar games

see all →

Ranked by shared genre first, then by how closely the cheat-test profile matches - a cross-genre tag means a pick matched on skill profile alone.

Knights of the Old Republic cover art

Knights of the Old Republic

Pure Optimization · story-driven RPG

E
R
V
O
Knights of the Old Republic
Diablo III cover art

Diablo III

Pure Optimization · action RPG looter

E
R
V
O
Diablo III
Fallout 2 cover art

Fallout 2

Pure Optimization · isometric RPG

E
R
V
O
Fallout 2
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn cover art

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

Pure Optimization · isometric party RPG

E
R
V
O
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Torchlight II cover art

Torchlight II

Pure Optimization · action RPG

E
R
V
O
Torchlight II
Pillars of Eternity cover art

Pillars of Eternity

Pure Optimization · isometric party RPG

E
R
V
O
Pillars of Eternity

Game details

Released
2019
Developer
Gust
Franchise
Atelier
Platforms
PS4, PC, Switch
Modes
Single player
IGDB critics
77/100
IGDB users
80/100
Role-playing (RPG)AdventureFantasy