Bigger is a long-running alchemy-focused JRPG series, typically featuring a young alchemist looking to jump into the world and perfect his craft. Biggest Ryza 3, the twenty-fourth entry in the series to date, is no different. As the third entry in the Riza sub-series, features its titular protagonist facing the call to adventure once again following the sudden appearance of a mysterious group of islands. As I discovered first hand, Biggest Ryza 3The first hours of play show charming gameplay, an intricate crafting system, and an idyllic world to play in.
The game wastes no time and launches you into an adventure. At the start of the game, we see Ryza on the beach where she is thrown into battle, prompting a tutorial on the game’s combat system. It’s a quick introduction, which is great for anyone looking to start their new adventure. right away, but it had problems for me as a newcomer. Characters would often walk in casually without introducing themselves, referring to past events without much context. Naturally, this won’t be much of a problem for established fans of the series, but it’s worth noting that this might not be the best entry for those getting into it for the first time.
Starting with combat is an odd choice, however, as much of the gameplay loop that immediately follows isn’t focused on it at all. Instead, it emphasizes the main draw of the series: chemistry. This means a lot of fetch quests where Ryza collects materials and crafts items from them based on people’s needs.
What’s impressive is the depth of the crafting system. It’s not the standard “find those specific items, then press a button to combine them” you see in other games. In Biggest Ryza 3, each of the materials has its own attributes that affect the quality of the items you craft. Instead of picking up four identical planks of wood, you picked up two low quality planks, one high quality plank, and one medium quality plank which makes any ax crafted from it hit harder.
How you use these ingredients greatly affects the final product, which means carefully examining your inventory to find the best materials for your needs. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but you get the feeling the system allows for a high level of customization once you get into the intricacies of it.
This focus on craftsmanship also makes Biggest Ryza 3 feel more like a life simulator like animal crossing than a standard JRPG. I spent a lot of time with the game looking for items and creating the perfect gardening kit for the people around me, and it ended up being a fun time.
This feeling of relaxation was helped by the beauty of the game at these opening hours. The Kurken region I played in is full of idyllic villages and sea views that are a real treat for the eyes. The visual aspect of the game is cozy and idyllic, the perfect place to get lost imagining the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Granted, this is just one area and future parts of the game might be less visually appealing, but it’s a good start.
However, there were a few issues. The combat was a bit repetitive, the workshop was in a remote location which made it frustrating to return to it frequently, and the exit option for the PC version wasn’t easy to find as it was found exclusively next to the workshop. However, these are all things that could see improvements in the final game if we see additional combat mechanics and possibly additional hideouts added as the game progresses.
Biggest Ryza 3 it’s full of charm so far. Despite my confusion as a newcomer, I found spending time with him a lot of fun. With the warm vibes, intricate crafting system, and gorgeous visuals, this should hopefully become a great new entry for longtime fans as well.
Workshop Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key releases March 24, 2023 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.