Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian – A Gacha-Free Experience
The upcoming Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian will deviate significantly from its mobile predecessor by foregoing the gacha system entirely. This news, announced by Koei Tecmo Europe on Twitter (X) on November 26, 2024, is a welcome change for many players.
Breaking Away from Gacha Mechanics
Koei Tecmo's decision to eliminate the gacha system is a notable departure from the mobile version, Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator. This means players won't face paywalls to progress, eliminating the need to purchase in-game currency to unlock characters or powerful items.
Furthermore, the new title will be fully playable offline, unlike its mobile counterpart. The official website highlights a new narrative and protagonists set within the familiar world of Lantarna, suggesting a fresh story independent of the mobile game's characters and established lore.
Launching on PS5, PS4, Switch, and Steam in 2025, Koei Tecmo has yet to disclose pricing and a precise release date.
A Look Back at the Mobile Gacha System
The mobile game, Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator, serves as the foundation for the upcoming title, but retains the traditional Atelier elements like synthesis and turn-based combat. However, its monetization relied heavily on a gacha system, requiring players to spend money to enhance or acquire new characters.
This gacha system incorporated a "spark" mechanic, awarding medals with each pull to unlock characters or Memoria (illustration cards). Unlike a pity system, there's no guaranteed reward after a specific number of pulls. The game, released in January 2024 across Steam, Android, and iOS, received mixed reviews on Steam, contrasting with more positive ratings (4.2/5 on Google Play and 4.6 on the App Store) on mobile platforms. The Steam reviews often criticized the expensive gacha mechanics.
