Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana is the latest entry in the long-running RPG series from Gust. Wait? Long-running? Yeah, though this is the first time most gamers in the US have heard of the series, it's actually been around for a while and made appearances on nearly every system out there, from the Sega Saturn to GameBoy, and even the Wonder Swan. After spending time with Eternal Mana, my only question is, “What have I been missing all these years?”

It's hard to talk about Eternal Mana without first mentioning the game's look. In an era where most developers are turning to cel-shading and 3D effects to get a cartoon look, Gust has instead opted to go with hand-drawn backgrounds and sprites (both in gorgeous hi-resolution) to get the same effect. Every area you enter looks like a page out of a storybook and carries a charm and life you normally don't see in games. The hand-drawn sprites are accented with just a touch of 3D; however, the 3D is used sparingly and really only shows up when traveling between areas and during battles in order to lend depth to the traditional turn-based RPG battle system and add some really cool looking special effects.

Sound is about par. The voice acting is workable, though it's not the best I've heard. There's no overarching problem, instead it's a bunch of little things that add up to a bigger issue. It seems as though every character has their own little issue, whether it be dull voice acting to an annoying, always-chipper voice. Still, you won't be reaching for the mute button at any time, which is always a plus. Like elements of the game's script, which I'll get to in a few, the soundtrack is very Japanese. It's really, really good -- but only if you happen to like the music that you'll typically find in most anime.

As I just mentioned, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana's story is what will either cause you to love it or hate it. Unlike a majority of RPGs that have been released in the past few years, Eternal Mana takes a more light-hearted approach to its story. You are an aspiring alchemist named Klein Kiesling who is traveling the land of Esviore, which is part of the world of Regallzine, in search of alchemic artifacts. During his visit to the city of Kavoc, Klien runs into a girl named Lita, and soon joins her in a group known as the Galagzit, a mercenary group that hunts down monsters. After a run-in with the local officials, which inadvertently puts the two at war with Kavoc's government, Klien and Lita go on the run.

The overall tone of the story is cheerful with a few dark moments scatted in for flavor. There are no moments of anguishing, pill-popping drama like you'll see in most other RPGs; instead, the entire journey plays out more like an anime series. There are still dramatic moments thrown in to give the story dimension, but these are usually followed up with some sort of comedic moment. The focus of the story, or rather the game, is to just have fun and enjoy yourself.

Eternal Mana is a very traditional RPG, complete with turn-based battles, menus and random battles. The game's depth comes from what is known as the synthesis, an aspect that touches nearly every aspect of the game in one form or another.

The synthesis system you'll use the most is alchemy, which lets you create objects that can be used in battle. However, in order to make an object, you must first gather the required elements, which are found by desynthesizing objects in the game. To do this you must approach an object and smack it with your mace, which will then break it down into it's base elements like fire, wood and water. It's a good idea to gather any and every element you come across since you never know when you'll need them. After collecting the necessary elements, you can then merge them to form objects like healing jars, ice bombs and lighting rods. The catch to the system is that before you are able to make an object, you must also find it's related Mana, which are elemental sprites that allow fusion to take place.

To add just a little more complexity to the whole system (which, believe me, sounds much more complicated than it really is), Mana are temperamental and require attention. Whenever a new Mana joins your party, it won't like you, nor will it be in the best of shape. All Mana have two main stats: health and affection. Health denotes how good of shape its in and will decrease every time you call upon its abilities. Affection is how much the Mana likes you, and must be won by giving the Mana gifts and food. When a Mana likes you, it will reward you with the ability to make newer, more useful items -- so it's a good idea to spoil your Mana. Mana can also help you increase your weapon stats by fusing with stones you'll find during the game. Depending on who fuses with the stone, it will have different, smaller stat increase. These smaller increases can be synthesized into a bigger stone, yielding greater benefits.

Other than alchemy, synthesis is also used to create other items in the game. Throughout the game, you'll find mundane objects that can be combined by shopkeepers to create new items. Combining certain food items will create recipes while bolts of cloth and thread can make new clothes. You can even create new weapons in the weapons shop. As you create new objects in stores, you'll help that store earn a higher rating, which unlocks other, more powerful items.

Eternal Mana is one of the more player-friendly RPGs I've played in awhile. The basic gameplay is easy to jump into and play, while the more complex elements are always explained in the simplest of terms through a series of in-game tutorials that are always available if you need to brush up on what's going on. One of the options that I really liked was the mission log, which keeps you up to date as to what you should be doing at a particular moment, so there's no more wandering around aimlessly trying to figure out what to do next. The mission log is also helpful for when you come back to the game after a long absence and don't remember exactly where you are or what you're doing.

Battles come with a nice, steady ramp-up in difficulty. Early on, while you're trying to get your bearings, you won't face many tough battles. Later on, when you're comfortable, you'll start to face stiff competition and some really tricky battles, especially when facing bosses. The key to any boss fight is finding the weakness and exploiting it -- which is why its a good idea to always have full reserves of alchemic elements since you never know what type of item you'll have to make.

Combat in Eternal Mana is turn-based and typical for most traditional RPGs. Each character has access to common abilities like attack, defend and run as well as special abilities based on what weapon the character uses. For example, Klien is the only character in your party that can use alchemic items in battle, while Lita can unleash powerful combos. During combat, you're only allowed to use three party members, though you can switch them out on the fly if you happen to need a particular skill at any time.

Outside of combat, Klein can use various Mana skills to open up new paths and reach new areas. At the start, you're limited to only being able to break down objects, but as you gain new Mana, you'll be able to burn down and break other obstacles.

At first glance, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana looks like a simple RPG -- and in many aspects it is. The core gameplay elements are about as old-school as you can find in a RPG. It's the synthesis elements that really give the game it's depth and staying power. Both of these items help to make Eternal Mana a very flexible RPG that can be enjoyed by both newcomers and veterans. If you're just playing through the story, it can run about 40-50 hours alone; Completists will easily squeeze out around 70-80 hours. The "Japanese Feel" of the game may not appeal to everyone, but don't let that stop you from checking out one of the more enjoyable RPGs to come out this year.