In a land ruled by magic, a band of heroes must save the world. The protagonist is a boy named Klein who's been studying alchemy for a little while. Klein and his mana, a physical incarnation of the element of wood who serves as his guide, find out that there life is about to get a lot more interesting.

Not only does Atelier Iris offer a gripping boy-saves-the-world storyline, and in-depth character development, it also offers a unique recipe system. By bringing certain items to certain NPC's, you can create new items. Anything from food items to weaponry can be created with the recipe system. The items you create generally have a story sequence following them. The only way you can fully develop the characters is by creating all of the items available.

The game features a unique way to explore your surroundings too. You can hop on top of things to reach previously inaccessible places. You can make a step ladder using one of the various manas you'll find. All done in a wonderful anime environment.

Atelier Iris is a great game combining the status building elements of Harvest Moon, with the RPG elements of Breath of Fire III, but adds enough of its own flair to succeed them both.