"Alchemist" is a distilled action-adventure. It is only slightly more complex than the genre originator, "Adventure," on Atari 2600. In Alchemist, the player will explore an open location, search for items, figure out their uses to progress, and then test his abilities and understanding of the game's mechanics against a challenging path leading to a tough boss.
The fun of Alchemist lies in exploration and experimentation. The player is free to traverse from screen to screen and uncover new areas. There are no hard-coded limitations or boundaries as to where he can go. However, there are enemies to prevent him from progressing too far without properly equipping the main character. To progress, the player will have to unravel the functions of items he encounters while exploring. There are no explanations, so it's up to him to figure out where to go and the uses of the items he finds. The more proficient he is with the game's mechanics and the more knowledgeable he is about game items, the more freely he can explore the location.
The goal of the game is to find four pieces of "The Spell of Destruction" and cast the spell on "the Warlock." Finding the pieces will require the player to experiment with the found items. Fortunately, the solutions are not obscure to the point of requiring a walkthrough. After finding the pieces, the player has to locate the Warlock, get close to him, and cast the Spell of Destruction. This, however, is easier said than done, as getting to the Warlock requires careful preparation and planning.
The less you know about the game, the better. This game is not so much about using game mechanics, but rather exploring them. Read the game's manual online and dive in!
If you study game design or are a retro games enthusiast, I recommend playing Alchemist to experience the action-adventure genre in its purest form. Seeing a game genre in isolation can teach you a lot about the game mechanics that define it.
I will continue my review with critique and as such I draw a spoiler-line. Reading beyond this point may be detrimential to your experience of Alchemist.
[b]SPOILER LINE[/b]
The player can traverse the location in either the Alchemist form or Eagle form, between which he can switch freely, provided he has enough Spell Energy. My first assumption was that the Eagle form is for mobility, whereas the Alchemist form is for functionality. However, this has proven to be wrong, as the Alchemist form is redundant and serves no purpose. Alchemist cannot traverse most of the location, whereas Eagle can go anywhere. In the Eagle form, the player can perform every action, such as picking up items, using spells, and fighting enemies, all while being much more mobile than in the Alchemist form. It's a puzzling design decision to allow the Eagle to perform these actions, rendering the Alchemist useless. The only unique ability of Alchemist is shooting lightning from his hands, but as the next paragraph will showcase, this contributes to nothing.
Based on common gaming conventions, the player would reasonably assume that shooting lightning would be the primary way to fend off enemies. However, after applying this theory into practice, the player will inevitably be disappointed. First of all, the enemies struck by lightning will most likely still be alive. Second, the main character's Spell Energy would be quickly depleted to zero. Having no Spell Energy in the Alchemist is bad news. It takes FIVE MINUTES for Spell Energy to regenerate from "00" to "99". Spell Energy, as the name suggests, is needed to execute spells, including switching to the Eagle form. Keep in mind, the enemy might still be there. And the next room will have enemies too. Enemies also randomly respawn upon the player re-entering the room. At this pace, the player won't see the end of Alchemist until retirement!
You can imagine the feeling of despair that comes after seeing how ineffective the lightning is and how long it takes for Spell Energy to regenerate. If this were how combat worked in Alchemist, the game would be borderline unplayable. However, lightning is nothing but a spoof - a beginner's prank, if you may. The most efficient way of dealing with enemies is to face them. Literally. When the main character touches enemies, they receive damage! Of course, the main character also takes damage in return. The touch between the main character and an enemy is supposed to simulate a "physical fight" (the player has to use his imagination!). As in real life, it's best to come prepared for such occasions.
Around the location, there are weapon-shaped items. Carrying such items allows the player to defeat enemies quicker while receiving less damage. The most powerful weapons can trivialize most enemies. However, violence is not always the answer in Alchemist. The main character can carry only one item at a time. While weapons do allow for more freedom in exploring the location, to progress, the player has to find the four pieces of The Spell of Destruction. As such, the player will have to figure out how to use non-weapon items to progress. The one-item-at-a-time limitation provides interesting decisions for the player: should he keep the weapon and explore more? Should he take the item and return to the base? Or should he return to the base with the weapon, restock his health, and then attempt to pick up the item? Although this mechanic may sound arbitrary, it does provide gameplay depth and contributes to the overall enjoyability.
To further assist the player on his journey, there are "lesser spells" all over the location. The main character can carry one lesser spell at a time, and each spell provides a unique ability. This is a cool concept idea, but again, there is an issue with balancing. One spell has only one use, and it's used purely for progression (it's more of a key than a spell). Among the other three spells, there is a clear winner. See if you can spot it:
• Shield - mitigates all enemy damage for some time. Uses 24 Spell Energy points, lasts 3 seconds.
• Bewitch - freezes all enemies on the screen for some time (enemies can still deal damage). Uses 24 Spell Energy points, lasts 3 seconds.
• Regenerate - exchanges Spell Energy points into Stamina points (stamina = health). Uses 1 Spell Energy point per 1 Stamina point.
Two spells prevent damage to health for a ridiculously short amount of time, one spell generously restores health. There is no competition. Perhaps if there were enemies so tough that they could instantly kill you upon touch, then the Shield spell would be useful. Similarly, if there were enemies that chased the main character or were extremely quick, the Bewitch spell might find some utility. However, as it stands, the Regeneration spell is the best pick for any situation in the game.
There are no "situational" nuances in Alchemist; there are only the best solutions. That's precisely why I stated that the game is not so much about using game mechanics, but rather exploring them. Initially, the player does not have knowledge of what is "the best." This knowledge comes from exploration and experimentation. Moreover, this knowledge is not useless; it is essential to defeat the main boss. If the player goes to face the Warlock with anything less than the best spell and the best weapon, he will perish.
That's why I don't think the imbalance in Alchemist is necessarily a bad thing. Yes, most of the items are junk, but that's the point. It's up to the player to find the gold among them. The only way to discover this (aside from going online and cheating yourself out of fun using walkthroughs) is to explore the entire location, find all the items, and determine which is the best through experimentation.
I had a lot of fun doing exactly that: exploring and experimenting. Finding out how to get the four pieces was also fun and exciting when I finally figured it out.
Alchemist provided me with a tough, but rewarding experience. It was fun!
