Note: Alchemist Adventure is an early access title which is receiving regular updates. A full review will be issued when the game officially launches.
Alchemist Adventure is a single player isometric action RPG currently under development by Bad Minions and published by Super.com. While the early access portion is currently only available on Steam, it is also being developed for PS4, XBox One, and Nintendo Switch. It takes place in the world of Isur, a world where divinity and science are closely interlinked. You’ll play as the protagonist Mya, an amnesiac alchemist on an adventure of self-discovery.
The gameplay is pretty standard for this particular genre, but it does a few things remarkably well. It also places more emphasis on puzzle solving and exploration then comparable games, which is a nice change. The combat follows a pretty medium pace, so there’s no lack of that either. During my play-through, I really got a 16 to 32-bit vibe coming from it in terms of overall gameplay which reminded me of playing classic games like Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Illusion of Gaia, or Brainlord (SNES).
Combat consists of a blend of using alchemical abilities and melee blended with evasion and stamina management. I actually found the combat to be well balanced as your character cannot just stand in one place and spam anything. Movement has to be constant and you can’t stand in an enemies face and melee them to death without risk. One of my favorite parts were the boss fights which required interactive elements, and the challenge bells where you face off against a mass of enemies. Your alchemical potency in combat is determined by a mixture of elements and the type of flask you elect to use. You may also add consumable elements to your potions however this makes you ability to use them finite. This doesn’t pose much of a problem as there is a rather efficient system used to swap in memorized and basic potion combinations.
There are plenty of maps and dungeons to explore, many of them reminiscent of the previously mentioned games. The alchemy gameplay is not only integrated into the combat, but into level progression as well. Fire-lit torches activate contraptions, wind can be used to move impassible barriers and dispel gas, and ice can freeze standing water to use as a platform. These are just a few examples of how the alchemy abilities are used to interact with the world around you but there are many more.
Character progression uses many familiar avenues. Equipment can and most definitely should be upgraded frequently. Skills can be upgraded by using points gained via leveling. Many of these you will want to acquire as soon as possible to make your journey easier but there is no hard-line rule to follow. The alchemy is by far the most intricate aspect of the game, but I had no difficulties learning the ins and the outs of the system.
Overall, this is a very promising early access title that has already seen two updates since I began playing. Alchemist Adventure is a must-play title for fans of older-styled isometric RPGs. Out of respect for the developers wishes, I won’t officially review the title until it’s full release. I do, however, look forward to playing more and more as content is released and encourage anyone who loves these types of game’s to check it out! If you’re intrigued, head over the steam page store here.
