Alchemia Story - Is it Still Worth Playing 5 Years In?
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Alchemia Story is an MMORPG from Asobimo, Inc., the same developers who made Toram Online. Originally released back in 2018 on mobile, it has since been released on Steam just February of this year.
Five years in, it seems like it's still pushing on although you could say that with practically any Asobimo title. The question I wanna ask about is: was it any good and is it still worth playing?
Gameplay
Off-the-bat, you could see how this game plays differently than other modern MMORPG titles: it's turn-based. While I personally don't think it's an appropriate mechanic for an MMO where people mostly just come and go in battles, it actually works well for this title.
... it works well enough.
Oddly enough, people can actually join you and your companion (more on that in a bit) by going to where you are having a battle, granted that it isn't finished that quickly.
Another selling point of the game is its character customization and your companion, the YOME.
You can actually customize every little thing about your character or the YOME in character creation and you can adjust the placement of your gear in a manner unlike most MMORPGs.
Aside from these, the game actually implements a lot of systems from resource gathering to crafting (dubbed as "Synthesis" in-game) among other things. You even have a fishing mini game for some reason. There's also an auto battle and auto run feature for when you're feeling lazy.
Of course, we shouldn't forget the cash shop and gacha mechanics for weapons and armor. While you could actually make your own equipment through Synthesis, gacha is still the primary way to obtain the more powerful ones especially early on in the game.
Take that information as you will.
Aside from the gacha and cash shop, I have other gripes with the game. Mainly, how badly the localization went and how the mechanics are being taught through side quests.
Translation can be horrendous at times and can sometimes hinder how you learn an in-game mechanic or system. A bit of a downer that they didn't manage to fix this 5 years in.
There are also times where we have "tell, don't show" text dumps after a cutscene which sorta just takes me out of it. Again, in an era where "show, don't tell" tutorials have been dominating the market for years, I find this aspect of their tutorial a bit outdated.
Still, if you could get past all of that, there is still a beautiful world that you could explore. A bit more on that as we head on to the next topic...
Graphics and Sound Design
Graphics aren't half bad in Alchemia Story. In fact, I'd even say that it nailed the fantasy world vibe even before Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds was even released.
Everything just seems to fit with the vibe it's going for. From the interiors...
... to the outside world...
It really just looks like a fine world to explore in, albeit there's not really that much to explore.
There are still some graphical nicks here and there especially when it comes to the character models like their hair clipping through their bodies; but still, for a 2018 game, I personally think that the graphics aged quite well.
Not so much for the sound design, though. If you could find it, that is. Characters are mostly voiced through grunts and sometimes the background music can be a bit irritating. I don't think the game even has ambient noises although it could just be me not focusing enough.
Conclusion
Personally, I see this game as having some merit to it. Although somewhat different from the more modern MMORPG offerings and having a few quirks, Alchemia Story can still be a viable option when you're looking for a new, or in this case old, game to sink your teeth into. Just do be aware of its age.
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'eyy, Kurifuudo here! So in case you're wondering, I post reviews about practically anything that I enjoy playing from old games to new ones. I may also make scathing reviews from time to time. If you feel like this could give value like in convincing you to go try a five-year-old MMO, drop me a like and follow here on TapTap!
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Until next time, fam! Peace!
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