“Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn, and cauldron bubble‘ is a famous quote by the witches in the play Macbeth. But it’s those cauldrons which are always associated with something not quite right in the world, as we expect something murky to be cooking in there, green fumes coming out from the recipe inside.
Alchemist: The Potion Monger puts you in charge of your very own cauldron, as you look to go brewing all kinds of magic. But you also have monsters to kill, quests to go on, a bit of shopping to partake in and a lovely dog companion to keep happy. Let’s brew.
You play an apprentice alchemist who has arrived on an island of anthropomorphic animals and strange monsters. You arrive at your house and the first thing to do is unpack your stuff, with the help of your dog who you can name. In that house you’ll go about placing your table and mortars and – of course – your cauldron, before starting to brew up some potions. When a guest arrives you get an invite to the local town and a recipe for a potion to help you…
The main quest line and story are quite simple but full of charm, helped along by a host of little side quests to go on, and collectible skill books for upgrades to find.
There are a few gameplay mechanics and systems in play in Alchemist: The Potion Monger. Firstly there is exploration, as you go out into this small open world, finding areas and people to talk to, grabbing quests. It’s all done in the first person and enjoyable to explore.
The potion-making part of the game is the key to the main gameplay, yet whilst it is fine, it is also occasionally confusing. You get a recipe for a potion, like for example a healing potion, and then you go out into the world to find the ingredients. From there you head into a menu system, opening up your elemental table, placing potions in the fire, earth, air, and water categories. You will then either grind your ingredients, or sometimes dry them out. And when you have the right stuff to hand, you can start brewing.
That brewing sees a little QTE mini-game take place. With this system you might start brewing, discovering that adding the wrong stuff will see your cauldron explode. Or you can experiment and create something far better than what you may initially have expected. I liked this gameplay mechanic, but I did find the UI and controls a tad messy; perhaps that has to do with a transition from PC to controller.
Other bits of the game see you making the most of some combat, hitting monsters with a melee weapon like a plank of wood. This is fine, but, honestly, a bit boring and far from the highlight of the game. More interesting is buying stuff in town; something that will make building management fans happy, with new recipes, furniture, and the like. It’s a fun, family-friendly game.
Alchemist: The Potion Monger has a nice cartoony feel to it, with lush colours and a nice world. It does feel a bit empty at times, but for the most part the design is pleasant on the eye. The characters look good though and your little dog is a delight.
Soundwise the score has a bouncy light theme that keeps you tripping along while exploring.
You’ll have a lovely time wandering Alchemist: The Potion Monger with your little dog, brewing up potions. It’s an open world, but not too big, and that means the quests are easy to achieve and there is some great stuff to collect. The visual look is decent, with some good characters and locations, however the menus are a bit too complex at times and the UI is frustrating. And frankly, I could have done without any combat.
But Alchemist: The Potion Monger is a good, family-friendly game that will satisfy those looking to brew up some magic in the depths of a cauldron.
