The Alchemist Code Review – Another glorious Japanese SPRG from gumi

First revealed by gumi Inc. last August, The Alchemist Code is a strategy RPG based on the popular Japanese SRPG title – For Whom The Alchemist Exists. It is going live globally for iOS and Android today (14 November). We are lucky to be given early access to the game, so this is our The Alchemist Code review.

The Alchemist Code features the classic turn-based combat with grid-based movement, where you will be commanding units on 3D terrains to defeat the opponent units. You will be introduced to the 2 main protagonist – Logi and Dias who gained the power of Alchemy and wants to bring justice and change the world.

The story mode brings you through Logi and Dias’s journey, you will encounter enemies along the journey and the only way to progress is to defeat them. You can form a party up to 4 units with a mercenary (hire from your friend list or select from the random unit available) and 2 support units to join a battle. There is also an event mode where you can challenge different quests for a specific reward.

While for the Multiplay mode, you will bring one of your units and co-op with other players, taking turns to attack for victory. The Arena mode enables you to take on 3-on-3 battles in auto-mode (both side’s character will battle automatically) for ranking.

The combat is quite simple yet requires strategy. Some type of unit can deal higher damage to a specific type of unit, attacking from behind or high-ground will deal bonus damage too so you will need to plan your moves.

From all we know, there are more than 50 characters available and you can acquire them through summoning (gacha). Same goes for weapons. Similar to most of the RPGs out there, you can raise your units’ combat power by equipping items and leveling up your heroes.

Pros

The cutscenes and user interface graphics are one of the best graphics that I have ever seen on mobile games, they have even featured Japanese voice-over for all the dialogues (in the prologue)! The combat system is great too as there is a lot of tactical elements involved such as element types, attack range and extra bonus from back attacking. It forces me to think whenever I want to make a move in order to secure the victory (and 3 stars). The Alchemist Code also features a wide variety of character and class.

Cons

Although the graphics on cutscenes and user interface are impressive, the in-game battle graphics are only in low resolution (it is not adjustable). The battle feels slow especially with all the delays when performing an action and the AI thinking time. Yes you can speed up and auto-battles through the stage, but it is still far from ideal.

Also, there is a lack of proper guidance for new players. For example, there is no guidance on how to change battle units or what type of enemy will you face in the stage. The user interface outside of combat is a bit confusing too, which I find it troublesome to use some features (such as leveling up units).

If you are into strategy RPG (and don’t mind the slow combat), you should give The Alchemist Code a try. It is now available on App Store and Google Play Store for free with in-app purchase. For more information about The Alchemist Code, you can visit their official website or Facebook page.

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