Alchemist's Apprentice
by The Downloadable Beast!
(DB HQ)
Alchemist's Apprentice
Rating out of five:
★★★★
+ Superb backdrops, lovely blocks and gems and plenty of atmosphere
+ Big challenge, multiple levels and lots to aim for
+ Atmospheric music and FX
– Too much going on to be a clean gameplay experience
– Some levels too hard because not enough coins show to match
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Match 3 fans will salivate over Alchemist's Apprentice. It's not perfect -- perhaps too pretty and fussy-looking for its own good -- but offers much more than the average Match 3 offering.You play, duh, an Alchemist's Apprentice. After a single "hidden object" level (why?!), you dive straight into the Match 3 gameplay.
It starts quite simply, with a few colours of blocks to match. Each is highly detailed, which begins to have a purpose other than looking nice as the game develops.
The object on most levels is simply to collect a set number of gold coins before time runs out. You can collect special power ups by matching the gems and shields inside blocks to increase the time, open up special minigames or cast spells.
Increasing difficulty comes in the shape of ice blocks, which must be unfrozen by creating matches inside them, higher numbers of coins to collect, a meaner time limit and multiple challenges.
There's so much going on in Alchemist's Apprentice, you'll have to forgive me if I forget something. That is the game's major criticism. You can spend so much time looking for matches of "totems" (shields), gems and other powers that you quite forget that you're supposed to be after coins.
Match enough gems and you activate a spell of that power. Blue gems create lightning bolts, while red ones cast fireball spells. Powerful, block-clearing fireballs too. Fun!
Fill up the Totem meter and you get to play a minigame, which is quite out of character for the rather serious, arcane appearance. A Leprechaun has an open chest of gold and must catch coins as they "ripen" and fall from the money tree. Sticks and other debris hinder your progress. Silly, but useful extra gold.
And what do you spend that gold on? Upgrades! Each part of your power game (spells, timer etc.) can be upgraded, giving you better spells in the game proper or other benefits.
