If you’re an avid reader of Indie Skunk, you’ll probably say: wait, didn’t these guys already reviewed this one? We did! But it was only the demo. The amazing news is that, after reading that review, the brave solo-dev at Hooting Banana Studios invited us to review the full game, becoming the first studio in sending us a full game key, hurray!
We’re really happy about that because having free keys makes the Indie Skunk happy (and our safety depends on Its happiness). So, here it goes our FULL review!
A scientificly accurate adventure
In AlCHeMoS, you take the role of a Proto-Atomic Shell Operator. Your noble mission: to protect the Elemental Archive (aka the elements in the periodic table) from the mysterious Dark Forces. To do it, you’ll need to find the exact number of protons, neutrons and electrons of each level’s element while avoiding dangerous subatomic enemies. And I mean dangerous, because it’s crazy how reckless those dark balls can be sometimes.
Levels may look simple in design, but every one of them is an exact representation of real-world protein structure data. I have already done two reviews of this game and I’m still not sure of what that means, but they’re cool to explore and they look good! And that’s enough for me.
Another nice scientific detail is that your shell will become a different element according to the particles you’re holding at that precise moment, changing its colour and teaching you a little bit of science on the way. But you need to be careful, if you pick up much more (or less) protons than neutrons, you’ll become radioactive and those extra protons/neutrons will decay. Fortunately, there are visual hints that will help you avoid the elements that will activate the decay mechanics, so you can plan in advance.
Subatomic arms race
As you keep saving more and more elements, the enemies will become more powerful. At first, they are just static balls sitting besides the particles you need to collect. But, as you advance in the game, they move, shoot and become spheric psychopaths that will make you ragequit.
Do not fear, my dear Operator. You’ll grow stronger, too. In adition to the skills you will unlock just by playing, in every level there’s an specific objective. Sometimes they’re really challenging, but they’re worth it because they’ll provide you with valuable Quarks. You can spend them in upgrades to your Shell that will make you more ready to fight those Dark Buggers.
I’m still halfway the periodic table in the game, but I can say that I’m liking the curve of difficulty in the full game. It’s challenging enough to progress and when you hit a wall, you can go back and unlock more powers by completing the objectives.
Whether you are a smart nerd that will appreciate all the scientific effort put into this game or just a regular gamer that wants a fun challenge, AlCHeMoS is definitely worth it.
And one last thing
I can’t end my review (or any other review from this studio), without their glorious intro. I love it! And by the sounds Our Glorious Master emits each time I’ve played the game, I think It does, too.