The Last Alchemist
- December 31, 2023
- Vile Monarch
- 27h median play time
Get on Steam"The Last Alchemist" is a third-person alchemy simulation game set in a vibrant, science-fantasy world. As the last alchemist, you'll craft your workshop, solve alchemy puzzles by extracting essences and fusing them together, and befriend the Agari folk. With various materials to find and use, you'll craft and expand your workshop while discovering the wonders of this charming world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and engaging alchemy mechanics that provide a satisfying puzzle experience.
- Players appreciate the cozy atmosphere and the cute characters, particularly the mushroom folk, which enhance the overall enjoyment.
- The crafting and alchemy systems are well-designed, allowing for interesting experimentation and problem-solving.
- The game is criticized for its short length, with many players feeling it ends just as the mechanics become more interesting.
- Inventory management is a significant issue, with limited space and a clunky drag-and-drop system that frustrates players.
- The pacing can feel slow due to time-based mechanics, leading to a waiting simulator experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- story34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, characterized as cute and engaging, though some players feel it is too short and lacks depth, with a simple plot that could benefit from additional side quests and character development. While the art and design enhance the narrative experience, many reviewers express a desire for more content and a more fleshed-out storyline, particularly in the mid to end sections, which felt rushed. Overall, the story is appreciated for its charm and creativity, but players are left wanting more after completing the main quest.
“The story, art/design, and the characters really do shine and make the game worth it.”
“Its a fantastic game that offers engaging puzzles and a heartwarming, albeit simple, story.”
“Overall enjoyable and a touching albeit simple story.”
“One or two quests per character with a small bit of dialogue doesn't feel fleshed out enough.”
“Mid/end of story content felt very rushed.”
“Further, there is no reason to continue playing after completing the main storyline; no orders to fill, no competition, no rewards.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its charming mechanics and immersive alchemical systems, offering a fun and engaging experience. However, some players note issues with bugs, awkward keybindings, and a lack of depth in certain areas, such as crafting and storage. While the game provides a satisfying 16 hours of playtime, many feel it has potential for more content and improvements to enhance the overall experience.
“Super cute, people complain about the playtime but I feel like it was the right amount of time to spend with the mechanics.”
“The gameplay is immersive, and the alchemical mechanics are a joy to explore.”
“I love it, a perfect mix of 'here are the basic game mechanics', 'here are the end results you need' and 'we're not going to spoon-feed you the answers.'”
“Not a well thought out mechanic.”
“The gameplay itself could get a lot of improvements; some keybinds are weird, rotating objects is annoying, and storage doesn't feel valuable as you could just throw things on the ground and storage is very expensive.”
“Just don't expect replayability or 50 hours of gameplay.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, with many reviewers highlighting the attractive visuals and charming character designs. However, some players have noted issues such as glitches and performance problems, including a 60fps lock and stuttering, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these technical shortcomings, the art and audio elements are generally well-received, contributing to a visually appealing game.
“I love the art style of this game.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the characters are fun.”
“I love the graphics/art style and appreciate that it's not another game in this genre using pixel art.”
“The visuals can be a little glitchy/jumpy, particularly when you're sprinting; however, it doesn't generally seem to crash the game or cause further issues than a brief stutter.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as cute and well-crafted, complementing the art style and sound effects effectively. However, it suffers from repetitiveness, with only a few standout tracks, and some players find certain sound cues, like workshop notifications, to be annoying. Overall, while the music enhances the game's charm, it may not leave a lasting impression due to its repetitive nature.
“The art style, music, and sound effects for the game are great.”
“Cute graphics, music, animations, sound effects, characters ^^”
“The soundtrack feels pretty repetitive, and the ringing for workshops having finished their job is quite annoying.”
“I remember only 1 or 2 musical scores that stand out, so for me, that was not as strong as the gameplay audio.”
“Music is cute but only slightly repetitive.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often unnecessary, with many actions requiring long wait times and limited inventory space. While farming is introduced, it feels like an afterthought and is rarely needed, leading to a sense that the game lacks meaningful grinding compared to other titles. However, the alchemy system is generally well-paced and engaging, providing a more enjoyable experience overall.
“Getting anything done requires jumping through 15 hoops - getting materials (a constant battle with extremely limited inventory and no item stacking), grinding them up (40 sec wait each time), researching (another wait + a currency cost each time), combining (did I mention every action has a 40 second wait time?) and then doing that over and over again.”
“While the convenience of having a lot of the materials close at hand would have reduced the running around, the fact that you don't really get seeds or the sprays early enough really makes the farming seem like an afterthought.”
“At one point you are introduced to farming, but other than the mandatory farming of the ghostshrooms, I really didn't find a need.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a heartwarming and charming story that, while simple, resonates with players. Many reviews highlight the game's engaging puzzles and the wholesome nature of the ending, though some feel it doesn't fully explore its potential. Overall, it is described as enjoyable and touching, making it a recommended experience.
“It's a fantastic game that offers engaging puzzles and a heartwarming, albeit simple, story.”
“Overall enjoyable and a touching, albeit simple, story.”
“Amazing and charming game, very cute and works your brain a bit; the ending is the most wholesome ever. I would highly recommend.”
- stability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users noting it is relatively bug-free, though some minor issues and a need for improved ergonomics have been mentioned. While a few players experienced some bugs, they did not significantly detract from the enjoyable gameplay and mechanics.
“No, it does need a little polishing on the edges, but it's pretty bug-free.”
“A little buggy and could have better in-game ergonomics, yet an awesome gameplay and mechanics.”
“It doesn't seem too buggy, but I'm only a few days into playing.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily allowing players to revisit alchemy tasks after completing the story, but lacks significant incentives for multiple playthroughs. Players can challenge themselves to improve completion times, yet overall, the experience does not support extensive replay value.
“This is a replayable game; I just wish I could use my Xbox controller.”
“Just don't expect replayability or 50 hours of gameplay.”
“You can continue after the story to tinker with any alchemy you left undone, but there's no real replay value, except maybe to time how fast you can complete it.”
