Author
Josh Cox
Price: $4.99
Publisher: Chillingo
If you found a game that was similar to Lemmings and The Incredible Machine, would that be a game that you might be interested in? The levels would start and finish in a similar way to Lemmings but the means to that end would be similar to The Incredible Machine. The basics premise of Master of Alchemy HD is this; you must transport an element (different colors matter) to a container (labeled by color). Doesn’t sound difficult right? Just wait!
These elements come in three forms; solid, liquid, and gas. These forms can be changed to the other forms using specific tools. A solid can be changed into a liquid and a liquid can be changed to a gas. A gas, however, cannot be changed directly into a solid or vice versa.
Just like in real life each elemental state has different properties. Gases float, solids and liquids don’t. To create a liquid out of a gas you must put it through a burner. This same principle applies to create a gas out of a liquid. To create a liquid out of a gas you must use another device that collects the gas and transforms it.
By switching back and forth between physical states you control the elements and progress them through each level. If you need the element to go up then you want it in gas form so it floats. Solid and liquid fall so beware of that. To help maneuver the levels that are maze-like you will more likely be given pieces of wood that you can use to change the direction of the elements.
The graphics are very high quality and are extremely detailed. This seems to be a trend on most new iPad games. I love that the developers are using the HD screen to its fullest potential. The game’s audio and sound effects are also high quality. The music is well paired with the gameplay and the sound effects enhance the game that much more.
The controls took some getting used to. The first few levels are small and can be seen without moving the screen. The later levels get fairly large and scrolling around to find a container or element is a must. The tools, i.e. burners or pieces of wood, are accessible on the left side of the screen with a quick tap. Then a simple drag and drop is all you need to do to place the tool. Some tools, like wood, can be rotated. When wood is selected a circle is shown around it, tap and drag that circle to change the angle of the wood.
The best part of this game isn’t the cool graphics, the well matched audio, or even the enjoyment of the game. The best part is that there are 60 levels. The game will run you $4.99, so that about 8 cents a level. Do you think that’s too much? I don’t. This is a pretty good game with hours of gameplay.
Overall Value for it’s $4.99 price point
Overall: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars Graphics: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars Sound: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars Controls: 3.5 out of 5.0 stars