Alcahest is a top-down action game developed by HAL Laboratory
(Kirby, Mother) and published by Squaresoft (Final Fantasy, Seiken
Densetsu) in December 1993. It puts the player in the role of Aren
(アレン), a warrior tasked with gathering the four elemental Guardians whose
power will allow him to defeat the evil god, Alcahest.
Each of these Guardians is trapped in a different part of the world, locked away behind a boss battle across several discrete stages. Once freed, each Guardian strengthens Aren's sword, both in terms of the damage it deals, and through the addition of a new sub-attack. By holding down the attack button, Aren charges a sub-attack that, when released, unleashes a flurry of stabs, spins him around in a slicing whirlwind, et cetera.
In addition to these sword skills, Guardians can also be summoned at any time to fire a few energy blasts or otherwise perform a unique special attack. These are typically sufficient to fell several regular enemies or to do significant damage to a boss, so long as Aren has enough MP to use them. Although his MP pool is limited, items that replenish MP are found relatively often throughout each level, so it's not necessary to be overly stingy in using it. It's completely possible to call on the Guardians several times while completing a stage and still have enough left to work on a boss.
Also aiding in Aren's quest are a group of what are essentially temporary party members called Partners. They follow directly behind Aren to attack whenever he does, though typically with a longer reach than Aren's sword. Some Partners fire projectiles that track enemies or bounce off walls, while others use a long-reaching mace or equivalent. In general, they make a positive impact on how quickly and safely Aren is able to dispatch enemies.
Similar to the Guardians, Partners also have their own unique skills, though theirs consume SP rather than MP. Most of these skills are, again, meant to wipe out a number of regular enemies quickly, or to seriously damage a boss. I'm particularly fond of the Princess Elixir, who will automatically heal Aren whenever his HP gets too low, rendering them both practically invincible as long as they're together and have at least one SP remaining.
Unlike the Guardians, who join Aren permanently and can be selected at any time for summoning, Partners come and go depending on how each level is scripted, and only one will join at a time. This is justified in the narrative as the Partners having their own goals that they pursue in their own ways, which I found to be helpful in fleshing out the world enough to show that Aren isn't the only adventurer in it, nor is he automatically the most important. At the same time, because Partners do actually help Aren directly when their paths align, they avoid the typical conceit in which an NPC nominally vows to help the player, then runs off to do something off-screen that is unlikely to have any practical effect on the gameplay.
While on the subject of gameplay, I think it's worth mentioning that although the game interface clearly shows EXP, VI (vitality), SP, and MP, I would hesitate to call this an action-RPG. The EXP count really functions more like the score in a shmup in that reaching a certain number of points will grant the player an additional continue, rather than increasing any particular stat. That said, stats do increase, though in pre-determined ways such as finding better equipment or items in specific treasure chests, or through the boost to Aren's sword that comes with each new Guardian. Because of this, and in spite of its strong RPG pedigree, Alcahest feels more like A Link to the Past than a true action-RPG.
Further encouraging this comparison, most stages have a number of hidden items that must be collected to continue on. However, unlike the versatile tools found in Zelda games, Alcahest's items are all fundamentally keys, even if in the form of a gas mask or special boots. Each one has a very specific use that otherwise has no real effect on gameplay, except as a means to open up the next part of each level. Regardless, the real appeal of Alcahest for me is the combat, and not necessarily in the less-than-Zelda-esque adventuring.
As the game progresses, Aren gains an impressive variety of ways to deal damage. In the space of a few seconds, he can swing his sword, cuing his current Partner to perform an additional attack. He can then summon a Guardian to drop in and start doing damage on its own, while beginning to charge a sub-attack. Then he can cause the Partner to use their special skill while at the same time letting rip a powerful sub-attack. It takes a little while to gather everything needed to do all of these things, but once the game gets going, the skills at the player's disposal continue to grow and change on a regular basis.
If you're interested in checking this game out, there's a Longplay video up on YouTube at the moment, based on what looks like a perfectly serviceable fan translation. There is also a walkthrough on GameFAQs, in case you'd prefer to play the game yourself, but could use some help with the pervasive and often important Japanese text. In either case, I do recommend spending a little time on this relatively unknown example of what HAL Labs and Square can do.
 |
| Receiving a sweet blade and shield from the Guardian of Fire |
Each of these Guardians is trapped in a different part of the world, locked away behind a boss battle across several discrete stages. Once freed, each Guardian strengthens Aren's sword, both in terms of the damage it deals, and through the addition of a new sub-attack. By holding down the attack button, Aren charges a sub-attack that, when released, unleashes a flurry of stabs, spins him around in a slicing whirlwind, et cetera.
In addition to these sword skills, Guardians can also be summoned at any time to fire a few energy blasts or otherwise perform a unique special attack. These are typically sufficient to fell several regular enemies or to do significant damage to a boss, so long as Aren has enough MP to use them. Although his MP pool is limited, items that replenish MP are found relatively often throughout each level, so it's not necessary to be overly stingy in using it. It's completely possible to call on the Guardians several times while completing a stage and still have enough left to work on a boss.
Also aiding in Aren's quest are a group of what are essentially temporary party members called Partners. They follow directly behind Aren to attack whenever he does, though typically with a longer reach than Aren's sword. Some Partners fire projectiles that track enemies or bounce off walls, while others use a long-reaching mace or equivalent. In general, they make a positive impact on how quickly and safely Aren is able to dispatch enemies.
Similar to the Guardians, Partners also have their own unique skills, though theirs consume SP rather than MP. Most of these skills are, again, meant to wipe out a number of regular enemies quickly, or to seriously damage a boss. I'm particularly fond of the Princess Elixir, who will automatically heal Aren whenever his HP gets too low, rendering them both practically invincible as long as they're together and have at least one SP remaining.
 |
| Princess Elixir offers to help you annihilate the rest of Level 2 |
Unlike the Guardians, who join Aren permanently and can be selected at any time for summoning, Partners come and go depending on how each level is scripted, and only one will join at a time. This is justified in the narrative as the Partners having their own goals that they pursue in their own ways, which I found to be helpful in fleshing out the world enough to show that Aren isn't the only adventurer in it, nor is he automatically the most important. At the same time, because Partners do actually help Aren directly when their paths align, they avoid the typical conceit in which an NPC nominally vows to help the player, then runs off to do something off-screen that is unlikely to have any practical effect on the gameplay.
While on the subject of gameplay, I think it's worth mentioning that although the game interface clearly shows EXP, VI (vitality), SP, and MP, I would hesitate to call this an action-RPG. The EXP count really functions more like the score in a shmup in that reaching a certain number of points will grant the player an additional continue, rather than increasing any particular stat. That said, stats do increase, though in pre-determined ways such as finding better equipment or items in specific treasure chests, or through the boost to Aren's sword that comes with each new Guardian. Because of this, and in spite of its strong RPG pedigree, Alcahest feels more like A Link to the Past than a true action-RPG.
Further encouraging this comparison, most stages have a number of hidden items that must be collected to continue on. However, unlike the versatile tools found in Zelda games, Alcahest's items are all fundamentally keys, even if in the form of a gas mask or special boots. Each one has a very specific use that otherwise has no real effect on gameplay, except as a means to open up the next part of each level. Regardless, the real appeal of Alcahest for me is the combat, and not necessarily in the less-than-Zelda-esque adventuring.
 |
| This golem's no liar, though his pants are surely on fire |
As the game progresses, Aren gains an impressive variety of ways to deal damage. In the space of a few seconds, he can swing his sword, cuing his current Partner to perform an additional attack. He can then summon a Guardian to drop in and start doing damage on its own, while beginning to charge a sub-attack. Then he can cause the Partner to use their special skill while at the same time letting rip a powerful sub-attack. It takes a little while to gather everything needed to do all of these things, but once the game gets going, the skills at the player's disposal continue to grow and change on a regular basis.
If you're interested in checking this game out, there's a Longplay video up on YouTube at the moment, based on what looks like a perfectly serviceable fan translation. There is also a walkthrough on GameFAQs, in case you'd prefer to play the game yourself, but could use some help with the pervasive and often important Japanese text. In either case, I do recommend spending a little time on this relatively unknown example of what HAL Labs and Square can do.
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