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Systems > PlayStation 2 > M > Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis > Preview
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Preview by John Sacranie
February 06, 2008
If there's one thing that developer Gust excels at, it's giving the fans what they want. Of course, it's also nice to try something new every once in a while, and that's exactly what Gust is doing with their latest effort, Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis. It may meddle with the classic RPG formula, but that's exactly what could set Khemia apart from the crowd.
This is the story of Vayne Aurelius, an amnesiac living in seclusion with nobody to keep him company except for his Mana companion, Sulpher. One day, he’s suddenly visited by a professor from the Al-Revis Academy who convinces Vayne to join the school and learn how to take advantage of his unique abilities. Khemia forgoes typical fantasy plots in favor of a story focusing on this academic setting, and it's a refreshing change of pace that may prove to be quite interesting. Of course, all of the cute characters with bubbly personalities that you expect from a Gust RPG make appearances, so Vayne will be in good company on his adventures.
The Al-Revis Academy isn't just window dressing -- the game revolves around your participation on campus. You'll take classes to learn vital skills, do assignments which send you into various dungeons, and receive grades based on your performance. If you're a straight-A student, you'll have free time to do whatever you want on campus, and there is no shortage of activities. On the other hand, if your grades aren't good enough, you'll have to take make-up classes where the assignments doled out are far more difficult.
Even in battle, this game is cute and cuddly.
When you head into dungeons to complete assignments, you'll be fighting a lot of monsters, all of which are visible on the map. Battles are relatively straight-forward, turn-based affairs, but there are a few wrinkles. A timeline in the upper-left of the battle window tells you exactly when both allies and enemies are able to act, and allows you to strategize accordingly. This makes it easy to gain the upper hand, and landing enough attacks on a foe will stun it and let you land a critical hit on your next turn. Fights are fast-paced and enjoyable, even if they aren't particularly original. Outside of battle, dungeons have a sea of treasure to snatch up, most of which can be used in your alchemy experiments. Day and night cycles also come into play here, and spelunking at night will have you facing far nastier monsters than you otherwise would.
You're enrolled in a school for alchemy, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that you'll be making a lot of different items. Item creation is fairly simple -- you throw some of the items you have on-hand together and voila! You'll be aided by a series of "recipes" for the items and weapons that you can create, but you can put your own spin on your concoctions by using items with elemental properties, or by having a partner help you out. This provides whatever pops out of the cauldron with a bit of uniqueness, so alchemy is always an exciting prospect.
Character development in Khemia isn't handled via levels -- instead, you'll make your characters stronger through the Grow Book. This oddly-named feature lets you use the AP that you earn in battle to improve character stats like attack and speed. In order to buy these upgrades, however, you'll need to unlock them first by creating certain pieces of equipment. If you create some new armor, for example, you might gain the ability to buy an HP upgrade in the Grow Book. It might end up being a bit troublesome for those who don't spend much time on alchemy, but it should certainly be rewarding for anyone who prides themselves on their item-creation skills.
Mana Khemia is shaping up to be an enjoyable, and relatively unique RPG romp. Fans of Gust's brand of role-playing will eat it up without a second thought, and the fresh setting might even extend the game's appeal to more casual RPG fans. Vayne's adventure will begin for US fans in late March.
Previews represent the opinion of the individuals who wrote them and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the site staff as a whole. If you disagree with the contents of this preview, you may click to leave feedback on our dedicated forum. Thank you!
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Title: Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis |
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