MaverickHL
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 07-2007
Posts: 86
Karma: -1 (+2/-3)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alchemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
First off, curse the swear filter, it filter out the 士たち 
More information please visit: http://mana-khemia.jp/
Credit to Mana Khemia Wiki in helping me get through some translation issues and having a compilation of all the alchemy/synthesis items. Also finishing the game of course.
http://mana-khemia.gkwiki.com/index.html
Many have probably seen the game already or visited the website above. Some might say this game is just another Atelier Iris knock off, and to be honest it is in a sense similar (that is why it is branded Project A9).
This in depth review will cover a bit of the plot, but mainly the changes to the game mechanics that I thought was better than Atelier Iris 3 (AI3). So let's begin with the plot.
PLOT:
In Mana-Khemia (MK) you will play the roll of Vain Aureolus a teenage boy who has no recollection of his past. He lives a quiet life in the mountain with his cat Sulfur. Sulfur is in fact a type of mana and only Vain can hear his voice. One day a teacher from the Arlebis School of Academy finds him and invites him to join the school.
The story now revolves around Vain and his classmate friends as they learn the ways of Alchemy in the Academy. Along the way they will unravel the ways of alchemy, but also Vain's past. Most people heard of this story plot before so you can let your imaginations finish the rest Basically the story is about going to Alchemy school and pretty much follows a Japanese style of school setup (which has festivals and weird quirky Japanese school events).
GAMEPLAY/MECHANICS:
The game will take place over the course of a 4 year time span story wise and will be basically setup as follows:
EVENT -> WEEK of Lessons -> FREE WEEK -> EVENT (continues story to the next chapter).
For the first 2-3 Chapters it will be mostly EVENT->Lessons->Event. Here the game will outline the basics of how to use alchemy, the battle system etc. The Lesson's consist of different task given by the teacher to do. These can range from defeating a monsters, alchemizing items, collecting ingredients etc. You are graded for how well you do this, so it is important to get good grades, if not you will lose free weeks coming up having to make up those lessons. If you do perfectly on you lessons you will gain more free weeks, which is important.
Free weeks are as they imply free weeks, instead of lessons there are a few things open for you to do. The first are part time jobs a.k.a AI3's quest bulletin board system where you grab jobs posted and do them. It mainly revolves on 3 "defeat the monster" quests and 3 "alchemize this items" quests. These part time jobs give you money so it is kind of important but not crucial.
The other part of the free week is character development with Vain. In this game there will be 8 playable characters, during the free week you are able to view one characters event and it helps your relationship with the character. This will of course affect the ending you get in the end.
Events are what drives the plot forward in this game. A few of the chapters will involves stuff with the school, but overall it will focus on Vain and his friends. After each chapter Vain will muse and give his thoughts on what happen during that event.
ALCHEMY MECHANICS:
The alchemy system have been divided into two parts. The first one is in the Atelier which Vain and crew use to study and do alchemy. The alchemy system overall is the same where you get ingredients and stuff and mix them together to get items.
However they added a twist to it, when alchemizing there is a roulette wheel that has different properties (fire, water, wind, plant, null) and you have to actually press at the right time.
This will change (or not) the properties of a certain item. It will either make it better or worse depending on the combination. At the end of it, you will have an alchemize item with certain properties. Certain quest/lesson require you to get certain properties to pass the class or complete a quest.
The second part is that there is a separate area to do weapon/armor/accessory alchemizing. This one is the same as AI3's alchemy system, the properties do not change, but you can choose certain properties for your equipment. These properties of course are dependent a lot on the first alchemy in the Atelier.
BATTLE MECHANICS:
The basic system is similar to Atelier Iris 3 but has been tweaked considerably. Gone are the spamming of attacks and into burst mode right away. Normal attacks will barely get the gauge up.
What you will need to do to boost that gauge is by exploiting the weakness of the enemy. If done right the gauge will move up considerable and into burst mode. For the first 4 chapters all the burst mode does is increase your chances of critical (yes increase, you will not always have critical)
By the end of Chapter 5 the game will introduce Finisher Burst. Finisher Burst is an extended gauge which needs to be filled in burst mode. The conditions for filling it will change to random acts that need to be done. For example one condition is getting continues chain attacks, another is healing party members, or breaking enemy (stun). It will randomize every time you go into burst mode so it will not always be the same.
These Finisher Burst will let any one character perform a special finishing attack which deals a heavy amount of damage (depends on situation) and this has enhanced the gameplay considerably since AI3.
The other part of the gameplay they introduce is a support system. This is a throwback to AI1 and AI2 where you can switch characters. However you can not switch on the fly, there is a fill gauge for the support characters before their turn comes up. Sounds, bad, but actually adds strategy to the game. Now this is what makes this game fun to play, when you use your support characters to assist you in attacking or defending.
During the game, 3 main players and 3 supports are available at any time (once you get at least 6 characters). If one of the main characters attacks, a O button comes up telling you, you can use the support character to attack. You can chain up to three more attacks to increase the damage.
You can also call in another person from support to take damage for you so that you can distribute the damage among the characters.
This won't seem much at first, but later on by Chapter 9-10 all the characters will have unique Attack/Defense support properties.
For example Vain as a support character can nullify all physical attacks. While his attack allows a knockback. Also for Vain, in a 3 man support chain, if Vain is the last character he (only him) will have an attack support extension where he calls on the other 2 current party members to join an attack.
After the review I will list the characters and their abilities so some people have a better idea. Finally I move to the last portion of the gameplay and that is the growth system.
GROWTH SYSTEM:
The growth system in this game is not based on levels, but on a grid system which is similar to FF10's Sphere Grid. Instead of experience points there is AP gain at the end of each battle.
The AP is used for the grid system to apply for stat boost and skills for each character. To get these boost, you need to alchemize your items. Alchemy is tied to you gaining stats, for example Vain has a cat's collar (main weapon) once it is alchemized it will appear in the grid and AP can be applied to it to get stat boost and skills.
There are certain shared alchemy items for all the character but it will not necessarily give the same stat boost. The system is very balanced and you can't really over level in this game. It gives it a nice steady pace in progression. Meaning by the end of game you are powerful enough to beat it but have a chance of getting wiped (well depends on how well you alchemize properties that is).
CONCLUSION:
Overall I like MK and the new gameplay mechanics they added. The story is subpar, and like all anime related games have cliche's up the wazoo, but I still like them. The Finisher Burst, the way the characters get stronger using alchemy instead of levels, and the Support system make this game a fun ride to the end. It is re-playable of course because you have at least 7 endings to deal with, each having those Japanese text base story games with still images and a conversation (like Ar Tonelico). Also there is a hidden bonus dungeon's with boss cameo's for your enjoyment. Hope this review gives a clearer picture about this game. If you have any other questions please let me know.
Last edited by MaverickHL, 2/13/2008, 6:17 am
|
|
7/7/2007, 6:40 pm
|
Send Email to MaverickHL
Send PM to MaverickHL
|
MaverickHL
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 07-2007
Posts: 86
Karma: -1 (+2/-3)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alcemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
CHARACTER GAMEPLAY BREAKDOWN
During the gameplay each character after you have completed their grids will have a set of skills as well as special attack and support skills that will help enhance this game. I will also give my comment on each characters strong points if any.
Vain:
Weapon: Cat Collar (Sulfur merges with Vain and becomes a weapon)
Support Attack: Double Attack + Knockback also has support attack extension Finishing move.
Support Defense: Barrier that protects against all physical attacks.
Comment: Heavy attacker and main character, only person that has a scan ability. His skills are very strong by end game and serves as a good extension attacker with his finisher.
Philo(mel):
Weapon: School Bag
Support Attack: AOE whirlwind
Support Defense: Takes damage, but afterwards heal all party members for small amount of health.
Comment: Mage of the game, she has heal all spells that actually is left in the turn gauge so if timed properly can be used to heal again. Also has "Turn to Candy" attack.
Nike:
Weapon: Large Hammer
Support Attack: Knockback
Support Defense: Takes reduce damage and sometimes blocks physical
Comment: Strong physical attacker, has monster relations and can call certain monster into battle at no cost. Skills department is ok but not the best.
Gunnar:
Weapon: Mech Sword
Support Attack: Large attack upward + Defense Down on enemy
Support Defense: Will take hit but always counter.
Comment: Think as a nerfed Edge with better personality hehe. His skills are strong, but usually take another turn to execute. Also has the spinning blade attack like Edge.
Pamela:
Weapon: Teddy Bear
Support Attack: Attack + SP Drain
Support Defense: Nullifies all damage
Comment: Yes, the ghost, that has been an NPC for the last few AI games, is playable. As a ghost you can see her advantage as a defense character. She also has a strong skill that absorbs all of the enemies HP and coverts it to party HP. She is recommended to be in the support party all the time.
She also has unique ghost/monsters helping her at the cost of her HP, which helps her erase some monsters resistance.
Loxis:
Weapon: Cards
Support Attack: Attack + Silence
Support Defense: Takes damage, but has blessed weapon added to attacks.
Comment: Best for boss support, his card base skills helps eliminate a lot of those annoying follow up skills that certain bosses have. Also he has a lot of skills that manipulate the turn order.
Anna:
Weapon: Dai Katana
Support Attack: Attack and always moves next in the turn order
Support Defense: Takes damage, sometimes counters
Comment: Ultimate physical damage dealer. She has a lot of samurai based skills which are combined with her dimensional shifting abilities (rifts a fabric in space and can appear at another location). Her attacks are flashy but damaging at the same time. She is also the fastest character.
Mupe:
Weapon: Flying Saucer
Support Attack: Attacks
Support Defense: Teleports current active party to self, leaving him the only one to take damage.
Comment: A UFO, it has all fire based attacks but are very powerful, also has a change ability that weakens monsters. When killed, does a kamikaze and explodes on all the enemies on the screen. Very good support character.
|
|
7/7/2007, 7:18 pm
|
Send Email to MaverickHL
Send PM to MaverickHL
|
ajb23
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 03-2007
Posts: 74
Karma: 1 (+4/-3)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alcemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
Awesome review, nice and thorough. I think I'll be getting this one without a prob. So there are multiple endings?
---
Ar Tonelico fansite: http://weezy.xtreemhost.com
|
|
7/7/2007, 9:05 pm
|
Send Email to ajb23
Send PM to ajb23
|
MaverickHL
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 07-2007
Posts: 86
Karma: -1 (+2/-3)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alcemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
Essentially yes, there are multiple endings. It is tied to the free weeks given to you. During those free weeks you can interact and have a certain event with a specific character from your party. Most of them are pretty funny and interesting and does improve your relationship with them.
Also request for a moderator on these board. I just saw there was a review section at the bottom of the forums. Could someone please move it there. Thanks.
|
|
7/8/2007, 5:42 am
|
Send Email to MaverickHL
Send PM to MaverickHL
|
MaverickHL
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 07-2007
Posts: 86
Karma: -1 (+2/-3)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alcemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
Just adding the japanese intro and gameplay videos for those who are interested.
Japanese Introduction:
Mana-Khemia Japanese introduction
Gameplay:
Mana-Khemia Gameplay
Boss Battle:
Mana-Khemia full Boss Battle
Enjoy
Last edited by MaverickHL, 8/17/2007, 3:35 pm
|
|
8/17/2007, 3:31 pm
|
Send Email to MaverickHL
Send PM to MaverickHL
|
Mell Enchantress
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 12-2008
Location: Philladelphia, USA
Posts: 123
Karma: -18 (+1/-19)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alchemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
Hmm...Don't mind if I review the character breakdown once again? (Of course with the right characters name ).
Vayne Aurelius
Weapon: Just a collar
Support attack: Knockback and deals damage
Support defense: Nullfilies all pyshical attacks
Comment: Heavy damager, also the main character. His personality like...Lacking? But he's kind. Also a Mana, allows him to fuse with Sulpher. Skill type is pyshical.
Jessica Philomele
Weapon: School bag (I think this is the wierdest one after Roxis)
Support attack: Mana Blast (Attack with big tornado)
Support defense: Taking damage and heal all ally
Comment: Like MaverickHL says, she is the mage of game. Her personalities make it's fun to finished her characters quests. The heaviest damager for magic spells and attacks.
Nicole Mimi Tithel
Weapon: A HUGE hammer (I wonder how can she carries that hammer anywhere she go. Normal persons can't even hold it, y'now.)
Support attack: Knockback
Support defense: Taking damange and heal self each turn
Comment: A beastwoman, not a beastMAN. She has relationship with animals and nature. Her personalities quite interests me. And her reason to come to Al-Revis Academy... Skill department is OK, but not the best.
Flay Gunnar
Weapon: A mechsword.
Support attack: Defense down at enemy.
Support defense: Taking damage but always counter
Comment: Edge from AI3 is transferred to MK. With more worse personalities, I think he is........ Digusting. Always do something without someone agreemets, reminds me to my friend. When I at still 6th grade, I had a friend that like Flay.
Pamela Ibis
Weapon: Teddy bear's claw
Support attack: Attack+SP drains
Support defense: Nullfilies all attacks
Comment: A ghost, yeah, A GHOST. Pamela from AI1 is finally a playable character! Her personalities hasn't changed from AI1 until MK. The lightest damage dealer, even I equipped her with Hellclaw. Her max damage with normal attack just 150. Very good as support defense.
Roxis Rosenkrantz
Weapon: A deck of cards.
Support attack:Attack+Seal
Support defense: Have a blessed weapon, but taking damage
Comment: This yellow-longhair boy is a good duelist. But...He is useless in order to fill the Finishing Burst gauge. He very helps me for boss battles. Especially that annoying Zweis Monde (Chapter 9).
Anna Lemouri
Weapon: Katana
Support attack: Backstab the enemy and act
Support defense: Taking damage and act
Comment: Unrivaled in speed. She is (maybe) the ultimate damage dealer. I mean come on, in burst mode, her Dancing Blade Chaos can reach 3660 total damage. Can enter a dimension and appears in up of the enemy.
Muppy
Weapon: Commerical Pot
Support attack:-( Sorry, I dunno coz I always select Muppy as a standby)
Support defense: Stores everybody into the pot so he receives all damages for the character
Comment: My, he is the best defense supporter. But...his personality is EVIL! Has fire based skills, and when got unconscious, he explodes like kamikaze
Last edited by Mell Enchantress, 1/4/2009, 4:48 am
---
Bow down in the light...A boy that standing down there...He'll decides the fate of world..In ruin or in peace
If someone interests in me, go to http://menchantressgryffindor.blogspot.com
|
|
12/22/2008, 8:14 pm
|
Send Email to Mell Enchantress
Send PM to Mell Enchantress
MSN
Blog
|
Xien
Banned user
Global user
Registered: 10-2006
Posts: 51
Karma: -66 (+3/-69)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Mana-Khemia: 学園の錬金術士たち (Alchemy Academy) REVIEW, Spoiler Alert just in case
*fix'd*
Hmm... Do you mind if I review the character breakdown once again?
Vain Aureolus
Weapon: Just a collar
Support attack: Knockback and deals damage
Support defense: Nullifies all physical attacks
Philomel Hartung
Weapon: School bag (I think this is the weirdest one after Roxis)
Support attack: Mana Blast (Attack with big tornado)
Support defense: Taking damage and heal all ally
Titil Mimi Nike Mele
Weapon: A HUGE hammer (I wonder how can she carries that hammer anywhere she go. Normal persons can't even hold it, y'now.)
Support attack: Knockback
Support defense: Taking damange and heal self each turn
Gunnar Damm
Weapon: A mechsword.
Support attack: Defense down at enemy.
Support defense: Taking damage but always counter
Pamela Ibis
Weapon: Teddy bear's claw
Support attack: Attack+SP drains
Support defense: Nullifies all attacks
Loxis Rosenkranz
Weapon: A deck of cards.
Support attack:Attack+Seal
Support defense: Have a blessed weapon, but taking damage
Anna Laemmle
Weapon: Katana
Support attack: Backstab the enemy and act
Support defense: Taking damage and act
Mupe Oktavia Wondrastschek VIII
Weapon: Commercial Pot
Support attack:-
Support defense: Stores everybody into the pot so he receives all damages for the character
Last edited by Xien, 4/6/2009, 1:37 pm
|
|
4/6/2009, 1:34 pm
|
Send Email to Xien
Send PM to Xien
|
Add a reply
Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 11/27/2009, 7:43 pm
|
|
|
