Potion Permit analysis: the art of uniting alchemy and pixel art

The indie scene continues to make a splash in video games in 2022, with memorable titles that in some cases achieve what many AAAs fail to achieve. In this analysis we bring you one of them; it is potions licenseMassHive Media’s acclaimed adventure.

Those who know me well know that I am in love with Pixel Art, especially when the combination between narrative and artistic section comes out as well as in the MassHive Media game. The gameplay is not left out, and with all that together, we get a video game more than compliant in all respects. As alchemists, our task will be to help the sick of Moonbury Island, although our adventure will not be so simple, despite our vast knowledge.

Without further ado, I invite you to take a tour of Moonbury Island with me, to discover its secrets, its inhabitants, its history… in analysis!

Discovering Moonbury

The story of potions license it takes us to a very precise place; Moonbury Island. as an alchemist, we will come hand in hand with the Medical Association to try to cure Cáldez’s daughter, the mayor. After some events that happened some time ago, the inhabitants of the island will be reluctant when we arrive, so we will have to earn their trust and find out what happened.

The excellent artistic section introduces us to an island in the shape of open world, in which little by little we will unlock new areas. As I said at the beginning of the analysis, I am in love with pixel art, and in this case MassHive Media has done a commendable job, giving us beautiful environments in the middle of nature, as well as a city full of details and of buildings. Visually, it mostly reminds me of games like Stardew Valley already the Pokemon classics.

There are fishing grounds, buildings with multiple details, such as the town hall or the tavern, shops, a port, and of course the houses of the inhabitants. Everything is exploreable, and you can even interact with a multitude of elements. There are benches to sit on and arcade machines (to give an example). At the same time, we will get to know the different inhabitants of the island, which are not few, as well as the beings who live in the middle of nature.

win people over

He is potions license has a bit of animal crossing and also from Stardew Valley, as mentioned above. I noticed it right away, as soon as I got to Moonbury, and it was that interacting with the various inhabitants of the island is practically a must.

At first, most will be hesitant to engage with you, but as you talk to them, complete quests, and heal them, that will change. In fact, when we approach NPCs and press “A”, the options to interact with them will open. Every day we can talk at least once, which will increase the level of sympathy towards us regarding this character. In the same way, we can also give you a gift, which will increase the price much faster. friendship level.

This may seem minor, but this element not only expands the lore of the game a little more, but it will also make our stay in Moonbury easier. Likewise, it gives more weight to the intrigue and the past of the island, which, as I explained above, retains its I distrust the alchemists and the people of the capital in general. Somehow they prefer to stay on the sidelines, halfway between progress and the past.

Alchemy as a fundamental pillar

If there is a protagonist in potions license, that is to say Alchemy, and as good alchemists, we will make constant use of it. To carry out our functions, we will have at our disposal a cauldron in our hut, the one where these alchemists from the capital have always resided. Accompanied by our faithful canine friendwe will have to explore the island of Moonbury in search of the necessary elements to create our potions.

This little crafting point is great for the video game, which in addition to adding secondary missions will be a challenge against certain creatures that inhabit the island. From the start we have three main tools; a hammer, an ax and a sickle. Depending on the hardness of the resources, we will need one or the other. But the best part comes when we go back to our cauldron and get ready to make the potions.

Resources, ranging from wood, sap, or rock to honey, bear claws, or various types of flowers, are divided into four categories. Depending on the potion that we are going to create, it will have certain requirements, which will limit the use of these resources, as well as the amount that we can use in the cauldron. All this is because the alchemical system places these resources in different forms similar to the coins of the Tetris, forcing the player to choose wisely when filling all the gaps. Undoubtedly an original bet.

Mini-games and more mini-games

I mentioned that alchemy is a crucial point in this adventure, which is also well resolved with a very original mini-game when using the cauldron. Well, that’s just the beginning, as there are more minigames to progress with in our visit to Moonbury.

One of my favorites (and the most important) is the one that allows us to heal the inhabitants of the island. In a separate building as clinical, we will be notified when a patient needs our help. There, they will arrive little by little with different pathologies that will have to be identified and treated in two stages. First, identify the affected area and find the problem, thus activating the mini-game, then create the corresponding potion to solve the pathology in question.

On the other hand, if we visit the town hall, the tavern or the police station, several mini-games and secondary missions will also be activated, usually accessible via a bulletin board. They are quite simple, with a countdown timer, and will also serve to win people’s sympathy and some money at the same time. In the same way, there is an already classic mini-game in the video games themselves; the Peach.

Shape our hero

MasshiveMedia has sought to give the player some freedom in their video game from the start. Whether it’s covering missions, interactions with the environment, or directly with Moonbury’s characters. And this is reflected from the first moments after the start of our journey in potions license.

A detail that I liked is the fact of being able create our hero to taste. Given the characteristics of the video game, being able to choose the character’s gender, skin color, name or hairstyle, among other things, is one more point in its favor. Next, the game also offers the possibility of giving a name to the one who will be our faithful companion during the adventureour dog.

Of course, this time our pet won’t offer any other option but to name it. However, the interaction with him will be constant, as he will need petting and food to improve his bond with us. The thing doesn’t go beyond that, even though it works as an add-on. During this time, we will have to sleep or go to the spa to regain health and resistance.

Will the MasshiveMedia potion work?

I must say that before trying it, potions license He had already caught my attention, generating certain expectations in me. Fortunately, not only did the Masshive Media title not fall through, but it was exactly as i expected. The promo videos don’t lie, and their pixel art made me fall in love from the start. In addition to being entirely gameplay, the plot offers enough elements to make you want to move forward and discover the ins and outs of Moonbury, as well as its inhabitants.

It may not be perfect, since potions license It’s not free from a few (unimportant) bugs, and there are translation errors in some dialogs that are more than obvious. But even so, exploration, interaction, combat or its mini-games are more than enough to enjoy an attractive “miniature” RPG.

potions license It is already available on Xbox One and Xbox Series, and remember, if you liked this analysis, you will find many more in the Xbox area.