Potions: A Curious Tale Review
Gettin' Cozy with Chemistry
Potions: A Curious Tale originally launched for PC via Steam in March 2024 after nearly a decade of development. However, when Electronic Arts shadow-dropped several titles onto the platform the same day, it was immediately pushed out of its new and trending sections, derailing developer Stumbling Cat's plans. The indie team's leader went on to share her story of setback, which brought much attention to the game after being picked up by mainstream news outlets, saving the Kickstarter-funded project from its unfortunate release timing. Over a year later, it has been updated with a new post-game quest and ported to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Unlike the larger-than-life road it has traveled, however, Potions: A Curious Tale is a low-key puzzle-adventure game that may satisfy a certain craving for simplicity and coziness, but doesn't amount to much more than that.
Luna is a young witch following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who teaches her the basics of potion-brewing before letting her take on various requests across the land. There's no problem a potion can't solve, and soon enough, Luna picks up a broom to fly around on, and a fussy feline named Helios to keep her company. As she uses her cauldron to cook up a concoction for every conundrum, darkness begins to fester, and a crisis emerges that only she can put an end to. Armed with alchemy and aided by allies made along the way, she takes on a grand trial to prove her mastery of the craft and save the world.
[caption id="attachment_181860" align="alignnone" width="640"] Helios isn't fond of humans, but Luna is an exception.[/caption]
The land's inhabitants are taken out of myths, legends, and fairy tales, with Rumpelstiltskin, the Sphinx, Sun Wukong, and many others sharing a home under the same sun. They all offer Luna many quests, which culminate in a final quest line to explore hidden temples and dispel the rising darkness. The story and writing are extremely straightforward, with even its finale and post-game failing to impress, though given its genre and design philosophy, it can be accepted for what it is. However, more than a few plot lines and character arcs are noticeably and distractingly rushed, which detracts from the experience.
Luna's primary method of dealing with monsters in the overworld is by throwing offensive potions at them in real-time, but as potions are needed for puzzles, using them on enemies feels like a waste. Leading enemies into environmental hazards like fire or spikes is a more active and fun way to dispatch foes, and it fits with the game design, as most enemies can be taken out this way. Bosses and a handful of stronger enemies do usually need to be bathed in brews to be defeated, but even then, there is little strategy or difficulty to it, which begs the question if the game would be improved by removing combat entirely. Once the flying broom is obtained about an hour into the game, most enemies can be slipped past without consequences.
[caption id="attachment_181861" align="alignnone" width="640"] Don't forget the safety goggles.[/caption]
The meat of the game is gathering ingredients, crafting potions, and solving puzzles. Ingredients have a mana type that defines their properties, and Luna can combine any three ingredients of any mana type to brew potions that fulfill various purposes. The most fundamental is the Minor Explosion Potion, which can clear up debris and do decent damage to foes, but other potions have different properties needed for exploration and quests, such as a Cure-All Potion that cures any ailment or a Magical Cleanser that can clean any object. Once brewed, the recipe for a potion is added to Luna's recipe book, but there are many more recipes than one would think, and there is a strange allure to throwing together many seemingly incongruent ingredients and seeing what comes from it.
Other aspects of the game are less exciting, with fetch quests making up most of the objectives and exploration feeling empty and unrewarding most of the time. They may keep players engaged by always offering them something to do, but that is the extent of it. The six biomes of the map are basic, and their open fields can be easy to get lost in because of a lack of identifiable geography. Caves, underground ruins, and the endgame's temples are better, but they're limited in number. These sheltered areas are also where most of the puzzles are found, and though they are neither challenging nor creative, they may scratch an itch for players seeking out simpler, less-challenging gameplay.
[caption id="attachment_181862" align="alignnone" width="640"] Gather ingredients through combat and exploration.[/caption]
Progressing through areas rewards players with new ingredients, but most ingredients and potions are optional. When a certain potion is needed for an objective, the game either provides the ingredients and recipe, or makes it very easy to obtain. If players want to get more out of the roughly six-hour story, they can accept nondescript side quests, though these are even more limited than the main quest. There are also collectible cards scattered around that can open secret areas hiding an upgrade for Luna's health bar. Players can satisfy their curiosity and mess around with the collecting, crafting, and questing if they wish to, but much of it is not required.
The soundtrack is appropriately cozy and serene, though sound effects could use some pizzazz. The same can be said for the visual design, where a bit more creativity would help its case greatly. Character portraits have a distinct art style, but enemies and areas look bland and forgettable. High-grade potions sometimes have extravagant animations when thrown, but the majority of animations are lacking. The user interface does its job for the most part, but a small and hard-to-read font may be a constant issue for players with vision issues. If players take on too many quests at once, the right side of the screen also becomes overcrowded and pushes one of the objective reminders halfway off the screen, which can be distracting.
[caption id="attachment_181863" align="alignnone" width="640"] Collect cards to open up secret areas around the world.[/caption]
Between the soothing soundtrack and the basic tasks, there is some comfort to the game's humble offerings. Some may find the game to act well as a palate cleanser after a particularly challenging or big game, or as a way to calm the mind by throwing together random ingredients, checking objectives off the quest list, and working through simple puzzles. However, players looking for something more substantial are likely to get bored quickly, as the game is held up entirely by its coziness and relaxing vibes. Potions: A Curious Tale is a classic case of "what you see is what you get," and while it may be met favorably by players captivated by its concoction of comfort, others are likely to feel side effects of disappointment and boredom after taking enough swigs.
Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.
The post Potions: A Curious Tale Review appeared first on RPGamer .
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