Alcahest (video game)

Alcahest is a 1993 action game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Square for the Super Famicom. It is one of the titles Square did not develop but did publish. Controlling the swordsman Alen, who embarks on a journey to stop the demon tribe led by Babilom, an emperor planning to conquer the world with his imperial army and the titular demon god who revived from his previous defeat a thousand years ago, the player explore and search for items to progress and power-ups, fighting bosses and minibosses. During gameplay, Alen meets Guardians that aid him with their power, and allies that join him along the way.

First announced in 1992 under the tentative name Guardian Blade, Alcahest was created by HAL Laboratory, known for their work on the Kirby franchise. It was directed and designed by Atsushi Kakuta, with late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata serving as producer. The music was composed by Jun Ishikawa, known for his work on the Kirby series. The game was supplemented by a strategy guidebook. Though it was not officially published outside Japan, an English fan translation was released in 2002. It never received an official soundtrack release unlike other Square titles, although its main theme was included as part of a compilation album published in 2017.

Alcahest was well received by critics who reviewed it as an import title; praise was given to aspects such as its graphics engine for eschewing the super deformed style prevalent on Super Famicom, intuitive controls, blend of action and role-playing elements, the variety of partners, diverse and flowing level design, simple but dynamic arcade-style gameplay, accessibility due to the light use of Japanese and challenge. Reviewers also noted that the game's style and combat system were reminiscent of Zelda and Soul Blazer, but most felt mixed regarding the music, while criticism was geared towards its puzzles, lack of proper character interaction, short length, scenario and repetitive dungeons.