Review - Potionomics Masterwork Edition

Developer: Voracious Games

Publisher: XSeed

Available On: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, & PC

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5

POTIONS R US!

When Potiononics was first announced, a tsunami of disappointment washed over me. Honestly, I was pretty bummed to see it slated as a PC exclusive. I could only watch, green with envy, as the press emails kept rolling into my inbox. With every new one received, the jealousy worsened. It didn’t help that the pictures tacked inside were vibrant - the colours popped. It had me hypnotized, glaring longingly at them. Against my better judgment, I chose to remain hopeful. Be it due to stupidity or a fetish for masochism, I tried willing the console release into existence. Well, after two years of wishful thinking, I can sigh in relief.

Potionomics: Masterwork Edition is an enhanced take on the original. We’re talking a decent bit of additions, from difficulty settings to full voices. Hell, I reckon that this game is the definitive version and sure, that’s a subjective opinion. Be that as it may, it’s also still an objective improvement. The question is: will the tweaks bolster or diminish this 2022 gem?

IS THE GENRE OKAY!?

I’m not positive of the reason but cozy jaunts seem to have a thing for killing off relatives as an excuse to kickstart their story. It’s kind of a weird kink. Unsurprisingly, Potionomics follows that exact narrative formula. Sylvia, our Protagonist, receives the horrible news that hey, your uncle died. This leads her to his old Potion Shop where she not only encounters a talkative owl but also learns of the debt the dearly departed has accumulated. Now, with the guidance of her bird friend, she’s been forcibly entered into a contest that can aid in paying it off. Yes, this premise is as basic as basic gets but that’s not why I adore it so damn much.

That honour goes to the fantastic character personalities. Everyone is unique in how they’re written - from child-like glee to sarcastic quips, naivety, and a pair of pirates that are simply pawsome. I’m genuinely impressed. The various expressions, be it facial or body language, did a lot of heavy lifting in communicating the intended emotion behind a line. To put it bluntly, this script oozes charm. I won’t lie; I frequently smiled. No, it’s way more than that. I was snickering at the wild, often silly, shenanigans. My favourite is this witch with lowkey energy and is very obviously done with the world’s bullshit - they are quite easily the star.

Oh, there are many, and I mean many, quotables, too. In fact, my PS5 is filled to the brim with screenshots. Just when I thought I found the dialogue I figured could truly showcase the quality, I stumbled upon a viable second, third, and even tenth option. Be it thanks to how dumb or outrageous it was, what was clear was a bucket of passion had been slathered over it. Look, when you can bounce between being funny to dishing out heartbreak without seeming forced or disjointed, that’s the mark of magic. I laughed, I felt sad, and ultimately, I went on to build a connection. When I’m unable to cheat on an in-game spouse, that’s a good sign.

OH, I FEEL THE CRUNCH!

I have 50 days to beat every alchemist I face during the competition, for a total of one every ten. In each round, I’ll be given a list of three distinct potions. My task is completing what’s expected of me before the timer hits zero. Be cautious, though, because while brewing does waste precious minutes, so too will other activities. For instance; if I want to see my puppy dog crush, that’s a handful of hours. Suddenly, it turned into this juggling act that stressed me out. Any move I made sparked panic as I worried if it was the correct decision. Luckily, the Masterwork Edition tries to mitigate that hardship. Well, to an extent, anyway.

By selecting “Cozy” Mode, I can visit friends or my love interest to my heart’s content. The catch is that it won’t really apply to hanging out. Be it cleaning litter or combat training, there’s still going to be a semblance of management. Regardless, what matters is how it didn’t spike my anxiety. A single mistake doesn’t outright bury my chances of advancing. Most crucially, my pathetic memory doesn’t punish me since human error is allowed. I could freely go from person to person to experience their whimsy quirks without a care in the world. As our bond grows, I’d then acquire special items that would later help when negotiating.

ME VS THE CONSUMER!

Believe it or not, Potionomics has a battle system that circles around the notion of haggling. It’s kind of ingenious, actually, with hit points not being in the traditional sense. See, I’m not depleting the life force of my foes to zero. Instead, I inflict damage by boosting their interest in whatever potion I’m selling. The more intrigued they become, the more value a product earns, thus lining my pockets with some serious cash. It won’t be cut and dry, however. An encounter utilizes cards to fight which have a cost that chips away at a customer's patience. If it breaks, they leave in a huff, thus introducing an element of strategy I rather fancied.

If you’re wondering, there’s a variety of cards to collect with varying passive effects. They range from heavily enticing customers to pay a premium, to beefing up the price of my wares manually. As someone that had a childhood influenced by the Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon TCG, the deck building mechanic tickled my taint. Trying to suss out which had synergy with which had me viciously pondering. To gain a newer card, I have to progress my relationship with a specific NPC, whether it’s romantic or platonic. The beautiful part is there’s no shot you can maximize everybody’s heart level in the first play-through, meaning a replay factor.

Honestly, I’m unreasonably stoked to see Potionomics pushing you to experiment. It wants me to witness each character interaction on offer. What I especially found super nifty is that those cards I receive after a conversation matches their demeanour. For example; if I’m swooning Saffron, a laidback Wood Elf that embraces tranquility, I’m given the ability to lower Sylvia’s stress. Yea, I didn’t mention it but she can get overwhelmed by any potential complaints. That, of course, then leads to lots of mistakes that snowball until her mentality shatters, causing her to question reality. If it keeps mounting, she eventually succumbs to the pressure.

WE WERE SO CLOSE!!

I’ve gushed and gushed, singing the praises of Potionomics but there are cracks to the foundation. Fortunately, it’s not debilitating or set to derail your session. The first comes when combining the ingredients. See, each one has what’s been dubbed Magimins. Hitting a particular amount is the difference between a Mana or Health Potion. The facet that annoys me is if I need to replace a piece of fruit for, say, a bag of slime to improve the balance of Magimins, I can’t just choose what I aim to replace. I’ve got to cancel whatever came after before I can do so. It’s clear that’s a remnant of the PC version but in console form, it adds needless tedium.

The second issue is where my aggravation piqued. Simply put, there were moments where the buttons refused to function. Period. I could press and press but what’s supposed to happen doesn’t. What I found especially frustrating is when I’m mere seconds from making a deal, only to get no response. If I’m unable to manipulate customers into a bigger expense, I lose a vital feature. I’m also trapped into selling my wares for a cheaper tag. The opportunity to, as the kids say, get that bag, was right there and yet, the game decides to screw me. I initially thought that perhaps it was a debuff but the truth is, it’s nothing more than a bug.

LISTEN TO THOSE SOUNDS!!

I’m going to begin my spiel about the music by saying that the Pirate theme is glorious. I can’t articulate enough how much I friggin adore everything it compasses. How the instruments roar triumphantly and the choir of, uh, animalistic lyrics are bellowed. It sounds mysterious, I know, but trust me, it’s a trip. I won’t ruin this bombshell because I reckon half the appeal is in the discovery. Know that it’s fantastic and that it’s a trend that carries into the entirety of the OST. I mean, never in a million years did I expect orchestrated bliss. The effort put forth is astounding and it deserves the recognition for flicking my ear holes to climax.

Now, I’ve noted that voice acting has been put into the Masterworks Edition and the good word is that it’s quite excellent. The delivery of lines were exactly what they needed to be. While I have said the body language helped tell me what emotion was being channeled, cadence hammered it home. If I had to quibble, though, it has to be those rare sections where the performance could have been tightened. I felt that there were a couple spots that would have benefitted from a different twang. In that same breath, what’s in Potionomics is going to delight folks. I thoroughly enjoyed what I heard and thought everyone suited their voices.

LOOK AT YOU!!

When it concerns the presentation, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. The character designs have an identity of their own, however I do believe the developers played it safe to a degree. Basically, it isn’t as eccentric as it could’ve been. I also, and bear with me because this is incredibly nitpicky, noticed a weird flourish. It seems the movement animations aren’t fluid. Hand motions or head swivels triggered at a specific snippet of dialogue. It’s hard to make sense of it but it’s fair to say it had a robotic tinge. I’ll confess, I saw it because I purposely looked for a fault, meaning that for the casual player, you’ll not even be troubled.

AND THE BREWING VERDICT IS…

Potionomics Masterworks Edition lives up to the name, taking all the quality of life adjustments to make this romp a, well, a master work. The faults it does have has nothing to do with the gameplay. It’s dumb crap that can be addressed with a patch and once that hits, all of those little moments of grief will theoretically be nullified - I just want y’all to stop the buttons from not reacting to my touch. That’s irritating but I admit, it’s minor and didn’t greatly impact my session. I think what I was also delighted by is how each mechanic needs to be fully utilized to scale the last hurdle. This title is irrefutably fun and it comes highly recommended by me.

POTIONOMICS: MASTERWORK EDITION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Massive thanks to the Publisher for the review code used for this coverage.