If you’ve ever played an RPG game such as “The Legend of Zelda,” you will remember having to go to shops in order to buy your items. In Artificer, this is switched around. You play the shopkeeper who sells the goods to the customers. You must help the heroes hired by the mayor to accomplish their quest of killing the dragon by making weapons, shields, potions, etc. that they will use to kill the dragon. In the end, you are the one who decides if they have the gear to defeat the dragon!
In Artificer, you must create items and sell them to the heroes that will come through your shop. There are three types of heroes: paladin, ranger, and wizard. Each hero can use specific equipment. A paladin can use the sword, shield and plate, the ranger can use the bow, boots, and leather, and the wizard can use the staff, ring, and robe. However, all of the heroes can use potions. The heroes use a level system to determine how powerful they are, and what items they can use. For example, a level three paladin could use any level sword up to level three, but not any higher. The level of the weapon is determined by the “power” of the weapon, and the “bonus.” Without any power or bonus, the level of the weapon is 0. There are ten bonuses, starting at “+1 Bonus” and ending at “+10 Bonus.” Each bonus will add a level. There are also ten powers. Each one adds one more level than the latter. These are the powers, in order from the least amount of levels added (1) to the most levels added (10): light, fire, frost, thunder, shadow, haste, lucky, reflect, vampire, and holy. When you add the power and the bonus to the weapon, you will get the final level of that weapon. For example, a shadow staff with +2 bonus would be level 7. Also, the higher the level of the item is, the more it will cost to craft it. Keep this in mind, and only craft weapons that your heroes will be able to equip, or you may run out of money to make items your heroes can actually use. However, Artificer is much more than just crafting the items. You must sell the items by pricing them reasonably, etc. You can tell what a hero is thinking when they walk through your shop by the icons that will display over their head. If you tap on the hero, you will get a more detailed look at them. This will tell you information such as their level, their weapon, the protection they use, the armor they use, how much money they have, what they are thinking, and what they are going to buy. This is useful if you need to know exactly what they want. With every purchase the heroes make, and with every item you craft, you will gain reputation points. There is a tutorial mode to play the game, which is good to help you get used to the gameplay. Also, there are mini-games to play, such as Artificer Memory and Artificer Match, which can be accessed through the “Adventurers” menu.
It is very easy to pick up and play Artificer, and the fact that the whole game is controlled via the stylus makes it even easier to pick up. All the menus are at the top of the screen, and they are used much like the menus on many computer applications. To get to the crafting screen, you simply tap on the button in the bottom-left corner of the screen, which has a picture of a hammer, and usually reads “Not Crafting.” From there, you can craft items. To get back to the store view, you tap on the button with your user name on it. When you want to put an item on a table to sell, you simply tap on the table, and select the item to sell and the price. The controls are straightforward, and if you don't understand how to play the game, the tutorial mode explains everything for you, including what tapping on certain buttons will do.
Artificer features a medieval theme, which adds to the feel of the game. All of the heroes are dressed the way you would expect, such as the wizard wearing a robe, the paladin wearing a suit of armor, etc. The entire interface follows the design, including fonts, menus, etc. The items also look good, and are easy to identify when they are on a table. There is also a little scenery around your shop, which also has the same medieval theme to it. On top of all that, the user interface is clean and easy to use. Although the graphics are not the best part of the game, they look good, and everything is easy to see and use, which is all you need from a game like Artificer.
Artificer also features medieval music and sound. Like the graphics, it adds to the theme of the game nicely. You can turn either off if needed, but the music doesn't get annoying, and really makes the game experience better, so I left it on. The music is composed by Jason Surguine, who also composed music for games such as Snails and Arvale. The sound effects happen for basically all the events in the game, from a hero buying a weapon to crafting a weapon, etc. The effects are unique from each other, so you will be able to tell what event happened just from listening to the sound effects. Overall, like many games, the music and sound effects add to the game, and you will probably find that you want to keep them on.
Overall, Artificer is a great game to play if you like RPG games, if you like store simulation games. Artificer is similar to games such as Tots’N’Togs and Lemonade, Inc.. The gameplay is what you would imagine it would be like if you were the shopkeeper in an RPG. It's really neat to go “behind the scenes” of these shops, and run them. You have to keep the customers satisfied, price the items reasonably, etc. while earning money. This can be a challenge sometimes while playing the game. The gameplay is fabulous, but the sound and graphics really add a lot to the game. It makes the game have even more of a medieval theme, rather than just a game about selling items. All together, Artificer makes a great game to pick up and play for short amounts of time, or for longer sittings.
Playing Hints and Tips
• Always check what level your heroes are before making items. Make items that they can wield, but don't make weapons above their level.
• Check to see what your heroes are thinking when they have an icon over their head.
• Make sure you manage your money wisely.
• Play the tutorial first to learn how to play the game.
Screen shots:
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
Graphics
There aren't any breakthroughs in graphics in Artificer, but the medieval themed graphics really add to the game. Everything is easy to see/read as well.
Sound
The music and sound effects match the theme well and add to the game. The music provides a good atmosphere and the sound effects notify you of events well. You can tell what event is happening just by the sound effect.
Fun Meter
Artificer is a must-have for RPG fans, or anyone who likes business/strategy games. It's a great game to pick up, and if you have to, you can easily save and close the game quickly. For this reason, it's a game that you can play in small or large amounts easily.
Addictivity
Artificer is a must-have for RPG fans, or anyone who likes business/strategy games. It's a great game to pick up, and if you have to, you can easily save and close the game quickly. For this reason, it's a game that you can play in small or large amounts easily.
