When comparing THE ALCHEMIST CODE vs Cardinal Quest 2, the Slant community recommends Cardinal Quest 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best turn-based strategy games for Android?” Cardinal Quest 2 is ranked 14th while THE ALCHEMIST CODE is ranked 32nd. The most important reason people chose Cardinal Quest 2 is:
Often you will see paid character classes or currency in mobile games. Luckily in Cardinal Quest 2, the currency is earned by successful or failed runs, and even the paid character class can be earned through a boss fight mechanic, making it something to work towards. This way everything in the game can be earned just by playing, and not spending money. The purchasable content is there for those that would just like to unlock things faster.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Interesting stories
Main plot at first was very boring and repetitive, at least for me. I found the alternative plot much more interesting tho repetitive too. However! However... After getting to chapter 5 you're gonna love it. Absolutely brilliant. And oh, there are tons of missions that tell you something about the world be it main plot or event quests it all happens on The Continent of Babel. So be prepared, Alchemists!
Pro Collabs
Are you a fan of anime? Here you'll surely find something that suits your needs. From Fate, through Attack on Titan up to 7 Deadly Sins this game has it all. It's always cool to watch your favorite character kick some butts on the battlefield.
Pro Possibilities
Combos you can pull off using buffs, debuffs, attacks, synergies and other things is just out of this world. Making an enemy skip most of their turns or hitting them like a truck with a set up attack feels much more rewarding than in different hero collectors/grid based RPGs. The trailer did not lie - possibilities are limitless.
Pro Amazing immersion
Characters have many different voice lines depending on actions like mocking an enemy upon evading or thanking for buffs received. Each character has it's own personality and most of them have some background story missions that unlock some powerful buffs upon completion.
Pro Nothing is locked behind a paywall, you are free to play as you like without worry of being coerced into spending money
Often you will see paid character classes or currency in mobile games. Luckily in Cardinal Quest 2, the currency is earned by successful or failed runs, and even the paid character class can be earned through a boss fight mechanic, making it something to work towards. This way everything in the game can be earned just by playing, and not spending money. The purchasable content is there for those that would just like to unlock things faster.
Pro A good choice of character classes allows for a mix of different strategies in the gameplay
There are six character classes that are available to use; paladin, ranger, pugilist, fighter, wizard, and thief. Though not all are available from the start and need to be unlocked through play or in-app-purchase (all can be unlocked through play). Having a good selection of classes to play with allows for different experiences to be had, which extends the playtime.
Pro Very streamlined item management that does not get in the way, allowing the player to concentrate on the gameplay, over organization
Cardinal Quest 2 is more streamlined over its first title. When picking up equipment, the user is given the option to sell if it is worse than what is already being used or worn. Making equipment management a lot easier.
Pro Lots of Google Play achievements to earn, which makes for some interesting tasks on top of the regular gameplay
There are a bunch of achievements that can be earned in the game, thus giving the player something to strive towards. This way the player can feel a sense of progression as well, since roguelikes tend to be light in this area.
Pro The included immersive mode allows for full screen gaming on devices that use a software navigation bar
Cardinal Quest 2 features full screen immersive mode on any Android device with OS 4.4+, which is great for those who have devices that use stock Android, as they can game full screen, hiding the software navigation bar.
Pro Deep gameplay that allows for plenty of customization choices
Depending on the character class used and items equipped, different strategies can be used and experimented with. Making for a deep game that allows for plenty of different setups.
Cons
Con Time consuming
You need to have a lot of time to spend if wanna play this game.
Con Poor banners and pull rates
Banners got pretty expensive these days so that one has to know who he wants to go for. Otherwise he may just end up spending a lot of Gems/$ and not getting a thing out of it.
Con Weird Content Planning
Oftentimes after getting to a certain level one would call mid/end game the content this game is getting is kind of weirdly planned... There are weeks when nothing is happening and there's nothing else to do except your dailies but sometimes there are weeks when there is so many events you don't even know where to start. It's very overwhelming. Of course there are normal weeks as well but just don't say you weren't warned about that flood of Events!
Con Somewhat slow progression
Unless you are lucky or dedicated you will struggle leveling your heroes up. Pick a bunch of them instead of going after all the shiny boys and girls you have pulled in the last 20 summons. There'll be time for that too.
Con Not a full traditional roguelike
By excluding a hunger mechanism commonly found in the roguelike genre there is no penalty for skipping turns, which can make certain areas and aspects of the game easier than other roguelike games.