I think that type of thing can really enhance a game if done right. It engages more of your senses and gets you (literally) thinking outside the box. It makes you feel like you're learning and demonstrating a skill, but in actuality the skill is just being attentive. The original came with a booklet [1] where you could write down the spells next to explanations of what they did, seems like an excellent way to do it.
Btw when I played it for the first time I just didn't understand that the pattern played backwards did the opposite. I thought that those are different spells, and it made things so much harder. Only many years later when I came back to replay Loom I noticed that some patters are suspiciously similar... oh boy.
Been probably 30 years since I played it last, but that would so make sense wouldn't it. I don't think I figured that out back then, wow. Still, the interface compared to all the other adventure games at that time was just so different and full of wonder, I kept coming back until I finished the darn game.
