Elliot Quest
- October 10, 2014
- ansimuz
- 8h median play time
Like Elliot himself, his quest cannot die as it gets another release on a Nintendo platform.
"Elliot Quest" is a classic 2D action-adventure game with RPG elements. After Elliot's wife disappears, he's cursed to become a demon hunter. Explore the island of Urele, battle monsters, and uncover the truth behind your curse in this retro-inspired pixelated game. With challenging gameplay and multiple endings, replayability is high.
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda II, with engaging gameplay and exploration.
- The pixel art and music are well-crafted, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.
- The level-up system allows for meaningful character progression, rewarding players for exploration and skillful play.
- The game suffers from a lack of direction and explanation, leaving players often confused about objectives and item functions.
- Heavy movement mechanics and a high difficulty level can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially with the XP penalty on death.
- Technical issues, such as bugs and poor controller support, detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.
- story33 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of Elliot Quest is described as vague and open to interpretation, which may not appeal to all players, as it lacks a clear narrative direction at the start. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and the way the narrative unfolds through gameplay, others find it confusing and poorly defined, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a compelling world that encourages exploration, though the storyline itself is often seen as derivative.
“The game also has a nifty story told in flashbacks, a karma meter, experience and level-ups.”
“Great soundtrack, excellent atmosphere, and an original slice of a story makes this a sure thing.”
“Once you understand the game's story development logic and enjoy the style of gameplay of a side scroller and dungeon explorer, this game is for you.”
“The story also blows.”
“Further, when the game starts, there's basically no cutscene or story, you just find yourself in a forest and have no idea what is going on.”
“Later, in dungeons, a lot of the story is told in text while you are playing, and half the time I miss it, but it is so vague that it doesn't make sense until almost the end of the game.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to classic 8-bit titles, featuring engaging Metroidvania-style level design and a rewarding challenge that appeals to fans of retro gaming. While the mechanics are generally solid and the level-up system dynamic, some players find the controls laggy and the lack of checkpoints frustrating, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers a rich exploration experience for those who appreciate its design and challenge.
“Engaging gameplay and very well thought out Metroid-style level design and ability acquisition.”
“The gameplay is solid, with good 2D shooting action, and the level-up system is very good and dynamic.”
“Tough yet rewarding gameplay.”
“The game is pretty, but the controls are laggy and somewhat unresponsive (I'm playing with an Xbox One controller). The difficulty is high, and there are some odd level and gameplay design choices.”
“I understand the appeal for perhaps those who wish to challenge themselves, but this is not the 20th century where checkpoints are difficult to work into games for whatever reason. Leaving them out does not help an aesthetic; it hurts gameplay.”
“The lack of checkpoints can put you back 2-3 minutes of gameplay, and up to even 5 if you wish to be thorough like me.”
- music14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its strong melodies and atmospheric qualities, with many reviewers noting its homage to classic bit tunes. However, some criticisms arise regarding similarities to Nintendo's music and sound effects, leading to concerns about originality. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience.
“The platforming feels solid, the pixel art is attractive, the world is interesting and varied, and the music is strong, melodic, and sets the atmosphere well.”
“Overall, the game is gorgeous, and the music is a good homage to the bit tunes of yesteryear.”
“Great soundtrack, excellent atmosphere and an original slice of a story makes this a sure thing.”
“In fact, some of the music is so similar I'm surprised they weren't sued by Nintendo.”
“This game has terrible controls and rips off Zelda sound effects and music left and right.”
“The sprite artwork is pretty good, and the music is mediocre.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as basic yet appealing, featuring good sprite artwork and a unique visual aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. While some players appreciate the simplicity and charm of the art style, others feel that it could benefit from more detailed explanations and modern gameplay elements like checkpoints. Overall, the game is noted for its memorable visuals and effective sound design.
“It's got a great visual aesthetic, music, and game feel.”
“The art style is wonderful and unique, and the music and sound effects are great, too (there are also some well-placed Link to the Past references).”
“- graphically beautiful game”
“Very basic game in terms of graphics and gameplay.”
“I buy the simplicity in graphics, that's fine, but the game could have explained more.”
“I understand the appeal for perhaps those who wish to challenge themselves, but this is not the 20th century where checkpoints are difficult to work into games for whatever reason; leaving them out does not help an aesthetic, it hurts gameplay.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with some resorting to exploits to level up quickly. While there are occasional bonuses to alleviate the grind, many feel that the experience is marred by the necessity of repetitive grinding for health and gold, which can detract from overall enjoyment and exploration. The experience is further hindered by an XP penalty for death, leading to a more mundane gameplay loop.
“Luckily, I discovered an exploit in the mountains where you can grind a level for only a few minutes, but this should not have happened.”
“It either leads to boring grinding for health, or that you die a lot.”
“There's some one-time bonus coin chests in the game, but those really just feel like a reminder of the tedious grinding you're doing for gold, rather than something to be excited about.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its attractive pixel art, varied and interesting world design, and a strong, melodic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of visual appeal and engaging music as key elements that create an immersive atmosphere.
“The platforming feels solid, the pixel art is attractive, the world is interesting and varied, and the music is strong, melodic, and sets the atmosphere well.”
“Great soundtrack, excellent atmosphere, and an original slice of a story makes this a sure thing.”
“A visually enjoyable atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users describing it as "incredibly buggy."
“But it's incredibly buggy.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its smooth performance, indicating effective optimization that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
“The game runs smoothly, providing a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how well-optimized the game is; it never lags or stutters.”
“The optimization is top-notch, allowing for high performance even on lower-end systems.”
Critic Reviews
Elliot Quest Review
Elliot Quest takes heavy inspiration from the first three Zelda games in general and from Zelda II: Adventure of Link in particular, while improving on some of the more tedious aspects of it. However, it does not quite go all the way to leaving behind or improving the elements that haven't aged well at all in Nintendo's classic, making for an experience that at times can be a bit more confusing than it really needs to be. The narrative, in its execution and presentation, passes almost completely into the background like it was totally absent, which further cements the identity of Elliot Quest: a game that is deeply seated in the era that inspired its creation. There will, therefore, be two categories of players: those who find it hard to enjoy for lack of some of the more modern comforts that gaming has brought along over the years, and those that love it all the more for it because they appreciate being given free reign instead of being held by the hand all along. What remains after taking these things into account is still a thoroughly, if complicated, more Metroidvania-oriented side-scrolling adventure RPG that should definitely appeal to fans of 8-bit flavoured games of that genre.
70%Elliot Quest (Switch) Review
Like Elliot himself, his quest cannot die as it gets another release on a Nintendo platform.
80%Elliot Quest Review
Elliot Quest is a solid new entry to the ever-growing stable of great eShop titles. While it's not perfect - there really shouldn't be slowdown in a game with 8-bit pixel art, and it can be frustrating to try to figure out where to go next - anyone looking for a challenging, satisfying action adventure will likely get a lot of enjoyment out of it. As well as all this, Elliot Quest is a great showcase for what HTML5 can do. Just be prepared to do a lot of exploring.
80%