Epic Quest of the 4 Crystals
- September 25, 2015
- RosePortal Games
Get on Steam"Epic Quest of the 4 Crystals" is a retro-style action RPG. Traverse through diverse landscapes, battling monsters and bosses to collect the four crystals and save the world. Features include pixel art graphics, procedural generation, and permadeath, offering a challenging and engaging experience.
Reviews
- The game features enjoyable turn-based RPG combat with a good spread of character abilities and strategic elements.
- The quirky characters and dark humor add a unique charm to the game, making it an interesting experience.
- The game provides a sense of joy and hope, as it has helped some players through difficult personal times.
- The writing is juvenile and often relies on cringeworthy humor, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game lacks substantial content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and a sense of directionlessness.
- Many players found the combat mechanics boring and the character progression poorly designed, making it less engaging.
- story15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story of "Epic Quest of the 4 Crystals" is criticized for being generic and poorly written, often resembling a low-effort fan fiction with clichéd elements and subpar artwork. While some players appreciate a few emotional moments and unexpected plot twists, many find the overall narrative directionless and unengaging, leading to a lack of interest in the characters and their journey. Despite its attempts at parody and humor, the game struggles to deliver a compelling story that resonates with players.
“The characterization of your party is clear, there are a couple of emotional moments that worked, and there was one plot point that genuinely surprised me.”
“There are some really nice plot twists along the whole adventure.”
“It is a fun and interesting game with a very interesting storyline that has a very abrupt twist halfway into the story!!”
“The plot is painfully generic, the writing awful, but it is accompanied by some completely godawful 'baby's first Wacom tablet' artwork that would have had whoever came up with it banned from DeviantArt for life... it's just that bad.”
“I get that it's a parody of other RPGs, but the directionless story allowed me to immediately wander out of the town and die.”
“Trying to make poor twists and some jokes doesn't make the story good.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the low-quality graphics and repetitive mechanics, while others note that the core gameplay, though not particularly original, is generally well executed. However, many find the gameplay becomes tedious over time, detracting from the overall experience. Combat mechanics are likened to those in Final Fantasy XI, requiring strategy rather than brute force to succeed.
“It's a cheap game where the core gameplay is, if not especially original, generally well executed.”
“Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low-quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
“The gameplay is my main issue as eventually it gets bothersome, making it a chore to finish the game.”
“The combat mechanics remind me of FFXI because you cannot just win by brute force.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as juvenile and overly self-referential, which may appeal to some players but detracts from the overall experience for others. While there is an underlying dark humor present, particularly in the dialogue, many reviewers find the banter unfunny and the characters and story lacking depth. Overall, the humor seems to be a divisive aspect, with some viewing it as a joke and others seeking a more serious tone.
“There is a humor flowing under everything.”
“The dialogue has a dark humor to it so far (especially Mary).”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, providing a relaxing experience that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some users find it good, others describe it as merely okay, suggesting a mixed but mostly positive reception.
“The art is fine, the music is good, and the writing... well, we'll come back to that.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Music is okay so far.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the artwork as amateurish and poorly executed, likening it to low-quality creations from novice artists. Additionally, the limitations of the RPG Maker engine hinder the visual experience, lacking full HD support and customization options, which detracts from the overall quality for modern gamers. However, there are also users who appreciate the graphics, noting they are not the typical basic RPG Maker style.
“I enjoy the graphics (thankfully not 'basic' RTP RPG Maker graphics').”
“The plot is painfully generic, the writing awful, but it is accompanied by some completely godawful 'baby's first Wacom tablet' artwork that would have had whoever came up with it banned from DeviantArt for life... it's just that bad.”
“As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that the grinding in this game is more strategic and engaging compared to typical hack-and-slash RPGs, requiring them to learn and adapt to encounters rather than relying solely on brute force or repetitive grinding.
“I found myself needing to do a fair bit of grinding, and I knew how to deal with every encounter before I had finished.”
“This is not the typical mindless hack-and-slash RPG that I am used to playing, where I win by either brute force or excessive grinding.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features well-defined characterizations that contribute to a few impactful emotional moments, alongside a surprising plot twist that enhances the overall emotional engagement.
“The characterization of your party is clear, and there are a couple of emotional moments that worked beautifully. One plot point genuinely surprised me.”
