The Quest
- February 19, 2016
- Redshift
- 31h median play time
"The Quest" is a role-playing game that transports players to a fantasy world filled with magic, monsters, and mystery. As the chosen hero, players embark on a series of quests to save the kingdom of Erinor from destruction. Along the way, they'll encounter various characters, battle enemies, and make decisions that affect the game's outcome. With its immersive storyline and open-world exploration, "The Quest" offers a rich and engaging RPG experience.
Reviews
- The game features a unique hand-drawn art style that enhances the nostalgic feel of classic RPGs.
- It offers a vast open world with a plethora of quests that can be completed in multiple ways, allowing for player choice and exploration.
- The turn-based combat system is engaging, requiring strategy and careful planning, especially when managing resources like potions and spells.
- The quest log is often vague and does not provide updates, making it easy to lose track of objectives.
- Combat can feel slow and tedious, especially against ranged enemies that can overwhelm the player.
- Some players may find the writing and character interactions to be poorly executed or lacking depth.
- story307 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "The Quest" is a blend of classic RPG elements with a nostalgic charm, featuring a variety of quests that often allow for multiple resolutions and moral choices. While some players appreciate the depth and humor in the side quests, others criticize the main storyline for being uninspired and the quest design for lacking clarity, leading to confusion and frustration. Overall, the game offers a rich world filled with lore and engaging narratives, appealing to fans of old-school RPGs despite its flaws in quest tracking and writing quality.
“The story seems simple at first but gains complexity as it unfolds, and the side quests are often cunning and offer multiple resolutions.”
“The quest is a beautifully crafted world, with lots of interesting quests; I don't find them repetitive and I actually really enjoy the challenge the game brings.”
“The quests are story-based, which includes decision-making; particularly in the dialogue which eventually affects outcomes.”
“The problems that drag it down is the fact that over half of the quests are written like the author is taking the piss; I would prefer it taken itself a bit more seriously.”
“Completing quests can be fairly trial and error, and never did I feel as though it was important to save the realm or rescue anybody in particular.”
“The biggest flaw of this game definitely is the writing and the way quests are designed.”
- graphics106 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a blend of charming hand-drawn art and retro aesthetics, reminiscent of classic RPGs from the '80s and '90s. While some players appreciate the nostalgic visuals and detail, others criticize the limited NPC models and lack of customization options, noting that the graphics may not meet modern standards. Overall, the visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia and are considered adequate for the gameplay experience, appealing particularly to fans of old-school RPGs.
“The graphics are beautifully hand drawn and really feel like an old fantasy world role-playing game.”
“The graphics overhaul looks great and keeps the original art style.”
“The old school charm, combined with gorgeous graphics, is a winning combination in anybody's book.”
“I saw some screenshots of the graphics and was initially turned off by the look of the game.”
“There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
“Very primitive graphics and gameplay.”
- gameplay63 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a nostalgic throwback to classic RPG mechanics, featuring simple yet engaging systems that allow for various playstyles and character builds. While many players appreciate the addictive nature and depth of exploration, some criticize the combat mechanics, tedious item management, and lack of memorable characters, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite its flaws, the game offers hours of content and appeals to fans of retro RPGs, though it may not satisfy everyone due to its unbalanced gameplay and repetitive elements.
“The gameplay is addictively fun and simple; you can move quickly over tiles while out of combat, but when within range of another enemy, the speed slows down to help you plan your next move, take a potion, or choose a spell to fire.”
“The mechanics are simple to understand but interesting enough to make you want to create another but different character, adding to the replayability.”
“Solid gameplay, great storytelling, and lore that really makes a game world feel alive and much larger than what the player will ever witness.”
“Ultimately, the terrible quests and boring gameplay completely turned me off from playing this game further.”
“Being 'retro' doesn't excuse a boring combat system, non-existent AI, lifeless towns, meaningless dialogues, tedious item management, monotonous sound design, or repetitive gameplay loops.”
“A generic and old quest system was used in this game, either intentionally to prolong the gameplay or unintentionally as a bad design decision; in either case, the resulting outcome is a tedious distraction of uninteresting towns and quests from an otherwise fun gameplay mechanic.”
- music38 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is often praised for its nostalgic 1990s vibe, atmospheric quality, and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with many players finding it captivating and memorable. However, some reviews note that the soundtrack can be repetitive and lacks variety, with only a limited number of tracks. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplicity and repetitiveness.
“The music is very atmospheric and fitting.”
“I would also like to mention that the soundtrack is amazing; I still hum bits of it years after playing it for the first time.”
“The art style paired with the music captivated me fully.”
“The soundtrack is extremely repetitive.”
“Repetitive music.”
“I would mark the music and the graphics as average or rather not catching, but I simply cannot cope with this grid-based movement and therefore too horrible turns combat too.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted as one of its strongest aspects, featuring unconventional and often funny writing that, while occasionally lacking in payoff, contributes to memorable moments throughout the gameplay. Players appreciate the blend of cheesy humor with deeper narrative elements, alongside a nostalgic design that evokes classic RPGs. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it engaging and enjoyable despite some retro aesthetics.
“The writing is probably the strongest point the game has, and it is quite unconventional and funny, but also often a bit underbaked in terms of payoff and character motivation.”
“I'm a scrub, so I needed a guide to start, but once you get the hang of it, it's a fun, nostalgic game with plenty of cheesy humor.”
“But if you can look past that and put in the hours, you have an amazing, expansive world with dozens to hundreds of hours of content, a unique tongue-in-cheek brand of humor, surprisingly deep RPG and combat elements, and memorable (and memorably difficult!) quests, dungeons, and adventures.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that while the game offers enjoyable moments, particularly after establishing a solid build, it suffers from tedious grinding mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Players note that the combat can feel repetitive and quests lack guidance, leading to a sense of monotony. Despite attempts to alleviate some of these issues, many find the grinding aspect to be a significant drawback, overshadowing the game's strengths.
“However, it has some tedious game mechanics that detract from the exploration and combat.”
“Being 'retro' doesn't excuse a boring combat system, non-existent AI, lifeless towns, meaningless dialogues, tedious item management, monotonous sound design, or repetitive gameplay loops.”
“A generic and old quest system was used in this game, either intentionally to prolong the gameplay or unintentionally as a bad design decision; in either case, the resulting outcome is a tedious distraction of uninteresting towns and quests from an otherwise fun gameplay mechanic.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic 90s vibes, featuring an eerie yet relaxing ambiance complemented by a fitting soundtrack and weather effects. Players appreciate the unique art style and handcrafted open world, which is rich in fantasy elements and offers a variety of interesting locales and quests. Overall, it creates a captivating and immersive experience that stands out in the RPG genre.
“The music is very atmospheric and fitting.”
“Large and beautiful open world that truly feels like it was carefully hand-crafted, one that is rich with nostalgic fantasy atmosphere and filled with loads of interesting locales to discover, dungeons to plunder and quests to solve (which often can be done in more than one way, or sometimes in a way that is connected with other seemingly separate quests).”
“A very nice game, with the most pleasant old-school atmosphere.”
“The quest formulates its own style in both atmosphere and mood, and it does not feel too much like M&M or really any other title I know.”
- stability9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is highly praised, with users reporting no crashes or technical bugs during gameplay. Players note that it runs smoothly on various hardware, and the developer's commitment to frequent updates helps quickly address any potential glitches.
“They went out of their way to get the game working on my machine, and now the game runs great.”
“I've gone an hour without a single crash; it runs great!”
“The game just works and isn't buggy.”
“Just like the horse and buggy - people played these games in the nineties because they had no other choice.”
“Thus, I understand why people may like this game, and I understand why the developer created this game, and I understand why people may want to pay for a buggy ride in a park for nostalgic purposes, this game simply is not something I wish to play, and reminds me of all the limitations of the era.”
“Redshift updates their game very frequently, so any glitches you find will get patched out within a week at most.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its deep mechanics, diverse character options, and engaging content, encouraging players to experiment with different builds and explore various quests and storylines. However, the challenge of leveling unchosen stats can limit flexibility, making initial choices impactful. Overall, players find the experience rewarding enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“The game mechanics are simple to understand but interesting enough to make you want to create another but different character, adding to the replayability.”
“A lot to explore, a lot to do, and for sure has replayability if you've completed everything.”
“The game mechanics are simple to understand but interesting enough to make you want to create another, different character, adding to the replayability.”
“Very deep and replayable, even if you don't try a different build.”
“The game is simple but has everything you need: nice graphics, story, quests, classes, and races, contributing to its replayability.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game generally offers impressive optimization with a stable 144 fps, players have noted occasional stuttering during combat mode, which can disrupt the experience. Overall, the fluid controls and performance contribute positively to extended gameplay sessions.
“These two complementary elements, along with fluid controls where the game can either be played solely with a mouse, keyboard, or even a combination of the two, as well as amazing optimization that saw my FPS sitting at 144 at all times, kept me playing this game for 9 hours straight.”
“You can always tell when you're in combat mode because the game starts stuttering during your movement.”
“The frame rate drops significantly in crowded areas, making it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
“I often experience long loading times that disrupt the flow of the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's emotional impact is heightened by its richly detailed environments, which transition from wholesome landscapes to darker, more foreboding settings, evoking a sense of unease and tension as players navigate through various treacherous and gruesome locations.
“The environments are just as richly detailed, and even though you may start off in a wholesome area with green grass and fir trees, there's a poisonous swamp, foreboding dark woods, dreadful dungeons, water-filled temples, treacherous caverns, and gruesome, gore-filled chambers for exploration.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model is praised for its lack of microtransactions and wait timers, reflecting a more traditional approach from its mobile and PDA origins.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players into spending money to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without requiring additional purchases, making it accessible for everyone.”
“While this game's origins are on mobiles and PDAs, don't let that put you off; it's from a time before microtransactions and wait timers plagued these games.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”