iPhone review: The Quest
March 11th, 2009
The Quest is a first-person Western RPG in the vein of Daggerfall and probably some older titles I don’t recall. RPGs on the app store are few and far between. Most of those are JRPGs which are often characterized by cookie-cutter save the world/princess storylines and strictly linear gameplay that rarely strays from the main storyline. The Quest, like other Western RPGs, is open-world nonlinear and contains many quests that are off the main storyline which can be completed in any order. This game is something of a throwback and may not appeal to new gamers who have only joined the fray in the last five or so years but veterans like myself will find much here to appreciate. The graphics are serviceable but nothing particular special to look at. However, the depth of this game is unmatched by anything I have seen thus far. The game includes a robust inventory system along with in-game shops that will sell you new items and buy your old ones. The game includes a magic system in which spells can either be cast from scrolls or learned from books. There are projectile and melee weapons at your disposal.
You will not find yourself running out of things to do here. At any given time, you will probably have multiple quests which can be completed in any order. There are townspeople to talk to. The game employs a day and night cycle which will actually have bearing on what you may do in the game. There is so much here it would be impossible to cover it all.
The game’s interface is a success in some areas and a failure in others. Movement can be accomplished in one of two ways: via the on-screen arrows or by gesturing on the actual viewport. The game recognizes six different movements: forward, backward, sidesteps left and right, and turns left and right. Arrow movement is straightforward; there is an arrow for each movement type. Gesture movement is less obvious but still fairly intuitive; swipe up to move forward, down to move backward, left or right for sidesteps, and diagonals for turning. Navigating the world is pretty easy using this system. Games like this are obviously better suited to a mouse and keyboard, but this is a good implementation given the platform. The inventory system is a bit unintuitive. When shopping or picking up an item, the game allows you to switch between viewing your own items and the other party’s items (be that party a seller or the ground) by way of a pair of curved arrows. Unfortunately, it is not immediately obvious (at least to me) which arrow is which. The green arrow pointing up will display the other party’s inventory while the yellow arrow pointing down displays your own.
Combat is turn-based and simple enough to execute. Simply face your target and tap the attack button to perform a single attack after which the enemy will have an opportunity to either move or perform an attack on you. There is a little luck involved and health potions are strongly recommended.
I can’t recommend this as a game for the masses. Not everyone will enjoy it. It appeals to a small albeit devoted audience. However, for RPG gamers, this is a game that is hard to find on the go. A game with the depth of The Quest on a mobile platform is a real treat. It’s not without it’s problems, but those can easily be overlooked by anyone looking for a substantial RPG to play on the go.
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