Written by Bernard Julius Paje
Title: Elliot Quest
Developer: Ansimuz Games
Publisher: PlayEveryWare Games
Price: $9.99
Genre: Adventure, Platformer, Role-Playing
Also Available On: Steam, WiiU, 3DS, PS4, XB1, OUYA, FireTV
REVIEWER’S NOTE: If you just want to peruse the actual Elliot Quest review and skip the lengthy introduction slash gaming history lesson I have delightfully written for you, dear reader, please start reading from the fourth paragraph. Thanks!
Games during the early console generations (commonly referred to as retro games) are oftentimes considered building blocks that shaped gaming into what it is today. Even though retro games are mostly just appreciated by those that grew up playing them, the core mechanics introduced by these vintage classics still live on until today. If not for genre defining games like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem and other classic games, a lot of the modern games we know now would probably not have existed or played differently.
Granted, some installments of even the biggest game franchises took a tumble at some point. These instances are mostly because some game sequels tried to ‘shake things up’, which led to said sequel having entirely different mechanics from the original game it followed. Cases in point: The direct sequels to games like Castlevania, Super Mario Bros. (in the US only) and Final Fantasy played somewhat differently from the originals, causing a division in the fanbase of the said sequels. Players either loved the sequels’ newly introduced game elements or hated their stark departure from the original game.
Elliot Quest—the game you are about to read a review for now—is in fact, heavily inspired by a sequel that drastically differed from its original game. A sequel that, while part of a hugely beloved franchise, is probably the game with the most notorious love/hate divide among gamers. I am talking, of course, about Zelda 2: The Adventures of Link, which ditched the top-down viewpoint of the original The Legend of Zelda for a side-scrolling gameplay approach. Again, fans were pretty divided when it came to the acceptance of the said change, so factions that either love or hate the said sequel to death still exist until today. In this light, I will have to say that Elliot Quest could possibly get a similar divide as well—a divide dependent on how its player appreciates the hardcore classics of yesteryear.
Elliot Quest is a 2D side-scrolling action/adventure game with RPG elements that is clearly inspired by a lot of the old school games that I played as a kid. In addition to the familiar gameplay inspired by Zelda 2: The Adventures of Link for the NES (both in main dungeons and towns) it also clearly draws inspiration from Kid Icarus for Elliot's character design (albeit only subtly), the Metroid/Castlevania games for its map layouts—commonly referred to today as the 'Metroidvania' design of exploration–as well as The Adventures Of Lolo games for its overworld map. The game also boasts punishing difficulty akin to Zelda 2 and a lot of the early NES games back in the day. All of this is presented via an 8/16-bit (12 bit?) graphic style as well, so the retro factor of this game is very high indeed.
The game focuses on the story of Elliot as he explores Urele Island in search of adventure, treasure and more importantly, answers—Elliot’s wife suddenly disappears one day, and after meeting up with a Sage he finds out that he has been stricken with a curse that is slowly transforming him into a demon. Also included with this curse however, is immortality—Elliot cannot die. So the curse that is turning him slowly but surely into a demon will eventually come into fruition, no matter what. Armed only with his courage, power and trusty bow, Elliot sets forth on a dangerous quest against all odds. I would also add wisdom to his skill set as well, but that would not be so original now, would it? ;)
As I already mentioned quite a few times (especially if you opted not to skip the three paragraph introduction) the game is heavily inspired by Zelda 2—a fact that was admitted even by the game’s developers Ansimuz Games and PlayEveryWare in their website and press releases. While the game can get difficult at times, it has a level up system that gives Elliot various perks like additional hit/magic points, stronger defense, increased arrow shooting rate/critical hits and better HP/MP recovery pickups. And since the game is difficult, be prepared to die a lot of times in certain areas. Dying will make you lose some experience points as a penalty, so get ready for some minor frustration if you are in a really tough area.
The game's various areas are presented in a fully open-world design, allowing you to go in any direction early in game. Literally every nook and cranny of the map will have some kind of area for you to explore. Certain areas will require you to have the needed abilities to progress of course, in true Metroidvania fashion. Once you get to the first town, you will be greeted by two maps of the overworld with points of interest that you should explore—one that shows the locations of the main dungeons of Urele and one that pinpoints optional crystals that you can collect. Clearing the main dungeons will be tough, but getting some of the late-game crystals will be a true challenge. A major downside of this open world design though, is the obtuseness of the game's progression system. The game offers no hand-holding whatsoever, so at times you will have no idea what an item does until you actually get to the area where it is needed. The lack of an in-game manual is also a problem for this Switch version, so at times the game left me clueless regarding where I need to go next. Getting 100% completion in this game is a true challenge that only hardcore gamers will get to achieve, and this is partially because of its vague approach in giving the player instructions.
Overall, if you like playing old-school retro games or Metroidvania-style platformers (or better yet, both) Elliot Quest offers a lot of gameplay for its $9.99 asking price. You will easily spend at least ten hours to complete its main story and up to double that to get 100% completion. While the game can get difficult in some areas, its character progression system can make things easier for you if you utilize the upgrades available to Elliot correctly. Elliot Quest's combination of high difficulty and ambiguous guidance may cause some players to ragequit midway during the adventure, but those who stick with the game will be rewarded with hours of amazing and pixel-perfect 2D platforming gameplay.
YAY!
- Glorious retro-style 2D platforming inspired by some of the best classic NES games.
- Huge and sprawling open world with tons of areas to explore.
- Give you a lot of bang for your gaming buck because of its budget price tag.
NAY!
- The game can be unclear in giving the player directions and instructions at times.
- High difficulty for some areas can be a possible turn-off for some players.
- The game's very retro presentation may not appeal to everybody.
REVIEW SCORE: 7.5/10
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