Quest for Glory 1-5

Quest For Glory is one of those " X - Quest - X" series of Sierra, with the same tone and attitude like the Space Quest and King's Quest titles. It has fun, it has adventure, it has action and it has roleplay elements. Especially the fun of Quest for Glory 3 and 4 were amazing. You can solve the puzzles in three different ways, depending on your character class and certain interactions change according to your skills. I always wanted to see Gog to feature Quest for Glory series and right after writing this review, I am on my way to finalize my purchase. Good work Gog!

Of Sierra's famous Quest series of Adventure Quest for Glory or Hero Quest is probably the least remembered, but it's a hidden gem. Combining classic Sierra point-and-click adventuring with RPG elements, different playthroughs for each class and some truly hilarious dialogue, these games are a steal.

I have played and beaten QFG 1 (remake) and 3, both when they were released. They were the first PC games that left an impression that was akin to a great book. Witty writing that engaged the player directly (that is, the game and most people in it were writen as if aware of a "player" playing some guy in their world.) Stories that focused not on plots (which are actually not inherent to the fun of a game, for instance, what is the plot of pac man, and does it even matter?) but rather on making all the things you do fun. (no fetch quest, power leveling or any nonsense to force a slow metting ot of the script.) The QFG games, unlike other quest games, had lots of ways to explore and solve problems. This made htem less frustrating (overall) and, some argued, even too easy. I think it made them feel more like a creative challenge and less like a "guess what the programmer was thinking here" mess that most adventure and puzzle games fall into. of course like most sierra games, there are plenty of ways to get yourself killed, and normally more than one way to cheat death. The simple interface (a big improvement from other quest games,) is packed with creative deviations from it (mini games) and enjoyable story telling that taught me something of the height of what PC gaming could achieve as a user experience. Now have more complex thoughts (I was 12 or so when I played 1) but I learned a lot from those games, and I have had few experiences so well balanced, engaging, and enjoyable. I remember writing Roberta Williams a letter after beating 3, saying something like, "how amazing, you have inspired me to become a game designer." I forgot her reply (it was something like good on you, go for it,) and I never went into game design, but I still remember every game of hers I have played. in short, play these, and enjoy one of the best experiences in adventure gaming out there. Now, that said, AGDInteractive remade QFG2, so I will probably play their remake and not the original.. just saying, they do great work and it is free. Perhaps GOG should talk to them about including it in this package, or as a seperate (still free...) purchase/download. Thanks GOG!!!!

Ah yes, the Quest for Glory series.... This wonderful collection of games is what started me into playing PC games way back on '91 or so. To this day I find myself every now and then going back and replaying it; each game has its own charm and is its uniqueness that makes you come back and want to finish the story. Right off the bat, we have the option of 3 character sets to pick from. Depending on which one you choose, your initial skill point allocation is determined. However, the beauty of this game is even if you have the minimal amount of skill points on a particular skill, through enough practice that skill improves and improves until it no longer is a weakness of yours. So technically you can master ALL of the skills, but it does take lots and lots of time. I find that the character you pick is simply a beginning guideline of how you should play the game; but like any good RPG, how you play the game and how the character you're controlling is, is all dependant of you. Though I'm partial to the EGA version of QFG1, its VGA remake was excellent, with great animation and keeping the meats and potatos of the game the same while giving it a face lift. QFG2 changed everything completely with its Arabian-nights setting and enhancing its talk parser. I remember upon completing QFG2 at the end it said that its sequel would be 'Shadows of Darkness'; however, I was pleasantly surprised that the Cole's decided to add an interim game, which is QFG3. Again, the setting was complete changed to the jungle and savannah of Africa, with a different combat system and a greater world to explore. 'Shadows of Darkness' turned out to be QFG4, which is my personal favorite. The Trannsylvania setting was excellent, with the plot turning a bit dark and an in-game morbid setting which again is a 180 degree from what the previous games were. In this game, not only do we get more skills, but also excellent new monsters to combat and our choices affect the ending alot more than in the previous games of the series. To which brings us to QFG5, its excellent conclusion. This 3-D game ties up all the loose ends of the series in a satisfactorily way, and adds its own excitement in yet a different combat system, which is enjoyable yet challenging. This series is a MUST, in my opinion, to anybody who loves adventure/RPG games with great writing, lots of humor thrown in, a rewarding combat system, and tons of attention to detail. The puzzles are not that difficult to figure, especially since most have many ways of solving due to your skill sets. All in all, I rate this series an A+