Okay, to start off, I'm not really a fan of the original series. In fact, I never liked the multiple deaths with snarky commentaries, the kind of "bizarre" humor for my senses, as well as some of that predictable blatancy where characters could die of starvation or exhaustion "just because". But as the series went on, some things got considerable story-wise improvement over the first installment, and QFG IV: Shadows of Darkness was actually as close it could get to my liking as any (as in, I could overlook all of the above while playing that game). After reading some of the other reviews here I have to admit that were I the real hardcore fan of the WHOLE series, I'd probably have given it a two. Sorry. But there is an absolute agreement I can't argue on, being that the supposed hero seems to have a personality of his own, therefore making all of his "yes"s and "no"s futile. I mean, there's no progression. He just pops up there and bam!, he has a story (plus, not a really interesting one too in my opinion). Then, that guy looks like he was ripped from the recent Game of Thrones title, with some Hollywood'ey appeal and quirk. The rest of the characters are just too bland and not even worth talking about. But my main problem with this game was that nothing was really going on. At the beginning, everybody talks about some "execution". That's it. Then they all don't. It's like that Volksville place is just ran by a bunch of puppets with the sheriff What's-his-name being their master. Compare that to Shadows, where as soon as you get to Mordavia, you realize that the townfolk are not only all different, but also each have serious personal accounts to settle, which is of course your task because YOU are that catalyst. YOU are the hero. That quest had a meaning. This one... simply feels like it's up for some 256-colored mischief (urinating in flower pots included). This game is definitely not worth buying, but demo may be worth a try if you miss the old series. I don't.
