The game overall is a serious love letter to Suikoden fans. They made numerous nods to Suikoden, even bringing back the randomly teleporting mage. There's a good chunk of humor, some poking fun of genres, and overall, the story is good (so far, though it still has issues). In short, save for a few big issues, the game would be a 4 star game. I don't give 5 star ever, because I understand that my tastes may not be the same as others. Ok, all of that out of the way, my issues with the game. First issue. The locked camera in dungeons. Now that alone is not an issue. However, many games that use a locked camera for dungeons also provide some kind of transparency option. That way scenery in the front won't obstruct your ability to see WHERE your character is. The first dungeon has a spot where you can't see your character. The mines had an entire section where you couldn't see your character and had to rely on the minimap to track your character. Neither situation would challenge have been removed or the like. You're still only able to see a fuzzy area around YOU. Second issue, while I personally loathe most tutorials, there are a number of things not explained ever, even in the help section. First off, they never properly explained what Attendants are. I had to figure that out on my own. There is no help section clarifying what each stat does. I mean, grognards will be able to figure it out, but we're not all grognards. Also, there is some confusion (explained better in Help, but still a bit clunky) about the difference between Armor and PD/MD. Armor should have been called SHIELD, as that's what it is, a SHIELD. Next, its a personal loathing of mine to see vague descriptions. "Slightly increases defenses against fire" means absolutely nothing. "this item provides Fire Resist 1. That helps a lot more and is more useful overall. Also, the fact you can't SEE any of your resists, that's another knock on them. Evasion has the same issue as resists.
This was what you'd call a nice morning's worth of entertainment. That's not a bad thing, especially at the price. It took me about two and a half hours to finish it, even seeing all the alternate options at branch points. That doesn't mean its bad, just keep in mind its meant to be a short adventure that leaves you feeling satisfied at the price you paid for it. I'm hoping to see the folks who made this game make more games in the same vein. Of course I'm big into classic adventure games, so maybe I'm a bit biased. It may not have been a classic adventure game, but it scratched the itch to a degree. I've seen a number of adventure games use a branching tree system where you can go back and make other choices. For a game meant more for kids, the method they used for it was nice. The story book format in critical scenes was an excellent touch. The narrator's voice was also pleasing and fit the tone of the story as a whole.
I have a personal experience with this series that makes me give it a Five Star. You have to be Perfect for that in my book. While the series isn't perfect, its the only way to show my experience. Originally Quest For Glory 5 was not going to happen, but the fans pushed for it and Sierra finally listened. During the design process the Coles invited the fans to send in email with various ideas, thoughts and concerns about the progress of the game. So, being a fan, I did the same. I never expected a response, or at best, a form letter. I got an actual personal response. That in and of itself says the Coles care not just about the game but about the people who play it. But, it went one step farther. I gave commentary every so often, just like all the rest of the fans. Then due to real life I was offline for around eight months. I returned, got caught up, and sent email again with new thoughts. Lori Cole actually remembered me, and wondered what had happened. They poured their all into the games, not just because their names were attached to the game, but because they actually cared. I can't recommend the game enough as a result.
Ok, lets get one thing straight. I'm not big into the Horror Genre, mostly due to the over reliance on shock factor as opposed to creep factor for too many movies/games. Sanitarium relies on the creep factor (though it has a couple straight up shock moments) and keeps you nervous and uncomfortable up until the finale. Even the final puzzle is creepy in its own way. So, if you're looking for something that leaves you disturbed while you're playing it, then this is a great game to play. There were puzzles that left me feeling like I needed a good comedy to unwind with afterwards. About the only downside to it is the fact that some of the puzzles were a bit on the confusing side, but other than that, it was a great game to play and enjoy right up until the end. Would I pull it out and play it again after all these years? I'd say I probably would if I was in the mood for a good creep fest.
