"Quest for Glory" is one great computer game series. It chronicles the adventures of a Hero (with a capital "H") who travels the world, combats evil, and gradually evolves from a wimpy dweeb to a world-class tough guy.
Players are allowed to choose between three separate "character classes" for the Hero - fighter, wizard, and thief. Each different type of character gets to experience his own unique "side" quests, and solve some of the major in-game puzzles in different ways. This system of differentiating the character types grants all of the "Quest for Glory" games significant replay value.
"So You Want to Be a Hero" is the first game in the series, and, in many ways, it's the best. (I should probably point out now that I'm reviewing the VGA "remake" of the game, released in 1992 - the original EGA version came out a few years earlier. I prefer the VGA version for the very simple reason that it's much prettier!) The game's storyline is relatively straightforward, but it's spiced up by colorful locations and memorable characters, some of whom are based on real-life mythology (like Baba Yaga).
Almost uniquely for a Sierra "adventure" game, "So You Want to Be a Hero" has a loose and mostly non-linear structure, so players can get through it at their own pace. This makes the game much more fluid and less aggravating than adventure games with more rigid structures. Another strong point is the combat system, which is excellent in both the EGA and VGA versions.
In some respects, I prefer the fourth game in the "Quest for Glory" series, "Shadows of Darkness," because it has more depth and better developed characters. But in other respects the first game is better, since it's quicker to play, more fun, and less buggy. I suppose I favor one or the other simply based on my mood.
Here's my quick run-down on all the games in the series:
So You Want to Be a Hero - 10/10: a real blast.
Trial by Fire - 9/10: interesting plot, but the story is too linear.
Wages of War - 7/10: OK, but burdened with a preachy message and boring bad guys.
Shadows of Darkness - 10/10: a masterpiece if you can navigate those pesky technical flaws. Katrina is foxy.
Dragon Fire - 7/10: a pretty game with some good side-plots, but it places too much emphasis on action.
Players are allowed to choose between three separate "character classes" for the Hero - fighter, wizard, and thief. Each different type of character gets to experience his own unique "side" quests, and solve some of the major in-game puzzles in different ways. This system of differentiating the character types grants all of the "Quest for Glory" games significant replay value.
"So You Want to Be a Hero" is the first game in the series, and, in many ways, it's the best. (I should probably point out now that I'm reviewing the VGA "remake" of the game, released in 1992 - the original EGA version came out a few years earlier. I prefer the VGA version for the very simple reason that it's much prettier!) The game's storyline is relatively straightforward, but it's spiced up by colorful locations and memorable characters, some of whom are based on real-life mythology (like Baba Yaga).
Almost uniquely for a Sierra "adventure" game, "So You Want to Be a Hero" has a loose and mostly non-linear structure, so players can get through it at their own pace. This makes the game much more fluid and less aggravating than adventure games with more rigid structures. Another strong point is the combat system, which is excellent in both the EGA and VGA versions.
In some respects, I prefer the fourth game in the "Quest for Glory" series, "Shadows of Darkness," because it has more depth and better developed characters. But in other respects the first game is better, since it's quicker to play, more fun, and less buggy. I suppose I favor one or the other simply based on my mood.
Here's my quick run-down on all the games in the series:
So You Want to Be a Hero - 10/10: a real blast.
Trial by Fire - 9/10: interesting plot, but the story is too linear.
Wages of War - 7/10: OK, but burdened with a preachy message and boring bad guys.
Shadows of Darkness - 10/10: a masterpiece if you can navigate those pesky technical flaws. Katrina is foxy.
Dragon Fire - 7/10: a pretty game with some good side-plots, but it places too much emphasis on action.
