Quest for Glory 5

[LibraryOgre]

So, at work, I have a fair amount of semi-down time... spent on the desk, watching teenagers play video games and talk about stuff, making the occasional snide or useful interjection into their more public conversations. As such, I've played through a few of my GOG games... including the Quest for Glory series.

Most of them are as I remember... the VGA remake of QfG2 was pretty difficult to get used to, especially since Uhura won't let you practice combined arms (i.e. you can't throw things at her or use magic). But QfG5... oi vey, that one has not aged well. The combat system is annoying, the graphics are horrible, and I'm fighting a dislike of playing a thief, which the series never gave good account for.

But, I persevere.

[Jeivar]

So, at work, I have a fair amount of semi-down time... spent on the desk, watching teenagers play video games and talk about stuff, making the occasional snide or useful interjection into their more public conversations. As such, I've played through a few of my GOG games... including the Quest for Glory series.

Most of them are as I remember... the VGA remake of QfG2 was pretty difficult to get used to, especially since Uhura won't let you practice combined arms (i.e. you can't throw things at her or use magic). But QfG5... oi vey, that one has not aged well. The combat system is annoying, the graphics are horrible, and I'm fighting a dislike of playing a thief, which the series never gave good account for.

But, I persevere.

Yeah, the fifth was easily the worst of the lot. It abandoned the beautiful pixel art for horrible early 3D art, and the combat... yeah.

[LibraryOgre]

Yeah, the fifth was easily the worst of the lot. It abandoned the beautiful pixel art for horrible early 3D art, and the combat... yeah.

EVERYONE IS SO LUMPY!

Here is a Liontaur in QfG5

Spoiler: LUMPY!

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Here is that liontaur's father and mother in actual gameplay for QfG3 (there's some nice set piece art in that game, but it's "a painting with a moving mouth", not what you see moving around)

Spoiler: Not lumpy!

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And here's his father in the old EGA version

Spoiler

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Now, the EGA version obviously has some technical limitations, but it looks fine. The VGA version is nice and understandable. The QfG5 version? Like a bunch of globs stuck together.

[Domochevsky]

QfG5, you say... isn't that also the game where money has weight? I remember playing that years ago. Or trying to and eventually giving up, as I couldn't figure out what it wanted me to do.
(Looked pretty decent at the time, however. Now less so.)

[danzibr]

Huh. I think all 3 look fine.

[Forbiddenwar]

I always race through all four games when i decided this time I will finish the series.

Then fall flat on my face when I try to play the fifth game.

[Daze]

Awwww, you guys are being a bit harsh on a great older game.

QFGV was wrapping up a great story. Finally seeing

Spoiler: Character

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Erana

made my heart melt the first time. And if you had an ultimate build (yee haw, max out everything) it was fun to do V for the multiple endings.
Combat was never really the series strong suit, nor were graphics (given the age). But the quirky, funny story, great characters, RPG mechanics and Sierra sass made it all worthwhile. Plus the idea of carrying a character from game to game was AMAZING for the time.

Maybe I'm being a bit soft for nostalgia's sake, but you wanna be a hero? Then go enjoy QFGI-V!

(also got them on GOG! Space quest, Police quest and Kings quest too. LOVE that site)

[Lacuna Caster]

I never played the earlier entries in the series, so I can't really compare and contrast, but I actually got a lot of mileage out of QFGV. The day/night cycle, time limits for certain quests, various errands in town, fatigue bar and practice-based skill progression were all pretty novel to me at the time, and gave a nicely 'lived-in' feeling to Silmaria, where you optimised your route and schedule between target practice, gym training, merchant appointments, arena duels, et cetera to max out your stats and earnings. Oh, and some of the improvised crafting/invention-puzzles are very satisfying. Much of this could be seen as a proto-simulationist forerunner to Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim.

I suspect the graphics suffer from some of those 'uncanny valley' effects that never actually bother me- my perception of human-ness is, quirkily enough, linear with convergence to reality, so I have no particular complaints on that front.

EDIT: I should also note that the soundtrack by Chance Thomas is simply outstanding. It may be cheesy as all get out, and it may look like papier maché on sticks, but that intro still gives me chills every goddamn time.

[LibraryOgre]

The soundtrack to the entire series is pretty amazing. I still whistle the opening notes of the fight music from QfG1 from time to time.

[Erloas]

I played quite a few of the Quest for Glory games but its been a long time so I don't really remember distinctions between them. I liked what I remember of the games.

I can't really blame them for the switch to 3D. After all that was the industry direction and back then that was good for 3D. The preference for sprite based graphics is nostalgic now, where as before it was just what could be done. If it weren't for games doing the first 3D graphics, which we now think of as horrible, we would never have progressed to what we have now.

[LibraryOgre]

I have now beaten the Quest for Glory series as a Wizard and as a Thief. Going back for Fighter or Paladin almost seems pointless.

[Winthur]

I have now beaten the Quest for Glory series as a Wizard and as a Thief. Going back for Fighter or Paladin almost seems pointless.

I will never stop advertising Heroine's Quest in QfG quests, it's the perfect successor and completely free. I loved it so much back in 2016. Go play it.

[LibraryOgre]

I will never stop advertising Heroine's Quest in QfG quests, it's the perfect successor and completely free. I loved it so much back in 2016. Go play it.

Started it yesterday, as a magic-using rogue. ;-)