| Review entitled 'Ideal for a short Adventure Quest' |  | Adventure Quest is a browser based game which relies on Flash rather than being the standard text based browser game. It is an RPG in the fantasy genre which encourages players to explore the world, discover many different items, and harness a variety of magic spells. There are many different classes available to higher level players such as Fighter, Wizard, Ninja, Vampire Slayer, Rogue, Knight, Mage, Paladin, and Dragonslayer.
Graphics:
In terms of a browser based game the graphics are rather appealing; they don’t require much bandwidth, they are rather quirky in their humour and can be fun to watch. With the game relying on 2D imaging there is no option to move your character in a first person view, although this doesn’t affect game play in any sense. The only downside to the graphics is that they become monotonous after a while; for example there isn’t much variety in the battle scenes.
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack for Adventure Quest is made up only of sound effects; there are sound effects for hitting, blocking, potions, etc. Although some of the sounds are novel at first they soon become irritating and the mute button becomes a friend.
Performance:
As mentioned when looking at the graphics, the performance of this game is good. There is a choice of resolution available when logging in which means that the game can be played using a dial up connection or, of course, a much quicker broadband connection.
The downside to Adventure Quest is apparent when trying to log in as a free account user; there are limited spaces on the server for non paying players and so more often than not you have to wait to be able to play at peak times. Guardian Members, however, have instant access at all times.
Customer Service:
Customer service is provided in the forms of FAQs which are easily located from the homepage. There are also links for more support via email, although having not used this service it’s not possible to say how helpful the game’s staff is.
UI:
Some aspects of the UI are very easy to use and seem to be pretty self explanatory, however there are also some parts of the UI that seems to be lacking in the necessary detail for game play.
Since the game relies on a point and click interface it is very easy to battle, use potions, equip items, etc. It is when trying to perform slightly more “complex” actions that the UI doesn’t quite provide enough information, for example, when trying to buy items or spells there is no easy way to compare stats of what you currently own. The content layout of the game also doesn’t seem to be very easy to navigate; it takes some exploration to start to feel comfortable with the layout (for example to be able to find quests).
Although easy to use, the UI cannot be modified in any way; if you don’t like it then tough! As far as a browser based game goes, however, this isn’t unusual.
Community:
Although this game is a good RPG (your character develops as you take quests and make choices throughout), there is no community whilst playing the game. Adventure Quest is a PvE game and there isn’t even a hint of PvP. The community is lacking in other respects too; there is no in game chat, no trade and, simply, no interaction with other players at all. The only community feel to the game is through the forums which act as a general discussion board rather than adding to the RPG aspect of the game.
Role-playing:
In game there are no means to role play through character interactions, although your character does develop as you gain a sense of the storyline and make different choices. For example, a player can choose his preferred method of fighting (magical or physical), his class (Fighter, Mage and Rogues being examples) and which quests he completes therefore expanding the storyline as events unfold.
Fun:
Although this game seems to be slow to start, and initially battles depend on if you can outlast the monster, once more content is accessed the game does become more fun. The best aspect of the game is the sense of humour it incorporates into the game in many ways (one example being through quests, another being the disastrous outcomes of potion making). There is plenty to do in game in terms of content (although some is only accessible by Guardians); there are also quests to complete and some dungeons to explore. These quests allow the storyline to unfold to the players. Adventure Quest is constantly updated too and so more content can be found from time to time (an example of this is the ever changing “daily quest”).
Some of the negative aspects of the game include a lack of balance between spells, levels of monsters, character statistics and weapons. Examples of these imbalances include: quests where the level of monsters you fight increase in level rather rapidly (one quest started at level six to ten monsters, jumped to a level thirty monster before ending with a level forty-five monster); monster statistics are inconsistent for their levels (some are easy to defeat whereas others are much more difficult compared to similar level monsters); weapons and spells of similar levels and mana costs do varying amounts of damage (taking into account how resistant a monster may be to certain attacks).
Another negative aspect to this game is the lack of differentiation between classes; anybody can buy and use the armour, weapons and spells. Classes can also complete quests for the different classes (for example a rogue can take the mage quest). Although a lack of distinction between classes can be an advantage to those players who enjoy using different play styles at different times, it does leave any choices a player makes seeming irrelevant.
This game is ideal for players who enjoy battling against monsters, although for anybody looking for more content there is not much available in this game. Adventure Quest has the option of battling random monsters, completing quests (which translate as battling monsters interceded with some storyline) and some arena type battling (again against monsters or NPCs).
Value:
There are two levels of account, the standard free account and “Guardian Membership” which requires a one off payment of $20. Becoming a Guardian grants players access to more content; namely the ability to battle more monsters, access to more weapons and armour, and more quests become available. Another benefit of becoming a Guardian is the ability to log in immediately, rather than having to wait (there are a limited number of spaces on the server for free accounts).
A disadvantage of playing for free (besides the limited server places) is the number of advertisements for paid membership; there are constant reminders to support the game financially!
If you enjoy this game then the one off payment seems to be good value for money; it is a lifelong membership.
Tilt:
For me this game was fun to play at first, although soon the imbalances became annoying and inhibited game play to some extent. The best part of Adventure Quest, for me, is the quirky sense of humour the developers incorporated into the game; it raised many smiles.
When compared to other mmorpgs Adventure Quest does lack any community aspect but it is fun to play if you enjoy fighting. Adventure Quest is an ideal game to play on occasions and for short periods of time.
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| | Review Scores | | | Graphics | 8 | | | Soundtrack | 2 | | | Community | 0 | | | Roleplaying | 5 | | | Performance | 6 | | | Customer | 8 | | | Fun | 6 | | | Value | 8 | | | UI | 6 | | | Tilt | 6 | |
Total Score
55 |
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