Less forgivable is that in a series of five games four of which involve prophecies that you just happen to be in the right place at the right time to resolve (though in the final case you can at least say ‘screw destiny’ and win in a manner not foretold), but it never feels too much like a plot crutch and considering how heavily the games lean on the fourth wall it becomes fairly simple to overlook. Where some may draw issue is the use of referential humour and anachronism at the expense of convincing world-building however I find they add more charm and comedy than anything else, and having grown up with these games, I can look to their sillier side as a foundation in what I find entertaining… even if I didn’t realize that I was buying a rideable dinosaur from Groucho Marx at the time. The Quest for Glory world, or “Glorianna” features unique areas obviously homaging real ones (such as the African-themed Tarna and the land of Shapier which appears to come more or less entirely out of Arabian Nights lore) filled with creatures that while not necessarily innovative are certainly unique, such as the Liontaurs (half-lion, half man, all honour) and the Katta (anthropomorphic cats before anime made them trendy). If you want to boil down the appeal and staying power of any classic series, it’s likely going to come down to either gameplay or story, and Quest for Glory delivers here fairly well with a few caveats. That said, finding a late 80s or early 90s game that’s ‘unique’ isn’t really challenging at all – so why should we care about Quest for Glory, and why might you want to try and play these games for the first time? It presented well thought out, creative worlds, a quirky sense of humour, diverse themes, and unique gameplay. Quest for Glory, or Hero’s Quest as it was initially known prior to fear of lawsuit from a now-defunct board game, is a series of games that blended RPG-style stat levelling with the conventions of a point-and-click adventure game.

On that note, now’s a perfect time then to look back at a series that celebrated its 25th anniversary in October – not necessarily the kind of series you see making nostalgic headlines every month, but one that should still not be overlooked. In 2014 alone we saw countless milestones, such as the 20th anniversary of such titles as Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mother 2/ Earthbound, Final Fantasy VI, and System Shock, saw Irrational Games close its doors, mourned the tragic loss of gaming pioneer Ralph Baer, watched Ubisoft and Naughty Dog celebrate 30 years of existence, and watched Activision revive the classic brand Sierra Entertainment. As enthusiasts of retro gaming, we mark significant moments frequently birthdays of famous creators, anniversaries of release dates, and somber notes of once-strong titans closing down.

Quest for glory iv