Polished Throwback to Tabletop Strategy
Reading the blurb on the Xbox Store page for Dark Quest 4 reminded of one Christmas many years ago when my family and I decided to play Hero Quest. It went about as well as you’d imagine, and I think it was only 20 minutes before the first little plastic figure was thrown. Still, given that this game is based on that board game, I’m sure you’ll forgive me for my little trip down memory lane.
Coming from Brain Seal, Dark Quest 4 is a turn-based strategy game, and is, believe it or not, the fourth game in the series. Having not played any of them before (even though we have, as a site reviewed both Dark Quest 2 and Dark Quest 3), I was hopeful that there wasn’t a massive story arc to learn, and at risk of minor spoilers, I was okay. So, let’s go questing, heroes!
The story of Dark Quest 4 is a pretty simple one. We are a band of heroes, and luckily there is a bad guy who needs a stern talking to. The bad guy, known as Gulak, is described as the Dark Sorcerer’s puppet, and despite the image this summons up of strings and so on, apparently he has the command of “monstrous legions that stalk the night”. These legions seem fond of kidnapping villagers, and so we need to go and put a stop to it. Are you ready to delve into dungeons and give monsters a good spanking?
Dank Hubs and Isometric Depths
Kicking off with the presentation of the game, here the news is largely good and there are two main facets to it – a camp which acts as a kind of hub, allowing us to train our heroes, buy stuff and also accept missions; and the actual dungeon crawling itself. The first of these sections is pretty good, with a variety of people to talk to, and simple menus to interact with.
The second of these looks better, and has the traditional isometric 3D viewpoint beloved of strategy games everywhere. The graphics are quite nice, with chunky sprites and well designed level layouts to test us. Everything looks very dungeon-y; suitably dank and dismal.
Sound also works pretty well, with the narrator chortling every time one of your heroes dies (and they will, believe me), alongside all the fighting sound effects we have come to expect from this type of game. The long and the short of it is that while there is nothing groundbreaking here, neither is there anything to complain about, and we’ll take that as a positive sign.
So, with that dealt with, let’s move swiftly onto the meat and potatoes of the game: the action on offer.
Grid-Based Combat and Strategic Card Mechanics
Dark Quest 4 follows the same basic template as every other strategy game ever, in that we find ourselves in a dungeon that is helpfully made up of squares, in a grid style pattern. Our heroes can move a certain number of squares, and can attack across a specific radius, which is different for each one of the heroes on offer. For instance, the big beefy barbarian fella can only clobber things he’s stood next to, while the archer can snipe from a distance. This is the ideal style, to be honest, as you can usually shoot from further away than the enemy can move, giving you two bites at the cherry. Basically, if you have played a strategy game before, you’ve played this one.
There are a couple of little differences that can turn the tide in your favour, however. As we explore the levels, gold will be discovered, and we all know what gold makes, right? Yes, the gold in your pocket can be traded for potions in the camp to make your next run easier (I can’t stress enough how much healing potions are needed), and if you have any gold left over, then it can be spent with the trainer.
This enables characters to have extra skills available to them in the form of cards, working on a one shot and gone kind of deal; you really do need to make sure the card is played at the right time. Using the archer’s Triple Shot card, as an example, against a single foe would be a waste of an ability. Also, learning what awaits you in each run is also an advantage: don’t use all your best moves if you know that a big baddy is in the next room, for instance.
The Joy of Couch Co-op
With a total of ten heroes to pick from, and due to the possibility of couch co-op if that is something you need (a rarity in this genre), there is a lot of content to go at here. The couch co-op works well, and allows you and up to two friends to control one hero each, and that means coordinating your actions is vital, as leaving someone exposed to enemy aggro can lead to failing the run. And bitter arguments in the living room, much like the original board game!
There are many quests to undertake before the credits roll, and with a mixture of heroes and abilities to take advantage of, no two runs seem to be very similar.
A Solid Dungeon Crawler for Strategy Fans
All in all, Dark Quest 4 is a pretty accomplished turn-based strategy game. It doesn’t wow with new features, but instead provides a solid challenge and the chance to play with friends. And for that, I commend it.
Important Links
The HeroQuest Inspired Dungeon Crawler Dark Quest 4 is NOW AVAILABLE! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-heroquest-inspired-dungeon-crawler-dark-quest-4-is-now-available/
Return to the Dungeon as the Tabletop-Inspired RPG Action of Dark Quest 4 is Announced – https://www.thexboxhub.com/return-to-the-dungeon-as-the-tabletop-inspired-rpg-action-of-dark-quest-4-is-announced/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/dark-quest-4/9P90X29QXQ7L
