Quest For Infamy Preview
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RPGFan has published a hands-on preview for Quest for Infamy, the Sierra-inspired point-and-click adventure that was funded with a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Here's a snippet:
I've spent a few hours with the game, and thus far, the experience has filled me with giddy nostalgia; the developers claim to have been aiming to create a "new" classic, and by all accounts they seem to be on the right path. The artwork is detailed and painterly; not HD or even close to it, but possessed of a kind of charm that younger players or those without fond memories of the classics might (fairly) find dated. The music feels a bit more modern, with recorded pieces rather than old-school, mileage-may-vary-MIDI. Voicework ranges from good to great (the wizard Prospero is especially entrancing), and most importantly, the writing is flat-out excellent. The same early 90's playful wit is on display here, with detailed descriptions of areas, a snarky but informative story, and some really great humor. Unlike another recent "classic" adventure game, Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine, what I've heard and read in Quest for Infamy seems natural and not at all forced.
The prologue chapter of the game introduces the player to the ins and outs of clicking, combat and classes: a strong-armed warrior type, a rogue, and a sorceror. While the point-and-click component of things works as you'd expect, the combat is a bit more arcane. After encountering a foe and being whisked away to a battle screen, players are presented with three types of sword attacks, a block button, and their spate of skills and consumables. The system is sort of turn-based; a Final Fantasy-style active time bar fills up and you take turns trading blows with your foe until one of you bites the dust. While I found the combat enjoyable, novice players might be puzzled by the system for a while, as there are no explanations or tutorials to be had within the game itself, and it can be difficult to tell which of your attacks is most effective against a given foe. A friendly NPC in the local inn can impart some of this wisdom to you, but cataloging that info falls to the player: this is old-school stuff.
