My First Impressions of AdventureQuest
When I think of role-playing games, titles like Neverwinter Nights and Final Fantasy come to mind. I also tend to wax nostalgic about the classics, such as Bard's Tale and the AD&D Gold Box games. Nothing is better than trudging through a dungeon wiping out monsters on your way to find that rare staff or chest of gold hidden in its depths. All of these games place their own unique twist on the style of gameplay itself, from varying combat methods to different ways of navigation. However, most employ some sort of actual "walking around" via the keyboard and/or the mouse. AdventureQuest does not. You navigate the world of Lore simply by clicking from destination to destination, whether it be a shop that is right in front of you or a dungeon halfway across the map. When I first started playing this game a while back, this restriction annoyed me. I didn't want to click on an arrow to go upstairs in the Magic Shop. I wanted to walk up the stairs. Why do I have to click a button to find a random monster to fight? Why can't I walk through the woods looking for one?
When you become conditioned to do things a certain way, change can seem more than annoying. It can be downright intolerable at first. This is how I initially felt about AQ, but with time comes acceptance. With that acceptance came a genuine appreciation for what this browser-based game had to offer. I started to see that maybe all that walking around wasn't necessary. I could now spend that time, previously wasted wandering aimlessly, fighting more monsters and completing quests.
Perhaps wandering aimlessly is a bit too harsh. I still enjoy taking my character or party out exploring the vast reaches of a game world. However, AdventureQuest's "instant gratification" style of movement definitely had its benefits. After getting past that somewhat uncomfortable speed bump, I began to see the game for what it was worth and that's when the fun commenced.
Do You Like Cartoons?
The game's anime-style graphics make for a bright, sometimes overly so, and energetic experience. While this cartoonish form of design may alienate some RPG veterans, it has certainly produced a sizable compendium of cool looking monsters, spells, and animated weapons. If you are a fan of anime or similar arts, you may find yourself exploring and fighting just to see what the next level of monsters looks like. This is an aspect that has been lost with many RPG players, with the leveling grind and its accompanying loot being their only driving force at times. Some of the animation may leave you wanting more, but keep in mind that this is only a browser-based game built on Flash. Taking that into consideration, I was impressed by the variety of the visuals. Also, some of the monsters in the world of Lore are flat-out silly in appearance, such as the Dastardly Gloop. This is a positive in my opinion, as it's good to have a lighthearted laugh once in a while during your conquests.
Quests, Clans, and Competition
In addition to random encounters, AQ also offers a large number of quests, each with its own storyline. Cast and slug your way through various battles en route to receiving experience and other rewards upon completion. Your character can also participate in special events that sometimes vary from day to day, keeping the content fresh even for high-level players. Portions of the dialog contained within these quests and events leave a lot to be desired, however. At times the flow is hard to follow, and select conversations that take place between NPCs seem to be aimed at a very young audience.
Another exciting aspect of the game is the ability to join a clan, where your character can become part of a larger group of players. Clan members have access to a special shop, where they can sometimes purchase rare items as well as armor and weapons specific to that group. Clan wars occasionally take place, with the victorious faction receiving a rare bounty. Although AdventureQuest is not technically a multi-player game, an active community and player/clan statistics being publicly available lets you compete against others nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
There are many other neat features in AQ, including the ability to purchase your own house. The downside is that the majority of the game’s really interesting aspects are unavailable to players using free accounts. In order to access certain lands, items, and more you must upgrade to Guardian status. Also, when the server is overloaded free players have to wait their turn to log in. When I first began playing, I was turned off by the fact that a lot of cool stuff was blocked unless I ponied up $19.95. However, you can have an awful lot of fun at first playing for free. If you wind up really liking the game, it is worth paying this one-time fee to unlock full access.
All in all, this is an impressive browser-based game. Some aspects take a while to get used to but you may find yourself addicted in no time. Best of all, you can play it anywhere you have a browser so your character is always available, whether you’re sitting in an Internet café or in your living room.
