A Critical Analysis Of An Excellent Game

Quest Zone is a game created by moolatycoon

Just the mere words �Quest Zone� can spring about many thoughts into the reader�s mind, never mind that the game has achieved quite numerable feats, such as being featured and even attaining the heights of the EGL pantheon of games. Being that this game is so approved of and is so beloved by the community of Sploder, I thought this would be the absolute perfect time to dissect this game and grant it my spill of thoughts on what I have to say as I critique the game in every aspect possible, leaving no stones untouched. Being that this game, as mentioned before, has attained the heights of EGL status, I had expectations that this game would completely inspire me and enlighten my concept on gaming altogether. So did this game reach my incredible expectations? Well, in some ways it did, but in others, it just�stuttered.

Before we delve any deeper into this game, lets dissect the scenery and aesthetic qualities that this game contains. Streaming by the first couple levels, the game seemed to offer quite pleasant sceneries so to speak, with nice tile and background selection. The local accompanying scenery also complemented the overall aesthetic qualities, offering quite a nice and pleasant experience as one played through the game. The only flaw that Quest Zone carried upon its shoulders was that the scenery was nothing mind blowing. Sure, it did a good job at enhancing the game overall but it seemed to lack the incredible atmosphere that I have bared witness upon during my journey through some of the more obscure and stunningly beautiful games created on this site. Being that this game was in the EGL, I was unable to overlook this slight flaw. I am not implying that the scenery was terrible by any means, but that it failed amaze me. For this section, I shall grant the game a mark of 3/5.

The very next section of the game which I shall lay bare on the microscope is the gameplay which includes several components, such as enemy placement, puzzles, traps and overall level design. One thing that I could not help but notice during my trek through Quest Zone was that the game seemed fairly fragmented. The game seemed quite cohesive as a whole, but the individual components of the level just fail to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The game seemed to lack an overall motif, or theme that usually creates harmony among the other pieces of the game when put together. It was like a seemingly wonderful music composition which was ruined by the lack of melody that makes the composition �musically satisfying�. One thing I do however, like the game for is its diversity over the course of the game. The change from fire level to water level and so on was well done, offering the player new experiences for every new level they encounter. For that, I applaud the game. The enemy placement on the other hand, I must admit, is wonderful. Aside from a small minority of the enemies, the vast majority were excellently placed, compensating for the game�s flaws, which it in fact nearly did. The puzzles that the game featured were not incredibly difficult to solve, but it was almost always satisfying to solve them. The traps as well were wonderfully well thought out. Most of the time, every time I died during the game, I felt as if it were due to my own errors rather than simply bad game design, and for this, I have to give this game recognition for. Overall, the gameplay was in fact nicely done. For this section, I shall grant the game a mark of 5/5.

Now, the next section is perhaps the most difficult to judge a game on. In this section, the principled questions that must be asked is how enjoyable the game was. This leads to one to decipher the many different elements that together constitute as the whole painting. Such elements include the amount of creativity, and the overall lure that the game has. Looking at Quest Zone in one piece, I can say that it is not the most creative thing I�ve ever played, but yet, the game has that lure, that factor that makes the game tremendously enjoyable to play through. It is this lure that the game has that leads me to believe is the reason why it was crowned into the EGL in the first place. Its addictive nature is likely comparable to eating a bag of chips; once you take the first bite, you won�t stop until you end up finishing the whole bag. The same thing is applicable to many other famous renowned video gaming brands such as Mario. It is for these reasons why I shall grant the game a 5/5 for this section.

To answer the question that was mentioned in the very first paragraph of this review, �did this game reach my incredible expectations?� Well, the game barely missed my expectations. While it was a wonderfully well done game, and I do not question the reason why it is in the EGL, I must say that Quest Zone has its own shares of flaws that I have pointed out during the course of this review. From the fragmented gameplay to the lacking of the �wow� factor in the atmosphere, I couldn�t help but notice the small cracks on the titan�s scales. This goes on to prove my point that no game can be perfect, no matter how high the ambitions may rise. But don�t let this review dissuade you, the reader from trying out this game.