Quest 64
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| Quest 64/Holy Magic Centurty | |
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| Developer(s) | Imagineer |
| Publisher(s) | THQ(North America) Konami(Europe) |
| Release date(s) |  June 11, 1998 September 30, 1998 May 31, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Media | Cartridge |
| System requirements | Memory card |
Quest 64 (released as Holy Magic Century in Europe) is a single player action RPG developed by Imagineer and published by THQ. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and was the first RPG released for the system in the United States.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The game's story takes place in a typical fantasy world. The playable character is an apprentice mage named Brian (Aryon in the European version). Brian sets off to find his father who has left the monastery of the mages—the player learns later that his father is looking for a thief who has stolen the "Eletale Book". The player must also collect elemental amulets, which have been hoarded by powerful criminals and are integral in the defeat of the game's final boss.
The game's world is very colourful and open to exploration. This notwithstanding, the game is a very straightforward RPG. There are few surprises for the character and absolutely no cutscenes, puzzles, or mini-games.
[edit] Gameplay
The game is unique in that the experience system is not based upon a traditional "level-up" model. The character gains experience in the four classical elements of earth, wind, fire and water. As experience increases in each of these areas, the power and selection of spells the player can cast in each area grow.
The game's difficulty could be regarded as beginner-level for the genre. Of note, the game has no money system. Every item in the game is either found in a treasure chest or given to the player free of charge. Nor does the game deal harshly with the death of the player; when the player runs out of HP, the game will return him to the last inn at which he saved. He will have 1 HP, but that can be restored by saving inside that very inn. He will be allowed to retain all items, spells and experience he has gained.
[edit] Criticism
Critics of the game call attention to a number of issues. The 3D graphics are noticeably low in polygon count in comparison with other N64 titles of the era. Additionally, the music is MIDI-generated even though the N64 is capable of CD-quality sound. The only way to save game progress is to talk to the owner of an inn in a town. This latter can be particularly tedious for a player who is stuck in a forest and needs to stop playing. The game can only be saved to a separate memory card rather than to the game-pak itself; many N64 games of the time allowed the player to save games directly to the cartridge.
