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A cliché is a cliché because it works.

  • nhubi
  • 06/20/2014 08:32 AM
  • 1946 views
Cliché quest is, as the name suggests, not even a remotely serious game. It pokes and prods the most fundamental of the tropes that we’ve all come to expect in RPG’s, whether we like or dislike them. I could probably get a listing from tvtropes and indicate just how many of them get lampooned in this fun little romp; I imagine it would be a sizeable amount, cliché leaves no sacred cows unturned. This particular idea isn’t original, I’d go so far as to say it’s bordering on cliché itself, but Cliché Quest carries out the concept with grace and style and delivers exactly what it says on the tin.


Yeah, it’s that kind of game, and yes the hero is called Ralph, what did you expect?

Humour is everything in this game, and I mean everything. If you don’t like satire and sarcasm, if pasquinade and facetiousness aren’t your cup of tea then don’t download it, you won’t enjoy the experience. If you do and also find the subtle (and sometimes not) needling of little tin gods funny then this is the game for you.

The graphics, character sprites, face sets and sound are all, with some minor modification, RTP, but there’s a reason


Yay, another achievement badge for me!


Which also brings up another fun addition to the game, the ‘un-lockable achievements’. Heavily steeped in the milieu they include gems like the ‘Default RTP’ above as well as Rude Awakening, Reluctant Hero, Spoiler Alert and Mu ha ha! (All of these are awarded directly after the opening sequence so no spoilers there). I found myself going out of my way to engage in activities that exemplify the genre just to see if it would trigger a new achievement, which reminds me…

I was promised this and I didn’t get it, so not happy

Where’s my achievement badge?

One thing that struck me as strange was the notable absence of an item usually standard in games of this type, the Quest Log; there is neither hide nor hair of one. Given the current length of the game you don’t get to complete more than one and take on two more so it’s not a hindrance at this point but I imagine it will be useful at a later date.

The battles are classic front-view turned based, as expected, though an enemy HUD displaying real-time monster information is a custom addition, but whilst the visuals are all RTP, the monster sprites are not. The designer has had a bit of fun with them and they are all original and as boasted on the game page ‘Cute as a button(TM) original Battler art!’ I had a difficult killing off the slimes the first time around because they were impossibly cute, well until they slimed me that is, and then there was no mercy.

The dialogue in the game is peppered with allusions to other games and wider cultural references such as Monty Python and Hitch-hikers guide to the Galaxy and had me laughing at almost every point in the game.


You may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to Cliché Land.

It’s a good idea to interact with everything in this game, and isn’t that another RPG trope right there, because by and large everything has a dialogue response. Some of it is along the lines of ‘stop looking at things’ but most of it humorous and original. Care and consideration has gone into making this part of the game well rounded and immersive, and since it is part and parcel of the backbone of the game I appreciate the attention to detail. I’m the sort of gamer that talks to all the NPC’s and tends to explore every nook, cranny, bookshelf, crate, barrel and pot anyway but this game made that necessary chore a pleasure as well as materially rewarding.

The sound levels within the game fluctuate quite a bit which can be a little off putting, with some areas having their volume artificially raised which can be a bit irritating at times. The battle music is a prime culprit in this and does need to be lowered.

Save is always on, which I appreciate. In addition there are save crystals interspersed throughout the game to remind you to save, quite literally remind you. The save crystal persona is one of the chattier denizens of this game-world.

There are puzzle aplenty, but don’t worry about spending much time working them out, they have to be pretty much the simplest I’ve ever seen, and are designed to be that way. In fact I kept going back to the first one I ran across because I thought I must have missed something as it was just exceptionally easy to complete. After the second one held my hand as I completed it I grasped the concept the developer intended.


Case in point.

The developer has also included a slot machine in the game with some fairly useful prizes. It doesn’t qualify as a mini-game as there is no skill involved; it’s all down to the luck of the draw or the pull of the lever in this case. However it is a nifty little addition and I did spend a bit of time trying to get some of the better prizes on offer.

Cliché Quest is currently in production, with this section being chapter 1 of 6. If the developer can keep up the enthusiasm and wit they have shown in this first chapter throughout the entire game, it will be an absolute gem and though it will probably never win any awards it does have the potential to be a cult classic.


Nope, it’s totally getting a three.

Posts

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I can't get the gate open in the first cave?? Where is the key??
@nhubi Hey, thanks! I give your review 5/5...even thought you gave my game 3/5. But hey...I'll take it! Valid criticisms. Thanks for pointing out some issues like the volume. When I get back to working on this, I'll try to fix that. FYI, if you get deeper into the game you'll find more achievements. There's a log that keeps track of them under quest items.

There will definitely be a quest log if I ever get back to finishing this game as well.

For now I've abandoned the episode concept and the next time you see an update for this game, it will be the entire game. I've already done some work revamping it.

I don't know if you got to the first dungeon, but I was actually told by a number of people the traps/puzzles were actually a bit hard but perhaps that's because instead of making ridiculously complicated puzzles or insta-death traps, I'd tried to make them a bit of both. But you're right in that, they're not meant to impede the player because the real point of the game is to get the player from one joke to the next.

@fharden Minor Spoiler: There's a box near the beginning of the cave with a shovel inside it. You need that shovel. There are some dirt piles and empty boxes scattered around the level and to get across the chasm you'll need a rope.

FYI: There's a great Let's Play series for Cliche Quest EP1 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiCx8mKtXZc
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
I'm glad you enjoyed the review and can get something out of it, that's one of the reasons for writing it. Oh I knew about the Achievements log, that's why I complained that the 'You Read the Manual' one wasn't indicated in it, but then I know it would be impossible for you to know since the game and the manual aren't linked. I played all the content available in this first chapter so yes I got to the dungeon and I didn't find the puzzles difficult in any way. Then again they, like the rest of the game, follows some well worn paths so perhaps I'm just of the right mindset to be able to determine what needed to be done without much effort.

I do look forward to this being finished one day, as it was at times laugh out loud funny and that's a rarity for me.
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