Quest
of the Hero II by Dmitri
Kornilov, Price: $19.95
Reviewed February 2003
Take the 3D graphics out of Heroes of Might
and Magic and you’ve got the Quest of the Hero. Developed
by Dmitri Kornilov, the Quest of the Hero series has been
a popular turn-based RPG game for the Palm PDAs. Quest of
the Hero II sports a major facelift in graphics and adds
more elements in the game play compared to the first installment
of the series.
The story of the game should be a familiar
one to avid RPG players. A dark lord stole the peace and
freedom of the land you live in, and it’s up to you
to defeat the enemy army and free the kingdom again. Scrolled
the 2D map and your hero will travel through many types of
terrain and meet country folks, visit towns and castles,
completing quests along the way. Just like in the Heroes
of Might and Magic games, the battle system in Quest of the
Hero II is a turn-based chessboard fight. Unlike the Final
Fantasy or Grandia battle system where your characters can
go freely anywhere, the chessboard turn-based battles allow
only certain number of moves depending on the range of each
party member. And the outcome of the battles often depends
on the attack/defend meters of each group of fighters. You
will be given an entry-level army to begin your journey and
get upgrades when you win battles. You can also purchase
or pick up spell scrolls, which add power to your army. There
are also magic items and amulets that will change the attributes
of your army when you carry them. Weapons, shields and other
treasures are scattered throughout the map you explore and
often guarded by strong forces.
You control the game by stylus for both
exploration and in battle. It took me a while to realize
when the battle begins you must move fast, otherwise you
loose the first turn. The AI is mostly on target, although
there will be cases where the opponents are much stronger
than your army. You have to keep going back to finish them
off with new enforcements. One thing that disrupts the game
flow in Quest of the Hero II is the lack of a way to make
more money. Once you run out of gold, you can’t buy
more soldiers and magic to help you win battles that your
entry-level army just isn’t cut out for. Your hero,
however, does have some of the major attributes of an RPG
character and gain levels as he wins battles.
The graphics of Quest of the Hero IIlook
quite sharp, and different terrain features unique color
and texture on the map. You will discover new monsters and
treasure items in each new map. Currently the game comes
with 2 maps: "The Revenge" and "The Evil Lords
II", and there will be more soon, we’re told.
There will also be a map editor that allows 3rd parties to
create their own maps and publish them on the Quest II engine.
There is no sound in Quest of the
Hero. The game supports Palm OS 3.5 and higher and takes
a little less than 2MB to install both maps. For the folks
who purchased the original Quest of the Hero, the developer
offers Quest II for only $10.
Playing Hint and Tips
Make the first move quickly when the battle
begins, or you will loose the turn. Move your combat soldiers
together since they can hit not only horizontally but also
diagonally. Magic items will help your lower level soldiers
to beat tougher opponents. Manage your money wisely; know
whom you will fight first then recruit the right army.
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