Upon startup, the Nintendo Switch port of Quest For Infamy is a hard game to look at. Initially released in 2014 on the PC platform, Quest For Infamy’s title screen might give players the wrong idea from the presentation standpoint when their eyes see the extremely grainy font and graphics. I doubt this resulted from a deliberate design decision but rather a lack of funding or desire to clean up the title and menu assets. However, looking past the title screen, you will find a beautiful yet flawed homage to Sierra’s original Quest For Glory series.
Quest for Infamy harkens back to the point-and-click adventure game genre, which has slightly returned to the spotlight in the past few years. This adventure shouldn’t be confused with a game like Myst or other first-person adventure games, but from a 2D perspective seen in games like the Secret of Monkey Island, Gabriel Knight, King’s Quest, and Quest For Glory. Players take the role of Roehm, who you will ultimately choose his path to glory based on specific ways taken.
Quest for Infamy might shock casual adventure games fans with how much there is to do in the game, right from the start. I highly recommend starting in town and talking to everyone; otherwise, a countryside adventure can lead you to get lost without any direction. Roehm has many actions he can perform, down to walking, running, and sneaking, all of which will play an essential gameplay aspect depending on what kind of class character you play. Roehm can choose the path of either a Brigrand (Fighter), Rogue (Thief), or a Sorceror. Each role will give the player a different aspect of experiencing the game, for some added replayability. If having a character class in this type of adventure game sounds strange to you, this was one of the most appealing draws of the Quest For Glory series, which took RPG elements and mixed them within a typical point-and-click adventure.
As much as I loved the music, sound, and writing for the game, I had a tough time staying interested in the puzzles and anytime combat occurred. Combat takes place on a separate turn-based screen but is pretty simplistic even with the added diversity of different character classes having various attacks. Had I experienced this game back when it was first released in 2014 and played it on PC, I probably would have had a better appreciation for it. Sadly, the Switch port of the game lacks any additional polish to breathe more excitement into the adventure. Fans of the original Quest For Glory series will undoubtedly dig this homage, but others may want to seek adventure elsewhere.
eShop Link: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/quest-for-infamy-switch/
