I'm still going through GB Online's launch lineup, but there are already a few deep cuts in here. BACKGROUND:
I've already played a game starring Firebrand in Demon's Crest (I shared my thoughts on that game here), but I didn't know there were other games aside from that. SUMMARY: Much like Demon's Crest, Firebrand's home dimension (called the Ghoul Realm here) is invaded by a malevolent force (in this case, it's the army of Destroyers). It falls to Firebrand to free the realm one battle at a time, restore both his powers and the powers of his allies, and defeat the King of Destruction. Basic stuff. Gargoyle's Quest has a top-down overworld that you can explore, though not to any significant extent. Apart from the occasional bonus item, you'll simply be walking towards landmarks to enter the main levels, which are your classic 2D side-scrolling platformer. Firebrand can run and jump like many platformer protagonists, but he can also cling to walls, spit projectiles to hurt enemies, and briefly hover. The duration of your hover is tracked by a meter at the bottom of the screen; if that hits zero, gravity takes over. The meter can be refilled by landing or clinging to walls, and there are many level segments where you have to manage your meter by alternating flight and landing. I thought those sections were fun, even if they were mostly easy to traverse. Most of the level mechanics are nothing new (hazards like spikes, moving or crumbling platforms, falling sections), and the decent assortment of enemies serve their purpose as obstacles well (at least early on). None of them have any complex behaviors, but some of them can be tricky to deal with depending on the level. There are also a handful of bosses that are kind of tough thanks to their often-tricky arenas, but once you figure out that they have simple attack patters, it becomes a cakewalk to lay into them. Defeating bosses rewards you with power-ups that make Firebrand more powerful. These include more HP, longer duration for your hover meter, and a higher overall jump. You'll also unlock different attack types that you can switch between Mega Man-style, like a boomerang that breaks rocks, an orb that covers wall spikes with a surface you can cling to, and a slow but extremely powerful fireball. I wish there were more of the attacks like the boomerang and the orb, because their gimmicks are used for some fun platforming sections (e.g. a whole sequence of covering wall spikes and wall jumping between those surfaces). Progressing the game occasionally requires you to talk to NPCs and to present them with key items acquired from various places (like beating bosses or finding hidden spots in the overworld). You're often rewarded with the power-ups I described previously upon delivery, which is nice. In general, talking to NPCs can give useful hints as to where to go next and what items to find (plus where to bring them). You can also pick up vials that can be exchanged with specific NPCs for talismans (the equivalent to extra lives) or healing items. The game hands out vials quite often thanks to the occasional random encounters that occur when wandering the overworld, which puts you in a small level where the goal is to kill every enemy on the screen. I didn't really enjoy my exploration being interrupted by these random encounters, but they're mercifully short and at least have worthwhile rewards. VERDICT: Though the game is short and the overworld isn't really expansive, I still had fun with Gargoyle's Quest and its mix of neat platforming and a touch of RPG elements. Clinging to walls and hovering around is lots of fun, plus the projectiles that actually played a factor in platforming sections were clever. Playing this made me appreciate Demon's Crest more, as that game expanded on the ideas introduced here with the crest transformations and levels with secret areas designed to be uncovered with these abilities. I'm more inclined to point you in the direction of Demon's Crest if your goal is simply to play a game where Firebrand is the protagonist. That said, I think this is a fun and relatively accessible platformer you can enjoy if you have a few hours to kill. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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