4 replies to this topic

[SpacemanDan]

Light of the Heavens by Russ
Quest Reviewed by Blaman

A little while ago, I hosted the 2 week contest. While I gave everyone an extension, this was the only submission I got. (I'm NOT trying to say anything to anyone who didn't!) So, I decided to give it a review. This is also the first quest I do that is not featured on the Pure ZC database, and definitely won't be the last.

This quest was made with the original Pure set, features 2 smaller than BS overworlds and 3 major dungeons.

The quest holds an old-school kind of pure look. The design is good, but some parts could use some improvement. Again, considering this was made in three weeks, I'm not going to be too harsh. There's nothing extremely new in the set for the overworld, but that doesn't mean that it's bad at all, because as many authors have shown us, the default tiles can be used to make some great screens. And I think this is the case here; default tiles being used to make some nice work.

Now, the dungeons look fairly good too. Maybe a little empty here and there, but overall, fairly good. I kind of got a Hero of Dreams feel (especially level 2) as well as a Link to the Heavens (level 3). There's nothing really obstructive in your way nor are there really things that don't need to be there, so it's fairly clean and simple.

For the first time since I took up FQotM, I'm going to be judging the story of this quest. Why this one and no other? Because this one features much more than just 'save the princess'. Link stumbles across an island whose people had been threatened with slavery and death. (This is blasphemy. This is madness! Madness? THIS. IS. SPARTA!) Okay, so no slavery, but they were threatened with death. Link comes by and decides to help these people. The story goes on from there, and I don't want to spoil it. But know this: it's interesting and worth going through.

The music is all very good in this quest. Nothing that's been overused, really, and they all fit the areas fairly well. There's even some excellent custom works found in our own database! There were some familiar tracks, though, including some nice remixes of Zelda music.

Of course, this is all nice and all, but without some good game play, what does it matter in the end? It's a solid quest with some great design. Dungeons allow you to roam and don't force you in a solitary line. They're fun to travel and all have their own distinct themes. There are scripts to help spruce it up a little, but it still has a good ol' feel too.

There are some secrets to go looking for and optional goodies to get. And if that isn't enough, there's also two endings to the quest as well, so it'll give you a reason to go back and explore more so that you can get that ending.

Now, at the end of every dungeon is a custom boss. They're quite good and creative, but some could use a little work. Once again, being made in only 3 weeks, I'm not going to hold it against Russ, as he did a great job with the time frame he had.

Overall, this quest was a fun playthrough and is worth a try. It's fairly short, so people who want a quick fix should be satisfied.

In the end, I'm giving this a 7.9/10 for the fun factor and the effort that went into it. I think that if you did a DX of this, Russ, you could make it even better.

I still can't believe how I got the best ending. Seriously. It gave me a laugh. Check out the official thread if you want to know what I mean, but it will spoil stuff.

You can discuss the quest here (agree or not, it's my own opinion), but please take any questions regarding this quest to Custom Quest Discussion Also, be sure to rate this quest. The author is bound to appreciate it.

Thank you.

[Nathaniel]

I haven't played the quest, but I think the idea of occasionally reviewing a completed 2.5 quest is an excellent one. Since our database doesn't accept 2.5 quests (until it becomes an officially stable release), it is a great way to spread the word about some of them that might otherwise not get the attention they deserve. Great review.

[catfriedrice]

The only downfall I'm finding with this quest is that (and I know it was rushed) the number of massive bugs I've found in it. There are 3 ugly ones and a couple cosmetic ones I've found you should probably be aware of (spoilered to not ruin things)

Spoiler

The waterfall on the right hand side of the island (Map 8, Section 54) has a cave/cellar warp.
The final good ending boss has a cave/cellar warp during the floor removal section when it's down to one tile. (Map 14, Section 60).
There are doors you cannot return through if you've defeated the enemies and they respawn. I caught one in the Sky Temple immediately to the left after entering.

During playtime, I bumped into a lot of edges where you couldn't continue on because the other side was blocked by a wall/bush/etc, or I'd walk into a bush by mistake.
This one may be a build problem (1182), but the Flame hitbox was not correctly lined up on Link. In the bad ending, I stood in the middle of two tiles and fired my wand up at the boss while the flames missed me to both sides.

I've put these here because I did find the quest quite enjoyable (though the third boss was a bit frustrating), and I think you could expand on it. The idea was original. The bosses were ok (though I expected to use weapons found in the temples on those bosses, I know it's not really required, but it helps); The difficulty wasn't computer smashing, which I liked, though I did go the wrong direction and hit the volcano area a little too soon and thought you crazy for having it as only the second level.

I give it a 7. Needs some fixing, but fun none the less.

Edited by catfriedrice, 27 March 2010 - 09:04 PM.

[Daemon]

Alright, I'll give it a mini-review.

Story
The story was simple, but not bad. I feel it could of been a bit better, even with the time limit on making this quest, but I'm not complaining.

Screen Design
While it wasn't a graphical masterpiece, it was pleasant to look at. There were no areas that were hard on my eyes, or displeasing to look at.

Gameplay
The gameplay was like most other quests, but it was good. The difficulty was just right, it didn't let you waltz through easily, but it didn't get you overly frustrated. The custom bosses were fun, although could of been improved.

Bugs/Glitches
The game didn't have very many, and all that I found are stated in the above post. Overall, there were none game-stopping, and they didn't bother me much.

Overall
It's a short quest, but a good one. I liked it.

I give it an 8/10 (probably different from the first score I gave, but oh well. )

Like I've stated before, a DX version of this quest would be great, but it in no way needs one to be great.

Edited by Daemon, 27 March 2010 - 10:24 PM.

[Russ]

Wow, I never expected it to get reviewed here. Thanks for the kind comments everyone!

I kind of got a Hero of Dreams feel (especially level 2) as well as a Link to the Heavens (level 3). There's nothing really obstructive in your way nor are there really things that don't need to be there, so it's fairly clean and simple.

Ya, Shoelace and Pineconn favorite quest makers, so their influence on me is pretty noticeable.

And for all those asking for a DX version, don't worry, I'll make one eventually. But after working for three weeks straight on this, I'm a bit sick of looking at it right now.