Quartet
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Quartet
Despite its slow start, Quartet is a JRPG with strong gameplay concepts and a mature narrative. It'll appeal to genre afficionados, but is a hard sell if you don't like old-school vibes or lack the time to slog through the early game. To my mind, the game's undeniable strengths struggle to lift Quartet from a tedious early game. Once aloft, Quartet is elegant and enticing—the kind of flawed jewel which may well attain "niche classic" status in 10-20 years.
With Quartet, Something Classic Games LLC has excellently captured what made the golden age of 16-bit turn-based JRPGs great and produced something that feels both authentic to that era but also comfortably modern. With its large, well-developed cast, captivating narrative and fun combat system, I found myself strongly invested in its world and its gameplay. Quartet does enough to establish its own identity and avoids being merely a simple homage to the likes of the old Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games. If you're a turn-based RPG fan, Quartet shouldn't be missed.
Grinding seems to be completely absent, which might be seen as a gift or a curse. Combat, while almost at its most simple approach, feels balanced and fun, though some level of tinkering in character progression would have made this nearly a masterpiece. With that being said, Quartet is an exceptional RPG worthy of any RPG maniac’s time.
Something Classic Games has done a great job identifying what it is that has made classic RPGs so beloved and not only emulating it, but also in adding enough of its own touches to make Quartet a memorable title. The game’s finely-paced and deep narrative, great soundtrack, and well-executed gameplay ensure that it easily keeps the player’s attention.
For a game all about the number four, Quartet packs in way more than four reasons to play it. The story builds into something surprisingly big, the combat has just enough twists to stay fun, and the characters feel alive in ways that matter. The first hours may test your patience, but stick it out and you’ll find yourself hooked. As classic as Quartet may feel, it is just as memorable as its inspirations.
