Elliot Quest Reviews
Elliot Quest is a solid new entry to the ever-growing stable of great eShop titles. While it's not perfect - there really shouldn't be slowdown in a game with 8-bit pixel art, and it can be frustrating to try to figure out where to go next - anyone looking for a challenging, satisfying action adventure will likely get a lot of enjoyment out of it. As well as all this, Elliot Quest is a great showcase for what HTML5 can do. Just be prepared to do a lot of exploring.
If you love games like Zelda II, and feel at home in front of any dungeon-crawling RPG, you'll undoubtedly get some fun out of this game; for others, though, there are better alternatives in the genre that you could try first.
Despite the quality aesthetics and cool Zelda II-inspired game structure, Elliot Quest is a hard game to recommend.
In the end, Elliot Quest is nowhere near perfect and falls short of the classics it's inspired from. However, it would be unfair to call it a bad game. It's more a mixed bag; you're either going to enjoy the game, or be annoyed with it.
Elliot Quest boasts a charming retro look and sound environment and its dungeons are very well designed and laid out. Unfortunately its performance is way below par and its gameplay mechanics make it too difficult and repetitive to play, while the locations outside the dungeons are too confusing to keep track of.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Elliot Quest definitely walks this line but never really lands into either side of the spectrum. That's not to say that the game is bad or lacks identity, as it wears its influences on its sleeve, but Elliot Quest establishes a world and narrative of its own.
Elliot Quest does good to the promise of living up to the 8-bit era retro games that it draws inspiration from and it certainly has the appealing audiovisual component and lifespan to go along with it. Unfortunately it could have performed better on its difficulty curve and merciless gameplay mechanics, which is certain to put off all but the most patient and dedicated players.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite some occasional slowdown and a cryptic set-up, Elliot Quest is a worthy homage to games like Castlevania II and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. If you missed out on the Wii U version, give this 3DS port a go. Just be prepared for some annoyances, though.
Overall and I’ve really enjoyed my time with Elliot Quest. It’s a brilliant homage to those games I played back in the 1990s, with bleary eyed mates and cheap lager. For some, this will be the Holy Grail of retro gaming, and if you are one of them, you’ll want to follow Elliot on a trip down memory lane.
This is a tremendous game that, if you have any affinity for aspects of Zelda II and Metroid games, is something you should be getting as soon as possible.
Elliot Quest is a great homage to the classic 8-bit era that inspired it. The game is visually impressive, boasts a catchy, enjoyable soundtrack and features hours upon hours of replayability. However the best thing about this game also happens to be the worst; it definitely doesn't hold your hand. While it is very easy to get lost on your journey across the island the game provides a great challenge that'll keep players entertained for a long time.
To judge a game such as Elliot Quest is more convoluted than might be expected. On the one hand, there's a compound of flavoursome ingredients, while on the other one lays a final course that tastes just like a million others. It doesn't do anything bad, but just does not reach notable heights or excel anywhere.
Elliot Quest takes heavy inspiration from the first three Zelda games in general and from Zelda II: Adventure of Link in particular, while improving on some of the more tedious aspects of it. However, it does not quite go all the way to leaving behind or improving the elements that haven't aged well at all in Nintendo's classic, making for an experience that at times can be a bit more confusing than it really needs to be.
If you are the type of gamer that wouldn't mind getting lost in an open world and enjoy figuring out how to progress without any help, then Elliot Quest is the perfect game for you. Quite simply, it's easily one of the best games that you can download on Wii U and you absolutely need to play it if you love the genre. Granted, if you think you'll find yourself getting frustrated without guidance, then this may not be the game for you.
Elliot Quest is a solid indie Metroidvania with easy to learn gameplay mechanics and a ton of content to enjoy. This isn't a small release you'll be done in a handful of hours – it's an epic quest that will take you 12-15+ hours to complete. If you're a fan of 2D Metroidvania action/platformers, then be sure to give this one a go. Thanks to the Nintendo Switch's nature you'll be able to keep playing the game at home or on the go until you've managed to 100% this release.
Elliot Quest sticks to its old-school roots, but as to whether that's a good decision is hard to tell. It feels good, but hampers itself with old ideas that, simply put, are more obnoxious than fun. Still, even the game's worst moments could be forgiven if it would just explain things a bit more, instead of throwing you in and hoping you figure out how to swim.
The challenge can be overwhelming, and occasionally the save points are spaced a bit too far apart. Still, the skill development, open exploration, and side scrolling bow-and-arrow combat is worth checking out. It's not quite up to the level of other recent retro revivals like Shovel Knight or Blaster Master Zero, but if Zelda II is up your alley, Elliot Quest is worth a shot.
Even with Elliot Quest being a homage to my least favorite Zelda game, I still found it to be an enjoyable experience. If you have a version of it already, don't expect to find something new. The release on Switch seems meant for a new audience that weren't Wii U owners, as opposed to a new experience for existing fans. Elliot Quest has a familiar feel that makes it a great title if you're looking to dip your toes into the Nindie experience on Switch.
Elliot Quest isn't a classic game, and at times is too beholden to the Zelda formula for its own good. The great problem in creating a game that so emphatically invites comparison to a classic series is that it will be compared to that series. Elliot Quest never had a hope of comparing to those games, but it does a decent job as a modern homage to them.
Elliot Quest is a fun and challenging throwback to gaming of long ago and will appeal mostly to those with nostalgia for classic action-adventure games.