Game-A-Week Episode 14: AdventureQuest 3D

[10:31 PM]

Well, it was about time for things to go back to normal here on Game-A-Week and for a little while, we'll be returning to the MMO genre.

[10:32 PM]

This week we delved into AdventureQuest 3D. I played this back when it was in open beta with the boys and it was simple but fun. We played it together like three times and then never played it again. It was a real "See you tomorrow"; offline for five years moment.

[10:33 PM]

Now while I have played this game before, this is the first time I've played it since then and it has since gone into full release. So basically, its like I'm playing it for the first time.

[10:36 PM]

It feels like a lot of the game's charm has been sapped out of it.

[10:36 PM]

Which, isn't surprising because that's what Artix Entertainment does best nowadays.

[10:36 PM]

And charm is the only redeeming quality their games have.

[10:38 PM]

If this game came out in 2006, I would have been floored by how good it is. But nowadays when I have so many OTHER games at my disposal, its just subpar.

[10:40 PM]

Its not a bad game, mind you. Its just, there are other games I'd rather play and especially when it comes to MMOs, where you really only ever want to play one at a time. My personal limit is 5. Same with fighting games and other competitive/time commitment based genres. If I need more than one hand to count the number, then I have too many.(edited)

[10:41 PM]

Of course, that goes against the purpose of Game-A-Week but I'm doing this with the thought in mind that not every game is going to be a keeper. And even among the ones in the keeper pile.... Yes, I'll have to choose just 5. For MMOs, anyway.

[10:42 PM]

But, it is at the very least, better than Artix Entertainment's other MMO, AdventureQuest Worlds which features monotonous gameplay, insipid writing and every piece of gear has the exact same stats rendering looting to be nothing more than a dress-up minigame.

[10:43 PM]

AdventureQuest 3D thankfully only suffers from insipid writing out of those three.

[10:45 PM]

I've talked a lot about how the game is just okay but I haven't talked any about the actual game

[10:45 PM]

So the game is stated to be a reboot of the original AdventureQuest but I find it to be more of a sequel.

[10:46 PM]

In the tutorial, the villain says that you used to be a legendary hero but you've somehow lost all your powers and have been wiped from everyone's memories. Including your own.

[10:48 PM]

A legendary hero who has defeated the Devourer, maybe? You know? The final boss of the original AdventureQuest?

[10:49 PM]

Anyway, I was pleased as punch when I saw this cutscene because I decided to make my character in the game to be a gender-bent version of my original AdventureQuest character. I even gave her the same name. Except instead of Xatu, it was Xa2 this time.

[10:51 PM]

I didn't even plan it this way but I was happy as a clam when I found out that Xa2 was actually the same person in-universe as Xatu. Perhaps, the gender change has something to do with him losing all his powers too? Or maybe she's a reincarnation of him? Either way, I blew my own mind without even realizing it.

[10:54 PM]

(And yes, I named Xatu after the Pokemon. I had just finished Pokemon Mystery Dungeon at the time I started playing AdventureQuest and as a result, Xatu, Absol, Bulbasaur and Cyndaquil were my favorite pokemon at the time because I liked their characters in that game so much.)

[10:55 PM]

Another thing I liked about the game is that it has fully fledged cutscenes. Not too many MMOS have flashy, action-y cutscenes but with all their mediocrity, Artix Entertainment managed it. And the best part, unlike other MMOS that keep your character hidden during cutscenes, AQ 3D has your character smack dab in the middle of it doing all sorts of cool stuff.

[10:57 PM]

I just love it when my custom character does cool stuff during cut scenes in video games. Like, I know this is a topic often made fun of because a lot of people tend to make their custom characters look absolutely ridiculous but it always feels really cool to me. I'm like, "Yo, that's me! There I am!"

[10:58 PM]

The gameplay is point and click. nothing majorly special going on. You click skill buttons until your enemy dies. There's no strategy or skill required. Its the main reason the game is pretty meh.

[10:59 PM]

Every class only has five skills too so there's no reason to not spam all your moves other than laziness.

[11:01 PM]

The only thing I really like about the gameplay is when I get new armor or weapons. But that could be said about any game. Every time you level-up you can open a chest which contains premium items you would otherwise have to pay for which is nice. The downside is, you rarely ever get anything good.

[11:04 PM]

Anyway, I enjoyed my time with the game at first but I found myself getting a little bored at the tail end of the week. It's probably due to the fact that my quest trail went cold and I also didn't know what to do after that.

[11:06 PM]

I'm seriously racking my brain for other things to say about this game but I actually can't think of anything. Well, a simple game deserves a simple review, I guess. Instead of riding mounts, you transform into them so that's interesting I guess. (And model swapping is a lot easier than putting on model on top of another so there's that AE mediocrity at work again.

[11:08 PM]

I give Adventure Quest 3D a 5/10. Its not a bad game, Its just painfully average. And there are other, better games that are more worth your time. I'm giving a lot of games 5 recently, huh? Well, maybe it'll get better next week. My quest line trail went cold before the week ended and I haven't even made it to Ashfall which I've heard is the best questline in the game. So I guess I should at least make it to there before uninstalling. If only I could actually figure how where I'm supposed to go for the next quest so I can even get to that point!

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