Review by Cordia, Nov. 10, 2010Life Quest was developed in house by Big Fish Studios. You will, of course, recognize them from the Drawn games and the Mystery Case Files series, among many others. This was released earlier this year and was their number one download for some time.
Life Quest is a simulation game, not in a build-a-tribe sort of way, it is a more pared down and much more simple version of the actual Sims games. If you do not like The Sims, please do not pass on Life Quest just because of that comparison. I find the Sims to be less than enjoyable, myself- It has too much micro-managing for my taste. I suppose I am not so much of a control freak that I want to tell my people to use the bathroom and do their homework and wake up on time for work. It seems too much like my regular life! Life Quest is an RPG-lite, almost. It’s about taking care of one character’s life, problem solving, and skills and assets. It lacks actual level rankings and combat, as far as that comparison goes.
The production values are fairly high, as one would expect from Big Fish. Most of my quibbles with the animations are fairly minor- I would have liked to be able to see the vehicles a little better and more often. I have one issue with the grammar of the game- there is one point where the wrong version of you’re/your is used, and it drives me batty every single time I play the game. There may have been another example of incorrect grammar, but nothing as major as that one. Otherwise, the game is pretty immersive and very enjoyable. There are some aspects of the game that make it incredibly linear, but after the game’s goals are all achieved, it can be continued in sandbox mode. I think sandbox mode would have been enhanced by achievements or awards for doing specific thing, because I found it was not holding my attention.
The player begins by choosing a somewhat customizable character, and then finds that this character has just graduated from high school and his or her big sister has invited him/her to come check out the city, and she’ll give the player a place to stay until he/she can find an apartment. Big sister acts as a tutorial, which can be skipped but I would not advise it on the first play through, as it can prove to be of some help.
Instead of the days being timed, each activity available to do is measured in units of time; this includes traveling to the various locations. On top of that, how many time units the character receives is based on how happy he or she is. The happiness meter increases when the character does things he or she enjoys, like dancing, and decreases significantly by doing things like unpleasant work, not getting enough rest, and so on. One feature that I was really proud of the game for having is the ability to not only have same sex relationships, but also marry and eventually have children. If that is not to your taste, it is
not something the game emphasizes, it is merely allowed. There is nothing that even resembles personal and romantic interactions between the couples, so there is nothing explicit to be seen here. I just thought it was a very progressive and notable element in the game.
One of the great things about Life Quest is the sales. I would prefer that the store inventory would change from visit to visit, but each day has a chance of bringing a sale from ten to seventy-five percent off. This can make a huge difference in how each game is played. While there is replay value in this game, it is not to the extent that it could be. The goals are the same each time, and very few things are really variable- for example, a job application is never
denied, so long as the character is qualified for that position.
Too Long; Did Not Read: There are a lot of great things to discover about Life Quest, but they are finite. It is not terribly challenging, but it is still fairly interesting. The goals are the same each time, so there is limited replay value, but the amount of choices in what to pursue and the variation in sales make this a game worth playing. It is very well done.
You might not like this game if:
- You hate all simulation games.
- You find the fact that the game allows for same sex couples who can then have babies together morally objectionable.
- You do not enjoy the trial period.
Have you played Life Quest? What did you think of it? Did this review entice you to try the game, or have you removed it from your demo list now?