Life Quest Review

Life Quest Review

Review by Alice Flynn

Alice Flynn is a gaming enthusiast and journalist from Los Angeles, CA. She is currently obsessed with obscure foreign dramas, making tofu taste edible and the latest, greatest computer games.

Life Quest is a game that gives you the opportunity to play through the life of a recent high school graduate. What will your character do with their life? That's entirely up to you. Is Life Quest a game worth playing? Read on to find out!

Surprisingly Addictive, Right From the Start

Life Quest starts out with a tutorial, like many games do. Your "big sis" has been instructed by your parents to give you the run down of life in the city. This tutorial is fun, fast paced and enjoyable, serving as a great introduction to the rest of the game. By the end of the tutorial, you will be completely comfortable with the menus and how the game itself works.

The game consists of lots of little goals to achieve, courtesy of rivals from high school. Your old classmates will call you up and let you know what goals they are currently working on. These goals vary from buying a pet fish to sprucing up their home decor or working out more often. Once your character gets off the phone, a new goal has been set. You must take the steps necessary to achieve the goal before your rival does. There are 19 rivals in all, and their challenges serve to keep the game moving.

The fact that the game provides small goals throughout contributes to the addictive quality of the gameplay. It's hard to stop when you're so close to completing the task!

Lots of Personality

This game has many little details that are sure to make players smile, if not laugh out loud. The university is named Whatsamatta U, the theater is called 4Reelz and the low cost housing ghetto is named Pauper's Palace. The game suggested that I name my pet fish: "Bubbles III", which of course insinuates that I've been the proud owner of a few fish already, and maybe the third time's a charm. No matter your sense of humor, there is something in this game for you.

The biographies of your rivals are also funny at times as well, because most of us have known individuals who fit these stereotypes at some point in our lives.

The hidden object minigame called "Gnome Sightings" is also quite funny. You are given $5 for each gnome you happen to find hiding around town. They end up in the strangest of places.

Fitting Graphics and Music

The art style of this game is cartoony, but that doesn't mean that the graphics are lacking in terms of quality. The graphics are smooth, crisp and perfect. For example, the balloons that occasionally fly to celebrate a particularly good accomplishment are absolutely smooth and brilliantly colored. Great quality.

The music for this game is snappy without being distracting or annoying; it's absolutely fitting for the game.

A Fun Blend of Time Management and Simulation Gameplay

Just like in real life, there are only so many hours in a day in Life Quest. Time is a resource that must be managed, just like money, and this adds a sense of urgency that keeps the game moving forward at all times. However, happiness is also something that must be managed, because there are penalties for letting your character become depressed. Depressed characters need more sleep than happy people, thus lowering the amount of workable hours in a game day.

Everything in the game has an impact on happiness levels. Higher paying jobs are often not the most enjoyable things to do, thus depleting happiness levels quickly. Fancier food increases happiness more than other options, but often costs more, putting a strain on funds. Watching a movie increases happiness for a small fee, but it takes up valuable time. Keeping everything in balance requires thought, planning and care.

There are some things that passively increase happiness, such as owning a pet or taking the time to relax at home. Having better furnishings and electronics at home also raises happiness, giving players a reason to collect them.

Eating every day is essential, or else there will be few workable hours the next day due to exhaustion. Listen for the dinner bell! If you hear it, it's your last chance to eat before the day is up. This game only requires you to eat once a day, which simplifies gameplay significantly.

In addition to time, money and happiness there are also character stats that impact opportunities in the game. Clothing items give small stat boosts, but the best way to permanently increase them is to take classes at the college. Classes cost both time and money, so careful management of these resources is key to success.

Endless Customization

At the beginning of the game there are many options for character customization; there are 30 different faces to choose from alone. You are allowed to choose all aspects of your character's coloring as well, which is a nice touch. Hopefully more games will provide this level of customization in the future, because it makes the game a more engaging experience.

You can also customize the color scheme of most things in Life Quest, including clothing, furniture and even pets. The customization goes beyond simple presets with a color slider that allows players to select both color and saturation. If you enjoy games that allow you to put your creativity to work, this title is for you. It's very satisfying to create your own color coordinated outfits, home decor and more.

The career paths are also highly customizable, with each choice you make giving your character skills that lead to other job opportunities later on. Some of these surprise job opportunities have a genuine feeling of serendipity, and this makes the game feel very authentic.

The fact that you can take the game in any direction you choose really adds to this game's appeal. The path you take in besting your rivals is entirely up to you.

Low Difficulty Level

The main drive of the game is to best your rivals, so it's very disappointing to discover that there is no real punishment for failing to do so. Your rival can't actually beat you if they reach the end of the goal line first. Once you meet the requirements for completing the goal, you will be declared the winner, even if they actually reached the finish line first. Realizing this makes the goals seem less important.

Not Much Replay Value

Once all 19 rivals have been faced and a Life Quest completed, there isn't much incentive to play the game again. Completing the quest unlocks free play mode, but there is little reason to earn degrees and such with no goals to reach. Quest mode is by far the meat of the game.

Conclusion - Fun While It Lasts

Life Quest is a game that sets the bar in terms of customization. The number of options given to players is exemplary and quest mode is an addictive adventure while it lasts.