Originally released for PC last year, Dark Quest 2 is a turn-based RPG with an isometric hand-drawn art style and a theme that draws inspiration from the acclaimed board game Hero Quest. Now, it has finally made its way to mobile devices.
The story of Dark Quest 2 is pretty typical for these types of games. It is basically just there to give us a reason to slaughter armies witches, orcs, and goblins. Here, the benevolent ruler has passed away, and an evil sorcerer has taken over the castle with his legions of monstrous creatures. So, naturally, it falls to you to clean up the mess.
Dark Quest 2 trailer
To do so, you’ll take control of a group of adventurers and progress through levels after levels, defeating enemies and occasionally solving some simple puzzles. The idea is pretty straightforward. Each level is a room divided into tiles, upon which you’ll find things such as monsters, traps, treasures, etc. You’ll have to come up with a suitable strategy to survive and progress.
Even if one of your characters ends up dying, other members of the group can still carry on, but of course you’ll lose access to all the abilities and gear of the fallen hero. And since you’ve chosen the members that you think are most useful for the mission, you’ll immediately feel the impact of every casualty. As you play, there’ll no doubt be times when you find yourself without a healer or a damage dealer, and things suddenly get significantly more difficult.
Throughout your adventure, you’ll gradually unlock more characters in various ways. Some you encounter in the world, others you meet in the hub town, which is also where you stock up on potions, revive fallen characters, upgrade items, and level up.
Speaking of level up, it’s another interesting part of the game as you can unlock both active and passive abilities. The active ones include things like going berserk, throwing axes at enemies, or transfer health from that character to another, and generally they are limited to one use per level. The passives, on the other hand, are always there, granting you several benefits such as spotting and disarming traps.
All in all, Dark Quest 2 is pretty traditional. It is not exactly what one would call groundbreaking, but it works and entertains. The graphics are charming, the gameplay addictive, all of which contributed to a game that is perfect for those who are looking for a casual yet solid and challenging RPG experience that can be enjoyed in short breaks between classes or work.