Review: Warhammer Quest
Games Workshop’s board game Warhammer Quest has come to life in a video game format. Even though it is a board game, they took the time to make it feel more like a video game, which is a refreshing touch. As a point of clarity, this is not Hero Quest, so don’t confuse the two.
30 Second Review
+ Great turn-based strategy RPG
+ Animations and models are clean and smooth
+ True to the lore of Warhammer Fantasy
– Straight port from iOS to Steam
– Microtransactions
Did someone order a book?
Warhammer Quest has a lot of lore in it. A lot of attention to detail was made to insure they got this part of their game right. It is a throwback to the RPG days where there was a lot of text based reading before, during, and after your quest lines. Be prepared to delve into the story and lore of Warhammer Fantasy when you push play on this title.
You will start the game with a marauder, wayfarer, ironbreaker, and wizard. They are not the best classes the game has to offer but are a good mix for everyone starting out. However, unless you buy the deluxe version, the 7 other heroes will be trapped behind a pay wall of microtransactions. Microtransactions on Steam? Say it isn’t so….
Cool story, but what about the gameplay?
The gameplay is excellent. Models are clean. Everything is smooth and moves fluidly. Everything about the mechanics of the game runs great. The only complaint I have when it comes to the mechanics is that the game is a direct port from iOS. There is plenty of room on PC to give it a proper interface. A permanent end turn button would have been nice. Unfortunately you have to deselect from your character by clicking on the map in order to see the end turn button, which just adds an additional click that is a bit of a nuisance, especially if you have played any other turn based strategy game on PC.
The game has a tutorial, but I’m not really sold on it. You have to do everything the tutorial asks you to do when it asks you to do it. If you end your turn and you did not preform the proper action then you will just have to replay what you are doing until you do what has been asked of you. I found this especially annoying when I was to cast the wizard’s spell for the first time. Apparently, I cast the wrong spell and had to redo it, despite understanding the concept.
Also, you do not win the tutorial. You run into the last room, and you experience a party wipe. However, it does not show you the death or even play the turns out; it just fades to black and tells you that death and defeat are going to happen. I really think they should have played this scenario out and allowed the player to experience death officially. When I encountered my first death I was quite confused as to if the character was dead or alive. His health was zero, but I was able to heal him and just keep trucking on with the character. It was odd to say the least.
Steam or iOS?
This review is going to be one of the few times I make this suggestion, but if you have the option of buying it on an iOS device or buying it on Steam then I would recommend it on your iOS device first. The fact that this is a straight port to PC can be a little annoying to say the least. There is no hiding that this was originally a phone game.
If you enjoy playing turn based strategy RPGs and can overlook the glaring phone game quirks, then this is a good game to own. However, as with most iOS ports to PC we’ve been seeing on Steam the past few years, the pricing isn’t the greatest. The base game is $14.99, and the deluxe version is $29.99. If you think you are going to want to own every bit that’s available for this title, then go ahead and buy the deluxe. However, if you’re going to buy the deluxe version on Steam, you might want to wait for a Steam sale. Remember, if you do not buy the deluxe version, then a hefty chunk of the game is going to be locked away behind the pay wall of microtransactions, which could end up costing you $45.00. I have suggested to the devs, and do hope that they add an upgrade to deluxe feature on the store page for anyone that is curious about owning the base game, but not sure if deluxe would be right for them.
Again, though, if you have access to iOS and Steam, then try it for free on iOS, and it’ll give you a better idea of how much you want to invest into your purchase on Steam.
