Quijote: Quest for Glory (PC) - Preview

The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha or Quijote, depending on your translation into English, is the story of an old fool living out his hallucinations after reading too many tales of chivalry. Of course, that’s a substantial contraction of the several hundred pages of Micheul De Cervantes’ 17th-century adventure, first published in two parts. The source material has become seminary work and a key to modern literature. With games such as The Witcher or otherwise adapting from fantasy literature, it is surprising to find so few games about Quixada (or Quexada) and his adventures. The last notable example is the interactive arcade film, Super Don Quix-ote, from 1984.

Cue Quijote: Quest for Glory, a turn-based tactics game using the typical card-based combat and movement, akin to your Darkest Dungeon or [blank] comparisons. Coming from Spanish developer Cubus Games, it attempts to tell this story of the old man slipping away into fantasy. Presently in Early Access, it caught my eye, though not only because of its use of the iconography that is captured in Cervantes’ writing, or the intention to retell the Don Quixote tale. What drew my attention was a couple of emails fervently telling of the many updates coming consecutively.

Quijote: Quest for Glory doesn’t ride Rocinante out the gate in a blazing stride. In fact, some would argue it is a rather questionable beginning altogether. When released into Early Access in late March, Quijote had little more than two levels, the tutorial most prominently. Just under two months later, a third level has been added, alongside a selection of odd updates that needed to be made public, such as: “Character movement improvements (no wall trespassing).” The developers are ostensibly striving to adapt the entirety of Cervantes’ work with an abridged depiction of the story in the game when complete. This is a gradual process that seems like it will take some time.

At the present, Quijote: Quest for Glory is nothing to shout about, even for those who do enjoy the book as much as Aaron Sorkin seemed to in 2012. Saddled with what is essentially the bare minimum to boot, your option (singular) is in which language you would like the text to summarize the story. There are no quality options, no volume sliders, no difficulty (what little there is), and no ability to change resolution or natively force windowed mode. There is not even a monitor selection choice. As I am sure I’ve said before, these are big sticking points. Accessibility and freedom to make the experience as comfortable as possible for you matters.

Not that difficulty, in particular, is the lasting issue that befell an errant knight such as the man from La Mancha. The first level at Quixada’s estate before he adorns himself with the title of Quijote, his horse Rocinante, and his love of a peasant woman sees him escaping with his poor gear from his greatest foe, the women under his employ. Yes, it is akin to a stealth mission. Try not to be caught while getting your stuff, ‘ya old fool. This gameplay is fine, with your “health” evidently in these situations being your movement cards. This is easier done when they are at least corporeal and not phasing through walls.

Your second and third levels are rather similar (also from the early chapters), you have a tussle with some rogues outside the inn (I mean castle) and fight fleeing vagabonds. This is where combat truthfully comes into play. I’ve gone on record to say turn-based combat isn’t what I want in my cup each morning, and Quijote: Quest for Glory doesn’t change that, but neither does it make the game worse for it. You individually pick three cards each turn, all with varying stats. Your enemy hides one before the fight, and you use a small amount of strategy to outsmart them with your options.

At its core, the battle is still down to numbers fighting numbers; the Pokémon special, as it was called around my way. That mystery element on its own isn’t doing much, but matching that with cards that have buffs depending on prior attacks, their placement, or even your lack of stamina brings enough to the table. Still paced like Sancho Panza in a 100-dash with Sonic at the Olympic games, you won’t see me praising it whole-heartedly. I don’t love it, but as an often self-professed errant hater of turn-based gameplay, I don’t loathe it either.

If there is one thing I have to praise it must be the art department at Cubus Games. The art makes the plot segments look like a still-image for kids telling the tale of the man from La Mancha. Beautiful and full of life, it is a shame that wasn’t wholly transferred to gameplay. The gameplay looks like the stock isometric grid-based gameplay with default assets juxtaposed by fully lit cartoon Quijotes and otherwise. It might be the lack of color correction for characters of a dark or washed out scene, or equally, it could be the colliding styles coming together. I do love the style of art in the scenes of exposition, but together with gameplay it makes the eye drift.

Ultimately, right now, Quijote: Quest for Glory is a game rushed to show there is something being done. However, it lacks enough to demand your attention. At the time of writing, there are three of the possible seven levels (I assume) available, a lack of proper options, and a little bit of refinement yet to be done. With the low price, I wouldn’t call it the greatest risk for an Early Access game, but you’re still looking at Early Access with half the game’s levels missing. It is interesting for fans of the Cervantes story, but I can’t say it will be a great entry point to the tale.

A PC copy of Quijote: Quest for Glory was provided by Cubus Games for the purposes of this preview.