You know, there was a time when it was really a struggle being a console-owning RPG fan in the West. Before the one-two punch of Final Fantasy VII and Pokémon Red & Blue proved the genre could roll big numbers outside of Japan, it wasn’t unusual for any given console to see fewer than ten RPGs in a year. That’s not even talking about the quality of those games, which naturally varied. In those days, by hook or by crook, I would try to play just about every single RPG that got released in English on my beloved NES, Game Boy, and Super NES. That was something you could do! I’d even relish the bad ones, because beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Don’t worry, my old man rambling will wrap up shortly. Obviously, the whole console RPG situation got a lot better, with more Japanese games getting localized and more Western RPG developers bringing their work to consoles. Things got even more exciting when indie console game development picked up. There was an appeal to the indie RPGs that turned up in those days, particularly when contrasted to the larger budget efforts from traditional publishers. Partly out of necessity and partly out of intention, these games often threw back to a simpler era. Again, I would try to play as many of them as I could.
In the here and now, we’re drowning in RPGs of all sorts. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. I’m not sure it’s even remotely possible to play them all even if you were doing it as a full-time job. That’s not a challenge! No! Fine. Do your best. My point is that most of us need to be a little more picky with the RPGs we play in our allotted time to play games. Some of us need to be a lot more picky. How you do that is up to you. In my case, I’ve had to learn when to just walk away from games that aren’t clicking for me, and I find a lot of the RPGs that try to chase specific classics and all-timers don’t quite hit the mark.
Among the ones I did enjoy was Shadows of Adam, which released a number of years back that I refuse to check for fear of becoming aware of the passage of time. It was the first game from an indie development studio called Something Classic, and I think part of what made it work is that while it was built with an eye to a particular era of the genre, it didn’t seem to have any one specific game in mind and did not let itself be shackled by what it was paying homage to. Was it a top-tier game? Well, no. I wouldn’t go that far. But it was a very good time, and if you enjoy the genre and missed it, I would advise giving it a go sometime.
Something Classic is back with Quartet, which came out late last year on computers and has now made its way to the Switch. This is another game that is done up to an extent in the 16-bit form of the genre, but with plenty of ideas that could only come from being made in the modern age. It features four main protagonists, and you’ll play through short scenarios about two or three hours long with each of them before the whole group meets up to get on with the business of the proper adventure. You can play them in any order you like, but you’ll have to play them all either way. You could call this inspired by Octopath Traveler, or maybe the scenario splits in Final Fantasy VI, or even Dragon Quest IV. It’s a nice way to let you get to know the characters individually before things get noisy.
Well, not quite individually. Each of the four characters also has a companion with them. This might make it seem like there are eight proper main characters, but these companions feel like less important parts of the story even as they are critical components in your battle strategies. They barely get much time to shine at all until just about the end of the game, where you can do some optional story stuff to get to know them better. It’s kind of a weird approach, but I suppose it’s not the worst thing in the world to focus the spotlight a little tighter and with more intensity. It gets there in the end, at least.
That’s an important thing to keep in mind for Quartet in general. It takes a fairly large percentage of its overall runtime before things really get cooking. The initial episodes for each main character have you starting from scratch, building things up, and then ending just as they start getting interesting. Then you’re off to the next character to follow a similar progression. That’s a consequence of this kind of set-up, though. Dragon Quest IV had a similar issue for many, and Octopath Traveler also grappled with its pacing.
Just like with those games, patience with Quartet will be rewarded. The story goes in some very interesting directions, and while you have to wait for the companion characters to get their due, the primary characters are well-realized and memorable. The premise allows for a lot of cool and varied settings, and Quartet leans into that nicely with some distinctive spaces to explore. They all look really nice, too, provided you’re into pixel art. I assume you are. Probably wouldn’t be this deep into a review of a game like this if you aren’t. The world of Quartet’s a satisfying one to explore, to say the least. The visuals are matched with a truly superb soundtrack, which is an essential component of any good RPG, if you ask me. Which you did not, but here we are.
The turn-based battle system opts for the choice that some other indie RPGs have made in recent years. Basically, your cool moves rely on a resource that will be fully restored at the end of every battle. You’ll get some back each turn, and you can get more by defending. Since you know it’s going to get topped off at the end of the fight anyway, you might as well go wild and use your full toolset. This helps avoid the common issue of battles with grunts feeling dull and meaningless. Adding to that, the number of encounters for most of the game are fixed. Once you beat that bunch, you won’t see them again. This makes it impossible to grind, but it also means that the game’s difficulty can be tuned knowing pretty much where every player stands in terms of strength at each point.
You can make that easier or harder on yourself, though. The game includes difficulty options, so if you just want to cruise through and enjoy the story, you can do that. If you want your strategic skills put to the absolute test, there’s a difficulty level for you too. Indeed, Quartet offers a bevy of options for you to tweak as you like to adjust your play experience. That’s one aspect of the game that’s as modern as it gets, and I appreciate it.
Quartet’s pacing means you have to have a little patience with it while it sets up all of its various pieces, but it’s certainly worth doing so if you enjoy the genre. Its commitment to its bit costs it here and there, but in the end, I think the sacrifices are worth it. This is a very strong RPG regardless of your affection for the classics, and it’s one that’s comfortable to fit into short or longer sessions as needed. The Switch version is a great way to play the game, as it takes to portability like a duck to water. RPG fans would do well to give this one a look.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review Copy Provided by Something Classic Games
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