Humor can be a difficult thing to get just right but the developer of Dad Quest knew exactly what to do when it came to the dialogue, graphics, and the premise of this unique and interesting game. The jokes and dialogue in this game are as silly as the premise, which has you running around holding your child to use as a weapon against enemies. Dad Quest features platforming and RPG elements wrapped around great presentation, catchy music, and once you stop laughing about the premise, you’re sure to have a great time with this gem.
Right from the beginning I couldn’t help but laugh. Dad Quest begins by explaining that children are weapons and you’re the Dad that will help them grow into the best weapon that they can be. The charming graphics further help lift the game into a warm and comforting place. Nostalgia may be one of the things that springs to mind from the graphics but they’re also really sharp and help create a convincing universe that greatly helps support both the premise and the characters.
As you navigate through the world and fight enemies, your child will gain experience and level up. This will make them more powerful and they can even change appearance as they level up. It’s almost like Pokemon in a way but not quite as drastic. Your child simply slowly grows up which is of course realistic but it’s also pretty funny. As you level up, you’ll increase abilities and skills. Your child can also hold toys that will help boost their stats, abilities, and even unlock additional skills for them. The combat is as tightly constructed as it is humorous. You can swing your child as a melee weapon and also throw your child as a ranged weapon. You can hold down a button to retrieve your child to either throw them again or simply run over to enemies you’re engaged with and start swinging. It works rather well and never ceases to be make me smile.
Another nice thing that comes with progression and leveling up is being able to reach areas that were previously unavailable. This makes for another interesting approach to the gameplay and is yet another thing that has me hooked. I love revisiting areas in games and experiencing the satisfaction of being able to reach them from leveling up and growing more powerful. Heirlooms can also be used in the environment and on characters. They function as key items in the traditional sense and it’s an interesting take on it.
As you travel, you’ll fight stronger enemies so whenever you can earn experience, it’s certainly recommended you battle to do so. There are some more difficult combat scenarios but with enough dedication you’ll persevere. The platforming is never too difficult and remains pretty manageable but there difficult spots here and there. Playing with a controller certainly makes it much easier. I personally don’t enjoy using keyboard and mouse controls for platformers. I will say that Dad Quest controls well with a keyboard and mouse; it’s just much, much better with a controller. The UI hasn’t been updated completely with controller prompts but since the game is in early access, updates do continue to roll out. The developer has been very responsive to updating the game and making sure to implement changes based on the feedback they receive. The controller support alone only came out a few days ago so they are making changes on a regular basis.
It’s not too long in length. I think I completed what the game has to offer so far in about five hours but with it being in early access, I’m sure the developer will continue to add to it. I’d absolutely love not only a sequel to this game but would love to see future releases from the developer as well.
The music is incredible. There’s no other way to say it. I know for a fact that I’ll be listening to this outside the game because of how retro and catchy it is. This game is obviously both a throwback and a tribute to older games but also a game developed with a lot of passion. It’s clear that the developer not only cares deeply for this game but also its fans.
I had a lot of fun with Dad Quest and look forward to seeing the game and community grow. The gameplay is tight and the humor is just right. It’s very clear that Sundae Month really cared about this game as it’s designed well and an absolute delight to play. It may be in early access but it’ll great to see this game grow and change over time and at $7.99, you really can’t beat the price either.
A review copy was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
I had a lot of fun with Dad Quest. Not only was it a well made game but it also got my humor exactly right. I was laughing so much through this game. From the self-aware humor to the lame Dad style humor. This is a good game that is absolutely worth the price tag. You could always wait for a sale that will likely happen when it’s out of Early Access but at $7.99 for a funny and well designed game, you really can’t complain. Let us know what you think of the game in the comments or on Twitter at @BagoGames. You can also follow me at @Mrjoshnichols to see my thoughts as I play through games both for leisure and for reviews.
Dad Quest
Pros
- Interesting mechanics and gameplay border between action RPG and 2D platformer genres
- Unique premise with a humorous story and characters
- Really catchy soundtrack that I need to buy from the developer
- Controller support in a recent update
- Developer continues to tweak and fix little things and respond to feedback
Cons
- Length isn't as long as I'd like but this is only the beginning
