Review for SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Game for Linux, PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 25/04/2019 The version for PC came out on 31/05/2019
Many stories begin with a grandfather who tells fairy tales to his grandson in front of the fireplace e SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is no exception. But even if the scene is familiar and easy to recognize, it is the interpreters who change: in fact, grandfather and grandson are steampunk-style mechanical automata powered by steam: the robotic child in any case wants a story, "A story of pirates?" asks the grandfather, "No, a story of knights!" answers the grandson.
In this way the story of SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech comes to life - from a book that turns pages in the wind, like the most classic of fairy tales.
The guys at Image & Form Games were able to build a universe that works and fascinates without necessarily being tied to a specific context: starting from the miners SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Dig 2, through the pirate SteamWorld Heist to reach SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech the atmosphere given is always the same despite being represented in different eras and ways. This time we find ourselves in the most classic of fairy tales with dragons, knights, damsels and hordes of enemies to be killed, all without losing in any way the steampunk soul that characterizes the trend and above all without being out of place. In fact, while expecting robots in space or on distant planets may seem obvious, you might turn up your nose to see automata contextualized in the Middle Ages: yet the humanity infused in the characters makes everything easily acceptable to the point that from the first bars of the game each element appears fluid and well conceived thanks also to the inevitable humor that pervades the series.
Armilly and Copernica are the first protagonists with whom we will get to know while they will go into the thick of the woods in search of mushrooms. The first is reckless and adventurous, always ready to get into some trouble, while the second - more sensible and judicious - has the task of keeping her friend in line, and possibly even out of trouble. Unfortunately this objective is invariably missed when, returning to the village after having carried out the first mission, a mere basic tutorial, they find the houses on fire, with the whole guild of knights disappeared. The duo joins the lazy Galeo and then begins the adventure that will see our trio in search of the missing knights and the solution of the fascinating story of SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech.
The title of image & Form Games has a multifaceted and varied gameplay, even if at times banal. It is about moving in a maze, chapter after chapter, in order to find treasures and get to kill the boss at the end of the level. By moving a character placed as a symbol of the team and interchangeable with the L key, we will be able to interact with the surrounding environment and attack the enemies found on the path. At this point, the two fighting factions are automatically lined up on the sides of the screen, while the cards drawn from our decks appear below. At the top we have a light indicator of gears, necessary to carry out the actions, and which wear out hand by hand.
The cards (here obviously represented as punch cards for steampunk readers as it obviously is, Ed) are selectable before the battle, and are turned eight at a time. Each card has a gear cost to play, and in any case only three cards can be played at a time, all relating to one character or mixed for all. In the first case we will get an automatic bonus, given by the weapon equipped to the character, which takes the form of a fourth card that is activated automatically.
It therefore becomes imperative not to fill the deck with very powerful high-cost cards, which would be unusable given the limited number of gears available for each hand.: better dose with intelligence low-cost utilities and powerful attacks in order to optimize the final result.
Simple mechanism that is assimilated quickly, as well as the need to balance special protection and healing actions against attacks and offensives is immediately evident.
Nothing that has not already been seen in millions of more or less complex and decidedly better articulated card games. In fact, while counting on over 100 usable cards, we always find ourselves selecting the same attacks and special actions, once we understand which are the most effective in battle; luckily we have the possibility to change the characters in the game with others met along the way, even if there will always be only three who will take the field, as opposed to the enemies that can be more numerous.
This ploy of changing the game team offers more variety to the game, although unfortunately the feeling of déjà-vu persists. We also find it interesting to see the range of moves of some characters vary based on the use of some mask cards, which at the same time bring bonus and Malus to the characters in the game, but even in this case there remains the feeling that something is missing to be able to be passionate for a long time .
Unfortunately, in fact, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech never explodes, while maintaining a good level of interest for the duration of the adventure: however, nothing makes you cry for a miracle or leads to that unconscious dependence that previous works instilled with both hands.
Probably managing a card game with RPG elements in a steampunk context was a risky operation that we can consider only partially successful: in our opinion we could put a greater emphasis on the RPG component of the title by implementing more effects on the items that can be equipped or thinking about roster more complex and with greater interaction.
An applause, as always, goes to the graphic representation: SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech offers splendid characters and backdrops entirely hand-painted and with an enormous impact. Each enemy is masterfully drawn and represented with a surprising variety and taste thanks to the nonsense and comedy of which the title is permeated.
Even the dialogues translated into Spanish offer funny ideas and smiles due to the flawless characterization of the protagonists, while the soundtrack is simply perfect for the context. From a technical point of view, perhaps the only thing we liked least, but it could be considered a personal opinion, is the game map, too linear and fragmented to be really enjoyable.
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech exclusively for Nintendo Switch is a card game with RPG elements with a convincing and masterfully designed story that, following the trend of the previous Image & Form Games titles, continues in the representation of a magical steampunk universe. Excellent ideas and funny dialogues, combined with a plot already seen but always fascinating, are the perfect outline for a fun and balanced card game, unfortunately not exempt from some gaps. The vastness of the genres involved could have been represented with greater depth but this, and other small shortcomings, in the end do not affect a title that manages to thrill. It goes without saying that the portability of Nintendo Switch is, for the umpteenth time, an extra point able to enhance the merits of SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, as of many other titles.
► SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a turn based RPG game developed and published by Image and Form International AB for Linux, PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch, the game was released on 25/04/2019 The version for PC came out on 31/05/2019
