QFG4 is the weakest of the first four installments. The first two were the true winners with unique character driven quests and fresh wit. By the time the 4th installment came around it was more of the same.
You find yourself stuck in a Transylvania type setting with more simple quests and a moderately enjoyable game play. Gone are the days of typing from the very first (hero's quest - so you want to be a hero) and second (trial by fire).
The garlic theme got old quickly and the map layout reminded me of Quest for Glory 1, but with less human interaction. Perhaps it is the lack of other characters in the game, who knows. What we need is games like this (that take advantage of the graphics available today) that require more typing - youth today can't spell worth a lick! It was a bit frustrating to have the game balk at a typo, but at least the kids that played that game learned something as well. Beyond learning about Uhura (star trek) those jokers in the market in III (sanford and son) and then there was razzzle dazzle me erasmus.
Compared to the prior installments of the game, this one is lacking.
Granted I haven't seen Quest For Glory Five yet, so I don't know what to expect there yet.
Quest For Glory Four was quite bug ridden when I first played it - I haven't had any issues since installing the patches though - yes I said Patch (es) that's plural. As I went through the game there was one point where patch destroyed all the progress I had made to date. So a word of caution - be sure to install ALL the patches (clearly available now - so much after initial release).
With that said, I do wish Sierra would create this genre again - compared to the games found today these were true gems. They just don't compare to the imitations found in the console games of today. Some try and get close but there's always a little something lacking - maybe it's humor uniqueness or simple talent. Granted games today are much sexier and have lots of promotion through the Television and Internet.
In short this game is missing quite a bit compared to its predecessors but if you enjoyed the previous games in the series, give this one a go as well - it'll be worth your while (or headache) just to have continued on in the steps of the mighty prince.
