It is a round based wave game, which offers a plethora of unique, fun, and mostly RPG based classes, that the players must make the most of as they battle hoardes of monsters.
Two brave adventurers taking on the demonic forces of Hell!
Gameplay
In Casual Quest the goal is to survive and progress through the rounds with a team of up to 4 other players. It is relatively simple to play, space bar is the basic attack, and the z/x/c keys are used to perform various special skills if your class allows it. This can range from healing an ally to summoning an undead minion, it all depends on your class, and with 35 potential classes, you can be sure there will be a plenty of interesting abilities to entertain yourself with.
You gain access to these classes through a tarrot card system, which offers the player choices and depending on their answer, they will be given a class. Personally, I'm not much of a fan of the tarot system, and I would prefer an alternative method, it can be confusing at times and takes a while to get used to, which I feel slightly lessens one of Casual Quest's most appealing traits - the ability to jump straight in, as a new player, and have a good time. Iain has a very informative website set up that you can view here to see all of the classes and their abilities, but if you're like me, you'll probably want to discover them in-game instead.
Another great thing about Casual Quest is the re-playability. Even if you manage to clear all of the ever expanding waves (I think it's at 200 right now!), it's still entertaining to try again with a new set of allies and classes. There is a great deal of class combinations to try out, and it's really fun trying to discover the best class set with a group of friends, since there's so much variation and the effectiveness of class team work also changes as you switch out the different classes.
Presentation
Casual Quest has a retro RPG style that is visually appealing, whilst it is't especially spectacular, it still gives the game a good look. Iain has definitely created art that moulds well with the theme of the game, from the ferocious dragon sprite, to the obnoxious bat, they're all very well done and blend together nicely.
I was disappointed to find that music has yet to be added to the game, I believe this is due to a technical problem. I would love to see Casual Quest have sounds added in the future, and for me, this was a big loss presentation wise.
Originality
Casual Quest is executed excellently, by combining two very different themes it is able to bring to the table something original and appealing to both RPG players and casual ones. While the graphics are styled from old RPG titles, I feel that this was a good move and it shouldn't take away from the originality -- if anything, it makes the game more innovative by taking advantage of the love for old school games and meshing it together nicely with a simple yet fun casual game.
Overall
In closing, Casual Quest is a game that all BYONDers should try out with a group of friends. It is challenging on your own, especially for a new player, so I recommend joining a group that's already started up, or asking friends to party up and try the game out. Feel free to add me to the pager and I'd gladly quest with you!
If you decide to play, and enjoy your time, I highly recommend purchasing a subcription to access the extra classes. Not only are they fun to play, but you will be supporting original game developers on BYOND and rewarding Iain for the countless hours he has dedicated to releasing this little gem for users of BYOND to enjoy.
Can a blog post be edited to make it a review?
Edit: There we go! Thanks :D