Neopets: The Darkest Faerie

"*happy face*"

Considering the amount of glitches and tentacles randomly popping out of the ground, this really is one of my favorite video games of all time. I'm the type of person who usually sticks to Final Fantasy type gameplay, and I really try to avoid the 'random creatures appearing and you have to swing your sword' type of thing. However, the amount of hidden crypts to explore and constantly worrying if a ball of sludge will, without warning, attack you, makes up for most of the game's problems.

I especially liked the "Act" format, of which the game was separated into four parts; Act One: Tormund's Story, Act Two: Roberta's Story, Act Three: Heroes United, and Act Four: Legends of Altador. They're all very seamless, and the end of each chapter makes you eager to start the next. I can literally play this game for hours on end, for reasons unknown. Even though, being able to see a list of every task you must complete to finish the current Act can be a little overwhelming, it's a nice feature for people who need to be organized, like myself. Some cutscenes, however, have put the order of things out of place (meaning in Act Three in Bogshot you can talk to certain people before defeating Kastraliss (sp?) and they will tell you you've already defeated him).

The first time I played the game, it took me only a few months to beat; this won't be a 'this game has taken me three years to get to this point, DON'T TOUCH IT' kind of gaming experience. The second time around, I was in Shadowglen Woods for the second time, and decided to jump off the edge after coming out of the underground, and decided to save, which sent me back to my last backup file: Act Two. Even though there are many overlooked problems like this that can literally ruin your game, I waited a few weeks and was back restoring my game. So, if you're the type of person who will rip out your hair after seeing one glitch, this is not the game for you.

However, I feel that this game is definitely worth the forty dollars, especially if you're a neopets fan. It's a healthy escape for your weekend where you can sit down on your couch with a bag of lime chips and pretend you're ten again, which is only one of the enchanting features of The Darkest Faerie. Even though there are game-threatening glitches and many strategic bosses, it's definitely worth the time.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/06/07

Game Release: Neopets: The Darkest Faerie (US, 11/16/05)