"The fifth game in Sierra's excellent QFG series, a must-have for anyone who likes RPGS."

This game is superb even if you have no prior knowledge of QFG. If you have played any of the QFG series before, this surpasses all of them.

-Technical review

-Graphics The graphics are excellent, with the only problem being the total lack of facial expressions and minor discontinuity in the hip joints. The rating is 10 out of 10.

-Sound/music The music of this game is a quite good classical type, with a a welcome break from the usual rock/industrial/techno soundtracks of most computer games. The sound is superb,with realistic clashing weaponry, cries of pain, and animal roars. My only quarrel with the voices is that you never hear the hero's voice, also all the guards sound identical. My rating is 9 out of a possible 10.

-Combat and spell system The combat system a grand improvement over the previous QFG games. Instead of going into a special combat screen, to fight a single monster,you duel multiple enemies in real time on the normal game screen. Casting spells is a bit trickier, as you have to first select the spell from your inventory , then target the monster. Targeting the spells and thrown weapons is extremely realistic, using real-world physics and timing. I rate the combat 10 out of 10.

-Minutiae There are still a few significant bugs in QFGV, and this is where it fails to live up to expectations. They include not being able to import character files, the game crashes when you go to some locations after a certain day, you can't marry the awsomely cool former vampire Katrina, and an item cloning bug.

-Closer look

In this game, you contend with 4 other adventurers for the crown of Silmaria, a land much like Classical Greece: Elsa, the swordswoman with ridiculous armor, Gort the Frankenstein-type monster, Kokeeno the "Red" guard, and the Roman braggart Magnum Opus. However, there are darker elements looming behind the contest. An evil madman plots to rule Silmaria, or if he cannot, to release the Dark Dragon that destroyed Atlantis. You will race to complete the Rites of Rulership and uncover the plot while a deadly assassin stalks you throughout the land. You will marry at last; either Elsa the warrior, Erana the wise and good wizard, or Nawar the *ahem* "seamstress". You will... I've said enough. You see, though, that this game is well worth the $50.

-Plot elements I liked and disliked

First, the dislikes. I disliked how they reused characters from all the previous QFG games (except for Erana. She was a good idea). I also disliked the somewhat stereotyped plot; i.e. "Stop the evil madman from destroying the world." For all these disadvantages, there are many good points to the plot. First of all, you observe how your hero's personality has developed from inexperienced newbie to seasoned adventurer. Second, the hero can acquire power and authority rather than being a rootless drifter. Those who haved played the previous parts of the QFG series will be pleasantly surprised at many new plot twists.

In conclusion, I will strongly recommend this game to anyone, especially those who have played previous QFG games.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99