Virtua Quest Preview

Virtual reality is something we’d all like to experience. To be in another world, another dimension of existence where rules no longer apply and age is only part of your status, the mere thought of it makes me wish I had my own time machine. Unfortunately, I don’t have a time machine (yet…) and I probably won’t ever realize my dreams of digital existence. However, with Sega’s new Action/RPG, I’ll at least get to experience it through someone else’s eyes. It’s called Virtua Quest, and it could very well be the action game to beat in the new year.

The title puts you in the role of Sei, a young boy on the journey of a lifetime. You see, Virtua Quest is a spin-off of the popular fighting franchise, Virtua Fighter, where the world’s strongest come together to battle it out. What we learn now, though, is that the purpose of these tournaments was to gather information on the most powerful warriors on the globe and construct something of a doomsday fighter.

One day, while logging on to the Nexus (an advanced form of the internet that resembles a virtual reality MMORPG), Sei learns this. Knowing that only he, a pre-teen with no weapons or superior combat skills is the only possible savior for the world, our protagonist starts off on his journey to become stronger and erase the threat. In order to complete his task, though, he’ll have to fight each of Virtua Fighter’s classic characters to learn their skills, as it’s his only hope of matching the doomsday warrior. After defeating each character, Sei will acquire their “Virtua Soul,” which gives him access to all of their techniques. Through this, he’ll be able to become a master combatant.

The gameplay doesn’t end there, though, as Virtua Quest will also offer Prince of Persia-like platforming levels. Sei, like the Prince, will be able to wall-run, jump large gaps, and solve ingenious puzzles. Fortunately, he will have something his Persian counterpart doesn’t have: a kick-ass whip. Not only will you be able to use it as a weapon, you can also use it as a grappling tool to get to far-away platforms. Crossing break-neck fighting and classic platforming, the gameplay aspect is looking very sharp.

As far as visuals go, Virtua Quest can best be compared to Tri-Ace’s recent RPG, Star Ocean: ‘Til the End of Time. While there’s obviously an exaggerated tone to the character models, they display a more mature look. Regardless of the art style, they look fantastic, though, and environments are incredibly varied, taking you from an inner-city metropolis to rural Japan. The overall graphics package is coming along great.

As far as audio, everything looks marginal, with nothing out of the ordinary. You can expect a plethora of rock/speed-metal tunes to aid your fighting segments and a more modest, laid back soundtrack for platforming. Voice acting is pretty good, but it can’t hold a candle to the Japanese cast, which far exceed the localization actors’ talent. Why we haven’t caught on to import Japanese voice actors is beyond me, but that’s really another story. There’s certainly nothing to complain about in this category, but I wish Virtua Quest would break out of the current Action/RPG musical trend.

Overall, this is looking like the Action/RPG to own in the first quarter when it releases in January. With innovative gameplay, stunning visuals, and a stable soundtrack, I can’t help but be anxious to play it. Until it comes out, though, the only soul-stealing, platforming, and whip-attacking I’ll be doing will be in my dreams.