So, here we have a new RPG Maker 3 game on the block, and it goes by the name of Daniel's Quest III. It's made by Pagerron and is based around his real life friend, Daniel. So, what is Daniel's Quest III and why is it here?

Well, it's a bit more of going here and there, trying to find the a stolen gem called, "the Stone of Destiny". Sounds kinda cliche, huh? Fortunately, things pick up quick after you speak with the king about the stone. It's when you start wandering around town (and then the excellent overworld) and it hits you: you're having fun running around doing fetch quests! Things only get better from there. However, I wanted to get a little deeper into the title, so I managed to find Pagerron and got to interview him.
1ce: So, tell me a bit about yourself Pagerron.

Pagerron: I'm 33 years old. I've been a member here at the Mag and at the Pav for about
a year and a half now. I've been playing video games ever since my first system, a used Atari
2600 (with about 30 games).

1ce: So, the game is called Daniel's Quest 3. So, where are DQ 1 and 2?

Pagerron: Oh, yeah, what happened is that I created Daniel's Quest I and II for RPG Maker 1.
I really wanted to make a game of my own and decided to name the hero Daniel (after a close friend
of mine). DQ I and II were full of inside jokes and quirky humor that only close friends can really
relate to, but then when I found out about RPG Maker 3 and Max Drives, I had the idea to make a
game (still about my friend Daniel - and now his wife and daughter) that lots of people could have
fun with, so Daniel's Quest III was born. [I have no good explanation for why I prefer "III" to "3."
The Roman numerals just look cooler.]

1ce: Where did the idea behind the game come from?

Pagerron: The idea from this particular game is based off of how the lives of married
people are much different from the lives of the carefree single youth. My relationship
with my friend Daniel changed quite a bit when he got married. I thought it would be cool
to incorporate some of that in the game. Daniel has a quest to go on, but now he must think
about his wife and daughter as he makes his decisions. His wife, Christy, isn't too happy
about his desire to help out the King. You'll have to see what transpires in the full game.

1ce: Was there any big inspiration behind the idea of your game?

Pagerron: Well....hmmm....no, not really. I just wanted to be able to create an interesting,
fun game that people can enjoy. Having a close friend like Daniel that is also an RPG lover is cool
because I know at least he'll like the game. (He'd better like it. )

1ce: As I played through the game, I noticed many areas are cut off for the demo....What's up?

Pagerron: Hey now, 1ce, come on, bro. I can't give away all of the secrets in the demo.
Having some places blocked off builds the anticipation of what may be hidden behind them in the full game.

1ce: Is there a meaning behind O & R's Exotic Pets?

Pagerron: Actually, it's D & R Exotic Pets. The D is for Daniel and R is for Rhoda. They
are the owners of that fine establishment in the world of Nevernear.

1ce: Was there any interesting ideas that didn't make the cut to the final game?

Pagerron: I haven't yet completed the final game, and there are several ideas
I'm still toying with. One idea I had to scrap was to have a huge tower as kind of a
lookout point from which you could see all of Nevernear. I wasn't able to work that in though.

1ce: I noticed there are a few ads in the game for Perversion's Series 4. What the...?

Pagerron: Oh, yeah. Well, I had two people thoroughly playtest my demo- Kittykicker and
Perversion (both of whom are members here at the Mag). I put up a notice at the Pav that the
first person to playtest my demo for me would get two ads for an upcoming game. Perversion was the
first to offer his help. I offered to advertise something for Kittykicker in the game, but she
respectfully declined. By the way, thank you very much Kittykicker and Perversion!

1ce: What do you want this game to become?

Pagerron: I want the full game to become something that people enjoy. I
want people to immerse themselves in the world of Nevernear, and come out thinking,
"Well, that was great!" It's not an epic. Parts are cliche. Parts are serious. Parts
are silly. That's all good.

1ce: Do you have any final comments?
Pagerron: Well, thank you very much 1ce for making this interview
possible. I'm just glad to be able to share with everyone about this
game. I thank God for the chance to make games in the first place. Also,
if anyone has any comments or questions, please feel free to PM me. I'm always glad to talk.


So, after all the talk and when we get down to the main gameplay, how is it? It holds up pretty well, actually. There's enough here to please any explorer, whether you're exploring a grave or a cave, it's fun to wander around. Things are simple, which is a becoming a rarity in most games. You have a simple plot and the characters really steal the show. The graphics are wonderful, which good variation and excellent use of the terrain editor. Another big plus is the dialog. It stays simple like the rest of the game and is well written, and best of all it complements the gameplay.

And while I love the great characters, the plot is skimpy and puts a dent in the game. The story doesn't really carry on to much in the demo. This wouldn't be so much a problem if something exciting happened. The game has a very ho-hum feeling to it, and while that's all fine and good, I was expecting a little more excitement here and there. The strange thing is, is that the title has so many ways in which there could be a major plot twist. There could be a strange man when Daniel got home, or someone suddenly screams at the right time. There's a bit of untapped potenial here to create a more exciting experince. Things could also be a bit more streamlined as well. I got lost a few times because I didn't know where I was going. A journal ala Morrowind would go a long way to help this game.

But, even though you may get a little lost at points, seeing the characters react to their surrounding envoriment is the best reason to play this game. It's one of the better character driven stories I've heard in a while. Daniel's Quest III doesn't have everything going for it, but it has what matters. Explorers and adventurers, your game has arrived.