Chrono Quest
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | France |
Key people | Jean-Marc Cazale (programmer), Herve Hubert (programmer), Patrick de Mozas (scenario writer), Fabien Begom (scenario writer and background artist), Jeff Bramfitt (title screen artist), David Whittaker (composer) |
| Products | Chrono Quest |
Chrono Quest (known as Explora: Time Run in France) is an adventure game that debuted in September 1988 on the Amiga and Atari ST platforms. Created by the French developer Infomedia, it was distributed by 16/32 Diffusion in France and by Psygnosis in the United Kingdom. The storyline follows a main character wrongfully charged with patricide who employs time travel to identify the actual murderer. The UK edition’s cover art was crafted by Roger Dean.
Gameplay
As a point-and-click adventure, Chrono Quest utilizes a mouse-driven icon-based interface. The narrative begins in 1922 at a French ancestral home, from which players access various historical epochs through a concealed time machine to collect evidence and clear the protagonist’s name.
The game features exploration of periods including the upper Paleolithic, the New Kingdom of Egypt, the waning days of the Maya civilisation in Mexico, and the early rule of Jahangir in India. Each era presents distinct characters, objects, and puzzles that require commands such as "pick-up," "examine," or "use." Items and information gathered in one timeframe frequently influence progress in others.
Gameplay emphasizes solving puzzles through item usage and logical deduction, while navigating environmental dangers like aggressive creatures and traps. Mistakes or hesitation can lead to the character’s demise.
Development
Infomedia led development with Jean‑Marc Cazale programming for Amiga and Herve Hubert handling the Atari ST version. The scenario was penned by Patrick de Mozas alongside Fabien Begom, who also produced intricate background artwork. Jeff Bramfitt was responsible for designing the title screen visuals. Audio composition was done by David Whittaker. The team employed proprietary scripting systems and bitmap editing tools to create varied historical environments.
For the UK release, Psygnosis engaged Roger Dean to produce the cover art. The title was showcased at trade shows in 1988, emphasizing its ambitious visuals and time-travel theme. Although a version for IBM PC was announced, it appears it was never finalized or released.
Reception
Chrono Quest garnered mixed responses from critics. Its graphical presentation and artistic design—especially the richly painted backgrounds and atmospheric tone—were widely praised. The Games Machine awarded it an 86% score, noting its engaging storyline and impressive visuals.
Conversely, some reviewers criticized its pacing and puzzle mechanics. Commodore User described early gameplay as slow with excessive trial-and-error elements, while ACE gave it a 221/400 rating, citing confusing icons and inconsistent puzzle logic.
ZZAP!64 highlighted the immersive graphics, ambitious scope, and diverse historical settings, calling it "great fun and extremely compelling" despite some awkward mouse controls and translation flaws, ultimately scoring it 78%.
Legacy
Following this title, Chrono Quest 2 arrived in 1989 receiving similar critical feedback. The subsequent installment, Explora III: Sous le signe du serpent, was released exclusively in French in 1990 without an English version.