Henry the hermit
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Corey Cole, Lori Ann Cole |
| Products | Quest for Glory series (five video games) |
Quest for Glory is a collection of hybrid adventure and role-playing video games created by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. Built with the Sierra Creative Interpreter, a development tool crafted by Sierra to facilitate adventure game creation, the franchise combines humor, puzzles, and motifs inspired by diverse legends and iconic characters. This five-part series stands as a notable entry within Sierra's lineup.
Initially released under the name Hero's Quest, the series was rebranded to Quest for Glory after Milton Bradley Company acquired the trademark for their unrelated board game titled HeroQuest, produced in collaboration with Games Workshop. Due to this trademark dispute, Sierra adopted the new title for all future installments.
Series
Lori Cole introduced Quest for Glory to Sierra as an immersive, story-rich role-playing experience.
The franchise consists of five titles, each continuing the narrative from its predecessor. Recurring characters frequently appear across entries, linking the stories together. Players aim to evolve their protagonist from an ordinary adventurer into a hero by completing quests that can be approached in a non-linear fashion.
A pioneering feature of the series was its character import system, which enabled players to transfer their character’s skills and possessions between games.
Merging elements of adventure and role-playing gameplay, the series balances serious storytelling with humor, including frequent puns and wordplay. A common recurring element is the preparation of a dispel potion featured in most titles.
Numerous hidden references to other Sierra games are embedded throughout, such as witty lock-picking responses and allusions to The Castle of Dr. Brain.
Each installment draws inspiration from distinct mythologies and cultural backgrounds: Germanic/fairy tale; Middle Eastern/Arabian Nights; Egyptian/African; Slavic; and Greco-Mediterranean. The hero confronts progressively stronger adversaries while familiar supporting characters reappear throughout the saga.
The series deliberately blends folklore traditions with creative liberties, incorporating anachronistic elements like pizza-loving mad scientists. Characters from earlier games make appearances in later chapters.
Celebrated among CRPG fans as one of the genre’s finest, Quest for Glory is lauded for its open-ended gameplay and innovative fusion of adventure and role-playing mechanics. Ahead of its time features include dynamic day-night cycles, NPCs with daily routines, and character advancement through skill practice and point allocation.
Publications such as Polygon and Kotaku acknowledge the series as a foundational influence on modern RPGs. Destructoid regards it as "one of the greatest adventure series ever created." Engadget attributes its success to the hybrid gameplay systems, highlighting how skill checks allowed players to overcome challenges through practice rather than relying on obscure item combinations.
Gameplay
The first four titles integrate adventure mechanics with role-playing elements and real-time combat, while the fifth shifts toward an action RPG style.
Players select from three classic RPG archetypes: fighter, magic-user/wizard, or thief. Characters can develop skills beyond their initial class, enabling unique "hybrid" builds. In either the second or third game, characters who act honorably may advance to become Paladins, unlocking special abilities and wielding a distinctive sword. Character data can be transferred between games—retaining statistics and inventory—except in Shadows of Darkness, where items are not preserved—allowing continuity and flexibility in class progression.
Each class possesses unique strengths, vulnerabilities, and puzzle-solving approaches that promote replayability through multiple solutions. For instance, a locked door might be forced open by a fighter’s strength, picked by a thief’s skill, or unlocked via magic by a wizard. Early in the first game, retrieving a gold ring varies by class: fighters throw stones to knock it down; thieves climb trees or sell it within their guild; magic users employ spells to collect it.
Characters enhance both specialized abilities and general attributes by completing quests and tasks. Attribute caps typically scale with the game number—maxing at 100 times that number—while Quest for Glory V allows attribute bonuses beyond these limits and introduces equipment that modifies stats. Players allocate attribute points at each game's start; some classes have restrictions on certain attributes but can acquire additional skills at a cost.
General attributes influence interactions and capabilities—for example, strength enables moving heavy objects, while communication skills assist in negotiation. Skills improve through related activities: climbing increases climbing skill; running boosts vitality. Class-specific skills include parrying for fighters/paladins, lockpicking for thieves, and spellcasting for magic users.
Vital statistics govern character endurance: health (hit points) depends on strength and vitality; stamina (energy for actions) relies on agility and vitality; mana—used exclusively by magic users—is determined by intelligence and magic skill.
Progress is tracked via puzzle completion and experience points; in the first title, experience also affects encounter difficulty by unlocking tougher monsters as players advance.
Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero
Within the valley barony of Spielburg, the ogress Baba Yaga has cast a curse upon the land and its ruler. The baron's offspring have disappeared, while monsters and bandits have overrun the area, creating an urgent need for a Hero to restore order.
The original release debuted in 1989, with a VGA remake following in 1992.
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
This sequel takes place in Shapeir, a city-state in Gloriana, where the Hero of Spielburg journeys by flying carpet alongside companions Abdulla Doo, Shameen, and Shema. Shapeir is threatened by magical elementals, and with Emir Arus al-Din missing, the city suffers under oppressive rule.
Although this installment retained Sierra’s EGA graphics, it was later remade in VGA by AGD Interactive using Adventure Game Studio in 2008.
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
Now holding the title of Prince of Shapeir, the Hero travels with the Paladin Rakeesh and others to Tarna in Fricana—a region characterized by jungle and savannah landscapes inspired by central Africa. Tarna is on the brink of war between the Simbani tribe and the Leopardmen over stolen sacred artifacts. The Hero must prevent conflict and confront a demonic menace.
Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness
Without any gear, the Hero is suddenly transported to Mordavia’s perilous Dark One Caves. There, they face undead adversaries while striving to thwart a sinister force threatening to envelop the world in eternal darkness.
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire
Set in Silmaria, a kingdom reminiscent of ancient Greece recently destabilized by regicide, the Hero competes in the Rites of Rulership to claim sovereignty. With support from Erasmus, Rakeesh, and former allies, the Hero confronts rivals including Kokeeno Pookameeso, Magnum Opus, Gort, and Elsa Von Spielburg.
Collections
- Quest for Glory Anthology (1996), which compiles the first four games along with the fully patched CD version of QFG IV; includes game copy protection codes in both manual and CD packaging, as well as saved game files.
- Quest for Glory Collection Series (1997), a reissue of Anthology that adds a Dragon Fire demo and sample soundtrack.
- Quest for Glory 1–5 (2012), a digital compilation available on GOG.com and Steam featuring all five titles, including both EGA and VGA editions of QFG1.
Original concept
Originally envisioned as a four-part series themed around cardinal directions, classical elements, seasons, and mythologies:
| Game | Cardinal Direction |
Central Element |
Season | Central Mythology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero | North | Earth | Spring | Germanic |
| Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire | South | Fire | Summer | Middle Eastern |
| Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness | East | Air | Fall | Slavic |
| Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire | West | Water | Winter | Greek |
However, to fill the narrative gap between Trial by Fire and the more demanding environment of Shadows of Darkness, an additional installment—Wages of War—was introduced. This resulted in renumbering to maintain continuity. This change facilitated smoother storytelling and character progression.
Corey and Lori Cole described the thematic framework: the Hero’s development parallels seasonal cycles—from youthful beginnings in spring to full maturity in winter—integrated with elemental and geographical symbolism. Each game reflects this growth through escalating challenges and richer storylines.
The first game presents players with a fledgling hero starting their adventure. Trial by Fire raises difficulty as the hero gains experience within a more hazardous setting. The inclusion of Wages of War prepares the hero for confronting the isolated and intense trials found in Shadows of Darkness, emphasizing independence and ultimate mastery despite limited external aid.
This deliberate expansion strengthened narrative coherence and enhanced player engagement, solidifying the series’ standing within the adventure RPG genre.
Characters
Key figures recurring throughout the series include Rakeesh Sah Tarna, Baba Yaga, Abdullah Doo, Elsa von Spielburg, along with the main antagonist Ad Avis.
World
The Quest for Glory saga unfolds across a variety of imaginative settings, each drawing inspiration from different world mythologies: Spielburg reflects Germanic and Norse traditions; Shapeir is influenced by Arabian Nights tales; Tarna incorporates African, particularly Egyptian elements; Mordavia is based on Slavic lore; and Silmaria draws from Greek mythology. The games’ stories and creatures are deeply rooted in these cultural myths, with occasional overlaps such as the presence of Baba Yaga within the Germanic/Nordic-themed initial installment.