4 Things Dark Quest 4 Does Better than Dark Quest (And 1 Thing Dark Quest Does Better)

The indie dungeon crawler Dark Quest recently got a remaster. While the first game in the Dark Quest series certainly has its merits, the most recent game in the series, Dark Quest 4, delivers a far more satisfying experience and presentation. Here are four things that Dark Quest 4 does better than Dark Quest 1 (and one thing the first game does better).

4 Reasons Dark Quest 4 is Better than Dark Quest 1 (and 1 Thing Dark Quest 1 Does Better)

1. There Are More Characters to Choose From

Dark Quest has only three characters in your party: a wizard, a barbarian, and a dwarf. While Dark Quest 4 also only lets you take three characters into battle at a time, you have a slew of characters with which to form your party. This encourages more strategy, since characters can take a little while to recover from their wounds after a dungeon run, unlike in the first game, where they recover instantly after a run. 

The characters in the fourth game also have backstories, letting you get to know them. Meanwhile, in the first game, your characters are mere placeholders. They don’t have names, backstories, or anything else that makes them unique beyond their appearances. It makes for a drier experience than the fourth game.

2. Different Dungeon Atmospheres

While I haven’t played the first game to the end yet, the first few dungeons have a very samey look to them, to the point where it’s hard to tell them apart just by looking at them. In contrast, the fourth game has different layouts, items, and atmospheres that give each dungeon a unique feel. In addition, the fourth game has a great soundtrack, while the first game has little music.

3. The Dungeon Editor

Speaking of dungeons, the fourth game includes a fully customizable level editor. You can go wild creating your own dungeons and modifying the difficulty however you want. Even if you’re not normally into level editors, it’s super fun just to play around with. Meanwhile, the first game has no level editor, so there are no opportunities to flex your creativity. Instead, you just go on a linear dungeon-crawling quest through pre-set dungeons. 

4. Card-Based Gameplay

While the first Dark Quest lets you improve your odds of surviving the dungeons by purchasing spells, equipment, and items, Dark Quest 4 also lets you purchase cards that give your party members boosts. These cards can be strategically employed during battle, adding an extra layer of depth to the Fire Emblem-style grid-based battles.

Now, Here’s One Thing the Original Game Does Better than the Fourth Game

Dark Quest 4 is an overall superior game, but it has a glaring flaw that the original game doesn’t have. In the first game, you can keep the gold you loot from the dungeons, regardless of whether you live or die. In Dark Quest 4, you can’t. In both cases, you will be spending a lot of time repeating dungeons to earn enough gold to boost your characters, but the original game lets you earn money a lot quicker than the fourth game.

Would You Like to Play Both Games (and the Second and Third Games)?

You can head over to Steam and play all four games in the Dark Quest series if you think they’ll appeal to you. The first game can be purchased on Steam for $4.99, and the fourth game can be purchased on Steam for $19.99. You can also buy the second and third games for $8.99 and $18.99, respectively. If you enjoy some grid-based dungeon crawling adventure, this series is for you.