Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire
Encyclopedia
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire is the fifth and final game in the Quest for Glory
computer game series by Sierra Entertainment
. Unlike the first four games, Dragon Fire is an Action/RPG with few elements of Adventure.
-like kingdom of Silmaria, whose king was recently murdered. The Rites of Rulership are about to commence, and the victor will be given the crown. The Hero enters the contest with the assistance of Erasmus, Rakeesh, and many old friends from previous entries in the series. The Hero competes against competitors Kokeeno Pookameeso, Magnum Opus, Gort, and Elsa Von Spielburg (who returns from the first game.)
As the Rites commence, however, an unknown assassin begins systematically picking off each of the contestants. Each contestant is murdered by a poison dagger, and they all are murdered near Dragon Pillars, the objects used to keep the Dragon of Silmaria locked up. After completing the third Rite, defeating the Hydra, Rakeesh is attacked by the assassin and, depending on the course of action chosen by the player, either lives or dies. The conspiracy is eventually unraveled and the Dragon, having been released due to the destruction of the Dragon Pillars, is defeated.
The characters Katrina and Erana make a return in this installment, as vital assistance for defeating the Dragon.
This installment also marks the return of Bruno, a character from the first Quest for Glory game. He is revealed to be the assassin who has been terrorizing the streets of Silmaria, characterized as a quiet, shady character until he reveals himself to the player.
.
Because of deadline issues and financial pressures, several features were dropped from the fifth game before release, such as the ability to use a bow
, the ability to play as Elsa von Spielburg or Magnum Opus (two prominent non-player character
s from the game), and multiplayer capability. Interestingly, a demo released in late 1997 contained a multiplayer game, but Sierra decided to remove it from the final product. Rumors about a post-release patch containing the multiplayer game abounded on the internet, but such a patch was impossible after the entire Quest for Glory programming team was laid off when Yosemite Entertainment was closed on February 22, 1999.
The fifth game is arguably a different genre
from the first four; while the first four are mostly adventure games incorporating role-playing elements; the fifth game is a role-playing game incorporating some adventure elements. For instance, the fifth game has a wide variety of weapons, armor and magical items, whereas the first four do not. Also, in the fifth game nearly every major mission consists of going to some place and defeating some monster in physical or magical combat. Additionally, the controls and battle system are substantially different from those of the first three games and have taken the variations of the fourth game even further.
Also differentiating the fifth game from the first four were a new graphics engine programmed by Eric Lengyel
, and a soundtrack by Emmy-winning composer Chance Thomas
, which was released on CD. Some tracks were made available for free download from Mp3.com
.
, or a fan-made patch can be applied. There's also an official [ftp://ftp2.sierra.com/pub/patches/pc/qfg5up12.exe patch] for the game itself.
Quest for Glory
Quest for Glory is a series of hybrid role-playing/adventure computer games designed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. The series combined humor, puzzle elements, themes and characters borrowed from various legends, puns, and memorable characters, creating a 5-part series of the Sierra stable.Although...
computer game series by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. Unlike the first four games, Dragon Fire is an Action/RPG with few elements of Adventure.
Story
Erasmus introduces the Hero to the GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
-like kingdom of Silmaria, whose king was recently murdered. The Rites of Rulership are about to commence, and the victor will be given the crown. The Hero enters the contest with the assistance of Erasmus, Rakeesh, and many old friends from previous entries in the series. The Hero competes against competitors Kokeeno Pookameeso, Magnum Opus, Gort, and Elsa Von Spielburg (who returns from the first game.)
As the Rites commence, however, an unknown assassin begins systematically picking off each of the contestants. Each contestant is murdered by a poison dagger, and they all are murdered near Dragon Pillars, the objects used to keep the Dragon of Silmaria locked up. After completing the third Rite, defeating the Hydra, Rakeesh is attacked by the assassin and, depending on the course of action chosen by the player, either lives or dies. The conspiracy is eventually unraveled and the Dragon, having been released due to the destruction of the Dragon Pillars, is defeated.
The characters Katrina and Erana make a return in this installment, as vital assistance for defeating the Dragon.
This installment also marks the return of Bruno, a character from the first Quest for Glory game. He is revealed to be the assassin who has been terrorizing the streets of Silmaria, characterized as a quiet, shady character until he reveals himself to the player.
Game comparison
The first four games were intended to indicate the four elements and the four wind directions: in the first game, the player is the Hero from the East, in the second, the hero from the North, etc. Dragon Fire was always planned to be part of the series (whereas Wages of War originally was not), but it would not have been produced if not for the pressure that fans put upon Sierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
.
Because of deadline issues and financial pressures, several features were dropped from the fifth game before release, such as the ability to use a bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
, the ability to play as Elsa von Spielburg or Magnum Opus (two prominent non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s from the game), and multiplayer capability. Interestingly, a demo released in late 1997 contained a multiplayer game, but Sierra decided to remove it from the final product. Rumors about a post-release patch containing the multiplayer game abounded on the internet, but such a patch was impossible after the entire Quest for Glory programming team was laid off when Yosemite Entertainment was closed on February 22, 1999.
The fifth game is arguably a different genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
from the first four; while the first four are mostly adventure games incorporating role-playing elements; the fifth game is a role-playing game incorporating some adventure elements. For instance, the fifth game has a wide variety of weapons, armor and magical items, whereas the first four do not. Also, in the fifth game nearly every major mission consists of going to some place and defeating some monster in physical or magical combat. Additionally, the controls and battle system are substantially different from those of the first three games and have taken the variations of the fourth game even further.
Also differentiating the fifth game from the first four were a new graphics engine programmed by Eric Lengyel
Eric Lengyel
Eric Lengyel is a computer game engine developer with expertise in 3D graphics, animation, physics, audio, and networking. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Davis and a Masters Degree in Mathematics from Virginia Tech....
, and a soundtrack by Emmy-winning composer Chance Thomas
Chance Thomas
Chance Thomas is a composer and producer of original music for video games. He has worked on titles such as King Kong, X-Men, Lord of the Rings, and Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire. Thomas' projects have won major awards, including the Oscar, Emmy, IGN, and G.A.N.G...
, which was released on CD. Some tracks were made available for free download from Mp3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
.
Compatibility
To run this game under Windows XP, the compatibility mode can either be set to Windows 98Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
, or a fan-made patch can be applied. There's also an official [ftp://ftp2.sierra.com/pub/patches/pc/qfg5up12.exe patch] for the game itself.