Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire
Description official descriptions
After having survived the dangers he encountered on his previous journey, the hero travels with the wizard Erasmus to a Greece-like country called Silmaria. Its king was recently murdered, and, according to the land's traditions, the crown will be given to the one who passes a contest known as the Rites of Rulership. The hero enters the contest, aided by Erasmus, Rakeesh, and other old friends. However, as the competition progresses, contestants are being systematically killed by an unknown assassin. All the victims are murdered near the Dragon Pillars, which keep the Dragon of Silmaria in captivity. The hero must investigate the crimes and save Silmaria from a grave danger.
Dragon Fire is the final game in the Quest for Glory series. Like the previous games in the series, Dragon Fire is a hybrid between puzzle-solving adventure and role-playing game. The player talks to the world's inhabitants, gathering clues and items necessary to acquire in order to complete the quests and advance the story. Unlike all its predecessors, Dragon Fire has no separate battle screens; the action-based battles take place on the exploration screen, utilizing a simple point-and-click interface, similarly to Diablo. The game has heavier weapon and armor management than other Quest for Glory games, strengthening the RPG angle.
Many quests are optional or can be completed in different ways. The hero can also marry one of the several major female characters in the game, provided the player does the right thing to impress the girl.
Spellings
- Quest for Glory V: אש הדרקון - Hebrew spelling
- 英雄傳奇5:火龍試煉 - Traditional Chinese spelling
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Credits (Windows version)
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 77% (based on 35 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 68 ratings with 7 reviews)
Very well, very well! We came to an agreement that we both agree upon!
The Good
The hiatus between the previous Quest for Glory game and this final installment was the longest one for any Sierra adventure series. Lots of things happened during those turbulent five years: the entire genre has sustained devastating damage, falling from fame and giving place to first-person shooters and RPGs. However, besides a few nods to popular design elements of the time, Dragon Fire feels very much like a true Quest for Glory game in almost every aspect.
The core of the game is, like before, exploration of rich locations packed with detail and things to do. The puzzle-solving aspect is somewhat downplayed in favor of heavier role-playing elements, but that doesn't affect the familiar sensation of solving things with your wits and resorting to the sword only when absolutely necessary. Solutions to problems may not be as tricky as they sometimes were before, and you do fight much more in this game; however, you still need to think how exactly to deal with a situation instead of taking the more predictable routes of most "pure" RPGs. There are still text descriptions, experimentation, feedback to your actions, and that particular, volatile charm of thinking outside of the box and measuring your own skills against the logic of the game, which has always been a part of Sierra's great appeal.
Optional content is plentiful. There are many side quests to keep you occupied aside from the main quest you must follow. In a brilliant move, the game actually tells you what you didn't do just before it ends. Sierra used it in Larry 5 before, except that it didn't really matter there. I found out I missed quite a lot of interesting content in Dragon Fire. For example, there are three women you can marry (not all of them at the same time, of course), although my protagonist couldn't charm even one when I played the game. This adds a lot to the replay value, which is anyway quite high, since you can play the game with four different character classes.
Dragon Fire is undoubtedly more inclined towards role-playing than any of its predecessors. The game's manual even calls it an "action RPG" straight away, probably in an attempt to attract the nascent Diablo fandom. The role-playing in the game follows the same light skill-based system that was implemented in all earlier Quest for Glory titles, and brings nothing really new in this aspect, with the exception of the rather controversial decision to lower your skills if you don't practice them regularly. Personally, I liked this fairly realistic touch - after all, you don't expect to keep being in shape if you stop going to the gym. You also need to keep your character well-rested and not forget to feed him. I actually started envying the protagonist when I found out he could get some cheap gyros whenever he wanted to.
There is now a much larger choice of weapons and armor, and much more combat, which is also quite a bit more challenging than in any of the previous games. The combat system underwent the most noticeable change. There are no separate battle screens any more: combat takes place in the same area as exploration, which makes it much more fluent, realistic, and fulfilling. Often you will have to fight several enemies at the same time - something that never occurred in the series before. Certain places, such as, for example, the way through Hades, are so heavily populated by enemies that the gameplay there turns into a genuine dungeon hack with an almost Diablo-like intensity. You'll find yourself whacking skeletons and thinking when to use a healing potion or which sword might be the optimal choice against that particular kind of undead.
The series hasn't lost its sense of humor. Like before, there are plenty of lively and amusing characters scattered around the game - check out, for example, the innkeeper Ann or the merchant Wolfie, from whom I also borrowed the one-liner to this review - which, frankly, doesn't sound that funny when written and not spoken with the proper Indian accent. There is something majestic in the Greek atmosphere of the game, which I think fit the themes very well - although the longing Eastern European melancholy of the fourth game will always remain my favorite. The music, in particular, is excellent in this installment - and the visuals, while not perfect, do convey the sunny splendor and the proud spark of Ellada.
The Bad
The action RPG aspect may have alienated a few fans. Quest for Glory was never really about combat, but this last installment focuses on hostile encounters quite a bit more. It is particularly obvious during the final phase, which leads to a marginally disappointing, predictable battle instead of offering adventure-oriented challenge in the spirit of the previous titles.
The interactivity is slightly reduced. Mind you, it's nothing compared to what happened to King's Quest VII and the FMV adventures Sierra started releasing shortly afterwards; but I missed the variety of icons available in the earlier games. Also, the text feedback seems somehow less elaborate than before.
The voice acting is somewhat disappointing, particularly compared to the stellar performances in the preceding installment. And the visuals can be described as a mixed bag. The backgrounds are attractive, but there is something lifeless about the characters. I think close-ups of the characters' faces would have brought the game closer to the charming atmosphere of the hand-painted worlds of yore.
The Bottom Line
Dragon Fire is probably not the energetic, triumphant final chord that Love for Sail was for Larry; nor is it a controversial, boundary-pushing experiment like Mask of Eternity. Let us not forget, however, that as a whole, Quest for Glory has always had higher aspirations than those other series - and this lovely, engaging, brilliant game is a worthy closing statement.
Windows · by Unicorn Lynx (181788) · 2014
The Good
The big jump in graphics from Quest for glory 4 to Quest for glory 5 were quite astounding if you ask me. And the music in this game was the best I have ever heard. I could have been walking around the main city of Silmaria and the music would be sending tingles down my spine the whole time. Also the fact that if you enjoy the thieving aspect of games, this game actually gives the feeling that when you are breaking into a house, you are actually going to get in trouble if you are caught unlike in Baldur's gate where you could pick a lock and walk in the front door and the owner of the house would greet you and let you be off to your looting. And the scenery looks great for a game of its time anyway especially the city scape. So even though I have had to defend this game from criticism many times it is definitely a worthy end to the Quest for glory series.
The Bad
The same as all other Quest for glory games, the combat system could do with alot of work so it could be more than just the 'hack and slash' routine, a factor that has brought other games down on countless occasions. But apart from that I think it is a great game and well worth the time of any RPG or QFG fan.
The Bottom Line
As i've said, if you enjoyed the previous QFG's or you are a RPG fan then this game is a must.
Windows · by Horny-Bullant (49) · 2003
The Good
It had the best interface, it had different classes to play as the charecter that best fits your personality. You could do things above and beyond the game. If you felt like it you could slaughter the town, which didn't need to be programed but sierra online had to much time on thir hands. There was an in depth plot, kind of contrived but certainly surpasses all vedio game standards. It had great graphics, and 3d charecters. It also wasn't to serious while throwing corny jokes everywhere. It also was realistic, where there are quests that you don't have to do, including get married!
The Bad
510 mb (pre-compressed) minimal installation
The Bottom Line
I have had this game for four years, and i am still having fun with it.
Windows · by Nicholas B (2) · 2002
Trivia
Lori and Corey Cole, after leaving Sierra, started the new company TranSolar Games. They attempted to buy the rights for Quest For Glory from Sierra to continue the series, but Sierra refused.
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Related Sites +
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QFG5: Dragon Fire Hints
No matter what character type you are playing, these hints will help you solve the game. -
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire - Wikipedia
page about the game in the open encyclopedia -
RPG Classics - Quest for Glory 5 Shrine
This site is a shrine for Quest for Glory 5; get information on side quests, spells, classes, monsters and more.
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Eurythmic.
Macintosh added by Cantillon.
Additional contributors: Rebound Boy, Indra was here, Jeanne, Shoddyan, chirinea, jlebel, Crawly, Paulus18950, lee jun ho, Dudujones.
Game added July 20, 1999. Last modified January 23, 2024.