The basic story is that the townsfolk of Pent have been disappearing, and you've made it your quest to figure out what's going on. You must rely on your sparse training as a Monk to guide you as you delve into the depths of ancient ruins to discover what evil has beleaguered Pent. To start your quest you are presented with 4 stats: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom and Constitution. Each has a base value of 8, and you are given 20 points to distribute among them to better your character. The playing guide that comes with Xassar has some suggestions on how to build your character, but ultimately the choice is up to you. Do you prefer strong or agile? Do you like lots of hit points or a better mastery of weapons? This, along with the ability to choose feats (or skills, as some might consider them), help make the game a unique experience every time you play.

Once you've customized your character it's time to search and conquer. Xassar is very exploration oriented, so the majority of each map is covered by fog of war, meaning you can't see what's coming until you start moving around the map. In addition there is no overall map for each level, so you won't know you're done until you can't find anywhere else to move. This isn't too big of a deal, since the maps aren't large, but it would still be nice to know once you've covered every part of a level. Along the way you'll run into two types of beings: npcs and monsters.

To attack a monster, simply walk into it. Conversely, if the monster is on a square diagonally to yours, you can use the arrows at the bottom right of the screen, which can be toggled on and off so you can reach the other controls in that area. Combat continues until either you or the monster has died. It is quite possible for other monsters to join the fray, so be cautious in choosing your battleground. If you can, do your best to lure creatures into hallways to keep the combat more one-on-one. Once you've slain a monster you will gain experience, which will move you closer to advancing a level. For some levels you will be able to add a point to one stat. At other level ups you can choose a new feat. All level increases will boost your maximum hit points.

When you encounter an NPC, you can click on them to discover how many hit points they have. A majority of the NPCs are there simply for the purpose of you discovering them, which is your overriding quest. A few, however, will help advance the plot by giving you some insight into how they ended up in the ruins. A select few may even have a quest for you to complete, which may be rewarded with experience points and possibly additional possessions.

Speaking of possessions, there are items to be found in Xassar's Quest. However, unlike most RPGs that you might be used to playing, there isn't a treasure chest around every corner filled with treasures galore. On each level you might run across a weapon or two, or a piece of armor, or possibly even a scroll or potion. Also, items are always "just there" on a level. They aren't left behind by killing monsters, as you might be accustomed to. I would suggest you pick up anything you run across, even if you have no intentions of using it. Also, be very frugal about using items. Don't horde them to the point of continually dying because you're afraid to use an item up, but don't use everything up as soon as you find it. You might not see a particular item again for several levels, if at all. There is also gold to be acquired in the game, but so far I haven't found any use for it.

There are a couple of interesting things to note about gameplay in general. The first is that the rules system that's employed in Xassar is based off of the Open Gaming System that Wizards Of The Coast introduced around D&D 3rd edition, if my timeline is correct. You can read more about it through the link provided in the manual, but basically that means that unlike most systems used in computer RPGs, which are usually closed and undocumented, you can see just how everything works in this one if you want. This can give you insight into what attacks are good against what monsters, for example. The second thing to note is that while NPC encounters and quests are fixed, the dungeon itself is randomly generated every time, so each play through will seem like a brand new experience. Finally, the save game system is very user friendly. You can save wherever you want and you can have as many save files as space will allow. More importantly though, and contrary to Rogue like games of old, your save files don't get deleted when you die! This is a very good thing, because I don't think I would have ever made it past the first couple of levels otherwise.

The interface can be a little intimidating at first. At the bottom of the screen is the "control panel", which is full of buttons and numbers and icons. I would highly suggest perusing the manual to get a feel for what everything is on the panel. Once you've learned what's there, you'll then appreciate how easily accessible everything is. Common actions such as going down stairs and resting are available on the control panel, as well as any feats that can be toggled on or off. Picking up items can be done through the panel as well, though actually using items requires visiting a secondary screen. The inventory screen is a bit cryptic at first glance too (I'll admit to not reading the manual at first myself), but the basics are that you select a body part - hand, foot, etc. - and then select what item to use with it. Or, if you want to use something like a potion or scroll, you first select the U from the control panel and then click on the item in your list when the inventory screen pops up. To actually get around the world, you can use the D-Pad on your device, or use the arrow keys that also work for combat. I find it much easier to use the D-Pad myself, though this prevents you from moving diagonally.

The graphics in Xassar's Quest capture the spirit of the game perfectly, which is what I would call a modern day Rogue-like game. The graphics aren't great, but they are consistent and reasonably well done. My biggest complaint is the monsters, which often don't look like what they are supposed to be. On the other hand, I'm really impressed with the main character. While not overly detailed, he has a different animation for each type of weapon he wields, and additional animations for each extra attack he gets per round. You don't often see this level of detail in commercial games.

The sound effects are sufficient but kind of cheesy. They are somewhat akin to a stand up comedian doing an imitation of a bad kung fu movie. On the other hand, the musical score is nicely done. The song changes every few levels, and each one actually sounds different from the previous. This is a welcome change of pace from so many games that either employ little or no music, or do something silly like only play the music during the menu selections.

The more I played Xassar's Quest, the more I realized this is one of those rare occasions where the sum is more than the parts. The game can be frustratingly difficult, and you'll probably die a lot, but you'll get to the point where that doesn't really bother you. You'll be so interested in figuring out how to beat a level that reloading from a save point becomes a minor inconvenience. The aesthetics are not the greatest, but everything fits together to present a nicely polished product. If you're looking for an RPG that's not just run of the mill, and you have the patience to fight some battles over and over again, Xassar's Quest is worth your time to look into. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Overall Score: 8/10
Product Page: Xassar's Quest Page