Letter Quest: Remastered Review

A blend of word know-how and RPG tactics, Letter Quest has the best of both worlds when it comes to fun, challenging puzzles and tricky wordplay. Bacon Bandit Games made it extremely easy to get addicted (and with a name like bacon, I half-expected it) to this quirky little word game.

Spelling it Out: Modes and The Basics

Letter Quest is easy to play, but it’s more than just basic word puzzle challenges. The game is full of role-play inspired details and that lends a unique twist to a classic game. We follow Grimm and his female counterpart, Rose, on their quest to beat up baddies using only words...and a big scythe. The objective is to defeat Grimm and Rose’s foes by spelling out words from a random selection of letter tiles.

The simple concept is made complex by adding various other elements to the mix. Players can choose between two different modes: Story Mode, and the new Endless Mode. Regardless of the mode, players must do their best to tap into their inner dictionary in order to come out victorious. Players control Grimm or Rose, navigating either one through a gauntlet of monsters. Each battle is turn-based and it is important to keep an eye on your character’s HP; if it falls to zero, you lose.

The best strategy is to be mindful of the letter tiles, each enemy’s weakness, and the size of the words being used. The bigger the word, the more damage it does – also, pay attention to the tiles; the more dots, the more damage it does. There are also special circumstances that can cause the letters to crack, be poisoned, turn to stone, or other various status ailments. These can effect the damage a player can do. Letters can also turn to crystal – which can earn players gems –which are pretty crucial in the Story Mode.

Story Mode

Letter Quest’s story mode sets players on a winding path across multiple stages, testing their vocabulary, and defeating monsters. Players enter various levels with four different parts. While a player only needs to play through a level once to move on across the map, there are three addition playthroughs that have special objectives for added difficulty. The additional levels usually include a timed completion, a particular handicap, and an elite final level. Completing the first three levels earns a reward a yellow star each, but if a player manages to conquer the elite level, he or she will receive a red star.

One of the game objectives is to obtain every star possible, but the levels vary in difficulty. Like most RPGs, players must defeat boss levels. These bosses require specific strategies in order to win and move on. The boss levels can be repeated 4 times. For their efforts, players are rewarded with a funny little comic.

Completing levels not only earns players a star; defeating enemies results in earning gemstones which can be used to purchase upgrades, equipment, and items.  Much like an RPG, as a player completes the different stages, the enemies get harder. Not to worry, there are specialty shops available between levels where gamers can use the gems they’ve earned in battle to buy potions, equipment upgrades, stat boosts, and other helpful items.  In addition to the level completion bonuses, players can also earn extra gems from achievements like spelling words without vowels, or busting up a certain number of gem piles. If the RPG elements make your head swim, no worries – there’s another mode for you.

Endless Mode

This part of the game is new to the Remastered version. While the Story Mode has players battling enemies in episodic levels, Endless Mode is much like running the gauntlet. Grimm must face a slew of monsters of varying difficulty without upgrades in an attempt to see how far he can go. Players receive coins which they can use to purchase health and stat boosts, but they must survive longer, more treacherous stretches of ghouls before each check point.

This mode is perfect for players who care less about the RPG stats and more about achieving a high score.  It’s always fun to try and beat your high score.

Any Last Words?

Letter Quest is a pretty fun game when all is said and done. There are certain little quirks that give the game a little extra. There is a small screen on the side that tells players the definition of the words they spell, and there are little enemy descriptions for each encounter.  I enjoy the extra details and the RPG twist the game added. The character animation is great, and the graphics match the theme very well. In addition to fighting monsters, there is a neat little ‘Wheel of Fortune’ guessing game that can result in battle boosts which I found refreshing during longer levels. It was a nice change of pace. Each aspect is carefully detailed and the game play is insanely addicting.

However, the game is not without some minor flaws. The music could get a bit repetitive and some of the upgrades weren’t very helpful – but these are minor flaws. Overall, Letter Quest Remastered is an enjoyable word game that is extremely fun and challenging.

Letter Quest is available on Steam, App Store, Google Plaay, Amazon apps, and soon the PSVita!!