Pixel Quest RPG

Minecraft's influence can be felt in some pretty unlikely places, and Pixel Quest RPG is one such place. On the surface, it appears to be your typical retro role-player, with simplistic 2D visuals, turn-based combat, and a variety of characters to chat with.

However, dig a little deeper and you'll notice familiar tropes rising to the surface. You can collect resources, create your own unique items, and participate in an open-world experience.

You begin the game in a peaceful village and quickly find yourself accosted by desperate individuals keen to send you on important quests. These include slaying a certain number of enemies or retrieving a particular item, but the end result is the same - you gain gold and use it to purchase items and upgrades.

At the conclusion of each battle, a roulette wheel is spun to decide what kind of reward you're entitled to - a neat touch which adds a little unpredictability to proceedings.

Rewards scheme

The key issue with this element of Pixel Quest RPG is that it takes ages to acquire enough wealth to purchase anything of note. Your character starts the game as something of a weakling, and it takes a frustrating amount of time to beat some of the more potent enemies. Skills have to be purchased before they can be used, which means even more grinding.

The developer has already stated that it's looking into rectifying this balancing issue, and putting it aside for a moment it's possible to appreciate Pixel Quest RPG's finer points.

The sandbox-style arrangement means that it's less linear that most typical RPG adventures, and this encourages you to strike out and explore the world in every possible direction.

Visually, Pixel Quest RPG is intentionally sparse, with little animation and very basic environments. Despite the retro-style presentation, the game does look a little too rough in places. There's some amazing pixel-art on mobile platforms right now, so it's a shame to see such a promising title look so underwhelming.

Come back later

Pixel Quest RPG is a difficult game to appraise effectively because it's very much a work in progress - something the developer goes to great pains to assert on the game's Google Play listing page.

There's the framework for a riveting adventure in place, and if the combat and rewards system can be fine-tuned and the visuals upgraded then it may become something truly special.

However, at the moment it's a tough call. Dedicated RPG lovers and rabid Minecraft addicts should be reasonably intrigued, but everyone else is best off investigating a little further down the line.