Patch Quest review: roguelikes, Metroidvanias, and Pokémon-likes converge

It is easy to see that the world around us seems very different. Patch Quest The environment is welcoming, warm and vibrant. But, soon you are confronted with a massive web-slinging spider and the world suddenly seems more dangerous.

Patch QuestYou play the role of an explorer who is trying to piece together Patchlantis’ quilted world with your monster friends. Your first few hours are an amalgamation of numerous games that have come before it: You can tame monsters à la Pokémon, collect items à la The Binding of Isaac, and dodge for your life à la Go to the Gungeon. Lychee Game Labs created something entirely new, despite the obvious inspirations. It is a monster-taming Roguelike.

Every time you embark on a quest, you get lost in Patchlantis’ labyrinth of a world with your monster-taming lasso and trusty blaster with one goal in mind: Pin the world back together, one patch at a time. My first foe was a moth. Although the frail bug appeared weak, once I had tamed it, I found that it was a powerful ally. Its ability to dizzy other creatures more than compensated for its small stature.

Photo: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games by Polygon

On the back of your new colleague, you’ll travel through the quilt maze, defeating opposing animals and powering up with fruit ammo and charms. You will clash with bosses and unlock shortcuts. Once you’re done, you return to base camp. To prepare you for the next adventure, you can gain perks to boost your explorer, scatter plants all around your camp, and strengthen your loved pets.

Now, we’re ready to pin the patches of the world back togeth— Hold on, is that an armadillo with a hat? That’s what I’m talking about! These are the inside animals and creatures Patch Quest lured me in with their cute demeanors (even the creepy-crawlies), but many of them are not interested in being my friend — some are feral beasts simply looking for their next meal. These are the animals of Patch QuestThese animals are untameable and wild born. However, rather than collecting and taming them, I will have to kill them.

Photo: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games by Polygon

My screen is cluttered by their projectiles, which I do my best to avoid using the limited space available. There will be points when I Should take damage, or even die, but Patch QuestIt is flexible in its toolbox. Rather than dodging, I can destroy or deflect projectiles, and sometimes, my “dodging level,” which gives you a chance to take no damage when hit, is high enough to evade all but the most cluttered bursts.

After several hours, Patch QuestA little more at ease.Too forgiving, so I checked the difficulty settings, only to discover that I’d been playing on the lowest difficulty possible. As the Gamer that I am, I upped the difficulty to “Level 8: Lethal.” Oh, did I soon learn that I am not the Gamer I thought I was. Patch Quest’s difficulty settings run the spectrum from inviting and approachable to punishing and chaotic. The joy and excitement of Patch QuestRecalling more difficult difficulties is possible once you unlock perks or level up newfound friends.

I was able to grasp the concept of after much trial and error, also known as “dying many times” Patch Quest’s core gameplay loop. The maze is set up in a predetermined way, but the enemy and patch designs are always different, giving you an entirely new experience with each run.

Photo: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games by Polygon

The start of Patch QuestIt can take some time for a quilt to become fully finished, however each one starts with a single thread and needle. The program quickly adds new gameplay to keep it from becoming matted or dusty. Monster-taming forces you to diversify your play style, and it doesn’t just feel like a random gimmick to make itself different. The quest system gives you a sense of direction in the winding labyrinth, and the shortcuts make it so that you’re not just endlessly navigating the maze to get to your objective. Combat pulls you in, and you’re able to upgrade your gear or complete your previous quests.

It’s impressive — especially for a game developed by a single person — how many disparate genres and how many distinct gameplay loops Patch Quest It is able to manage to juggle all of them without any one falling. It may be a Pokémon, Castlevania, Isaac Binding, Go to the Gungeon smoothie, but it’s a smoothie that I plan on ordering time and time again.

Patch Quest Windows PC was available for download on March 2. Curve Games provided a prerelease code for the game. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions from products sold via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.