Quartet

Something Classic Games has done a great job identifying what it is that has made classic RPGs so beloved and not only emulating it, but also in adding enough of its own touches to make Quartet a memorable title. The game’s finely-paced and deep narrative, great soundtrack, and well-executed gameplay ensure that it easily keeps the player’s attention. It all amounts to a highly rewarding experience that is easily recommended to any RPGamer.

Quartet not only excels with its fantastic ensemble cast, eclectic music, colorful visuals, engaging gameplay, and engrossing story, but its intangible “x factor” made my twenty-eight-hour or so jaunt a special experience. I would love to see character-centric post-ending DLC in the future, because Quartet’s cast is too cool not to revisit. I have nothing negative to say about Quartet beyond its lack of an auto-save. If this review does not put Quartet on RPG fans’ radars, then perhaps the notion of adventuring with Juna—a sage, sassy, and supportive talking hippo—will.

Quartet is a retro-inspired RPG that fuses SNES-era charm with modern pacing, delivering four deeply personal stories. With streamlined combat and heartfelt writing, it shows how classic role-playing design can be prudently updated.

You don’t need flashy gimmicks or extravagant animations to craft a great RPG. What truly matters is whether the experience is fun and engaging, and Quartet nails that perfectly. It’s easily one of the best traditional pixel RPGs to release this year.

Although not the most revolutionary RPG, Quartet has great writing, perfect pacing, and is just a very cosy experience that genre fans will love

Quartet might not find itself on the highest pedestal alongside its most obvious influences, but against contemporaries attempting similar throwback experiences, it holds its own thanks to a vibrant soundtrack, lush environments, and an immensely satisfying combat system. It might not be something classic, but it's absolutely something worth experiencing, especially if you have a fondness for the mid-'90s golden age of console RPGs.

With Quartet, Something Classic Games LLC has excellently captured what made the golden age of 16-bit turn-based JRPGs great and produced something that feels both authentic to that era but also comfortably modern. With its large, well-developed cast, captivating narrative and fun combat system, I found myself strongly invested in its world and its gameplay. Quartet does enough to establish its own identity and avoids being merely a simple homage to the likes of the old Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games. If you’re a turn-based RPG fan, Quartet shouldn’t be missed.

Overall, Quartet is an easy recommendation for RPG sickos who can't get enough of turn-based combat. The story and characters may not necessarily land for everyone, but if gameplay is king, then Quartet certainly won't disappoint.