Lock's Quest

Lock's Quest
Developer(s)	5th Cell
Publisher(s)	THQ
Designer(s)	Jeremiah Slaczka
Composer(s)	David J Franco
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release date(s)	NA September 8, 2008 AUS September 25, 2008 EU September 26, 2008 JP February 19, 2009
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: A ESRB: Everyone PEGI: 7+
Media/distribution	Nintendo DS Game Card

Lock's Quest is a real-time strategy video game developed by 5th Cell and published by THQ. This is 5th Cell's second Nintendo DS game. It was released in North America on September 8, 2008, in Europe on September 26, 2008 and in Australia on September 25, 2008.

Gameplay

Lock's Quest is a real-time strategy game, incorporating tower defense gameplay elements. The battlefield, viewed from an isometric perspective, is displayed on the DS's bottom screen. Combat is divided into two phases, Build and Battle. During the Build phase, the player has a limited amount of time and resources to construct defenses, which consist of walls, towers, cannons, machines, and traps. Once the Build phase ends, the Battle phase begins. Lock can repair damage to the defenses or fight enemies, with each action having a corresponding minigame.

Both battle phases make good use of the touch screen, as the player can utilise sliding and twisting movements with the stylus to activate various upgrades and abilities.

Plot

The game world revolves around "Source", a mysterious ethereal substance. The "archineers" are the builders of the kingdom. The greatest archineer was Agonius. He discovered the mystery of the source, that can make life. He made robots, aptly named "clockworks". When the King found out about the Clockworks, he commanded Agonius to stop their production. Agonius refused, and he was banished from the kingdom. He wanted revenge on the kingdom, so he created a Clockwork Army and adopted the mantle of Lord Agony. Lord Agony used Source as fuel to create his evil clockwork army, while the "archineers" used it to build defenses. The game started when a boy named Lock is asked by his grandpa named Tobias to build a sea wall so the village would not be flooded. Also, he asks Lock to look after his little sister Emi. After Lock builds the sea wall, he finds an archineer named Isaiah, who is badly wounded. Soon after, the clockwork soldiers attack Lock's town, he defends it to provide a distraction so the townspeople can escape, and in the process loses track of Emi. Lock sets out on a quest to find her and defeat Lord Agony. Eventually he joins the Archineer Guild. To begin with, he was given an oral Archineer exaination by the Chief Archineer, Kenan, after which he is assigned to defend different parts of the Kingdom. When he was fighting, he met a man named Gentz. Lock saved Gentz's village. He was awarded by Gentz an animal named Bluebit. When he back to Antonia, He discover that Jacob was the hero of the kingdom, but Kenan, (a cowardly man) ended up being the Chief Archineer. Kenan get mad when Lock tells the archineers in the room that Kenan was a coward, and weak archineer. He was banished from the title of archineer. He returns to his home village to find Emi and they are ambushed by clockworks. When they return to Antonia, Lock demands Kenan to tell the truth. They discover their grandfather is Agony's successor. He reveals to them that they are both clockworks, but Lock was given the original Agony's soul giving him true life. Lock was joined again to the archineer group. He is tasked to continue fighting in the war against the clockworks, until he is called back to Antonia for the final stand. There he defeats Lord Agony (his grandfather), but Agony accidentally fatally wounds Emi. Lock demands that Agony repair her, but before he can, they are attacked by Kenan, the leader of the Archineers. Kenan knows that new Agony is Jacob. Lock try to defend Jacob because he wants Emi fixed. Lock battles Kenan while Agony repairs Emi. Kenan is killed in combat, and afterward, Agony(Jacob) tells Lock he cannot fix Emi because she lacks a soul. When Agony and Lock are taken before the King for trial, Agony is sentenced to life in prison and Lock is pardoned due to his service to Antonia. Lock asks the king how to fix Emi back. The king tells Lock that a human can made as a clockwork, even the muscle, and their knowledge can be downloaded and can replace as a clockwork. And source can be manipulated to created life. But, life means it can talk and have feeling. To do that, they need soul to have true life. Lock later asks Agony if he will give Emi his soul, and he accepts. The game ends with Lock and Emi visiting their grandfather's grave. Agony was buried in the Lock's village. Emi put her teddy bear on her grandfather grave, then goes with Lock to play tag at the source well.

Development

THQ announced the development of Lock's Quest on April 1, 2008 in a press release. In a preview of the game on April 2, 2008, IGN wrote of their experience of the game, "We're still early on in Lock's Quest, but it has the potential to be one of the top strategy games on DS before all is said and done." In July, at the San Diego Comic Convention, THQ debuted a promotional mini-comic based on the universe of the game entitled Lock's Quest: A Source of Hope - Volume 1 drawn by Edison Yan. IGN awarded Lock's Quest its "Best Strategy Game" award for the Nintendo DS at E3 2008.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	83%
Metacritic	81%
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A-
Eurogamer	7/10
GameSpot	8/10
GameZone	9/10
IGN	8.6/10
Nintendo Power	7/10
Nintendo World Report	7/10

Lock's Quest was well received by most critics. IGN praised most aspects of the game, writing, "Lock's Quest is by far one of the most original, inspired, and entertaining experiences we've had on DS this year.", receiving an Editors' Choice Award and DS Game of the Month for September. 1UP.com criticized the un-skippable cut scenes, but said it "succeeds as both a love letter to, and an evolution of, the tower-defense genre." Nintendo World Report said Lock's Quest was "just a few design tweaks away from being a fantastic game.", claiming that it is "definitely disappointing in light of all its great assets and originality." GameZone called it "unique" and "perfectly suited for the DS". GameDaily praised the story, gameplay, graphics and music, and called it "an excellent game." Gamespot praised the "lengthy single-player campaign, exciting multiplayer, and addictive gameplay." EuroGamer criticized the battle phase of combat and the enemy artificial intelligence, while praising the "excellent graphics and repetitive but gripping gameplay." It was a nominee for two Nintendo DS-specific awards from IGN for their 2008 video game awards, including Best Strategy Game and Best New IP. GameSpot nominated it for Best Game No One Played.

External links

• Official website