The love a dad has for his child is an unbreakable bond. A dad would do anything in his power to ensure no harm would come to his child. So, what does a dad do in a world where their child is invulnerable to damage? Use them as a weapon to destroy his enemies and explore new areas of course!
Dad Quest begins in a dad training facility hidden within the mountains. Dads must undergo rigorous training to ensure they are fit to be a parent; this includes tests like beating pigeons to death with your child. Once the dad completes the training they are shipped off to a desert island to explore the land and complete quests. You must defeat the dads of each region to unlock “dadges” and unlock your passage to Dad Island.
The mantra of Dad Quest is simple: dads are strong but vulnerable; kids are invincible but need guidance. You control a dad, using him to run and jump around the levels. Your kid is always by your side, and you can use their destructive power to defeat enemies and break obstacles. Use left click to throw your child and use right click to use your child as a bludgeoning weapon.
Without a doubt, the best aspect of Dad Quest is the comedy. The base concept of using a child as a weapon is hilarious in how ridiculous it is. The streak of comedy continues with pigeons being these useless minions that everyone hates and exist solely for you to farm for experience. My personal favourite is the dialogue options you’re given. Normally you get two choices to respond with, but they’re usually options like “You got it!” and “Yepperoni!”. It’s very simple but effective humour that didn’t fail to tickle my funny bone throughout.
Over the course of Dad Quest, your child will level up. Levelling up gives you the ability to choose new abilities such as a piercing attack, longer range attacks, or bonus damage. On certain level ups the child will gain a new trait. The first trait encountered in the game is called “Walk”, where the child will return to the dad automatically after being thrown. These new abilities and traits add a lot of depth to the combat and are sorely missed in the dungeon levels where progress is temporarily reset.
There are also toys in the game with limited uses that you can give to your child to unlock unique mechanics. For example, equipping a sandwich to your child will allow them to revive dad if he’s killed. Giving your child an explosive tag will let them attach it to enemies they hit to make the bad guys go boom. Toys can be found throughout the game, or purchased from toy stores using gravel.
Don’t ask me why gravel is currency, or why sand is looked down upon – that’s just the absurdity of Dad Quest.
Dad Quest is already showing a tonne of potential in its Early Access form. The controls are tight, the enemies are challenging, and the world is big and open to explore. The laughs are sure to continue as the developers add more story and content. There are certainly some bugs in the current build, but it’s an “Earliest Access Edition”, so this is to be expected. Dad Quest is a unique little gem that is definitely worth keeping your eye on.
