Washington-based developers 5th Cell got their start in the gaming industry creating casual cell phone games based around licenses like Moto GP and Pat Sajak. Their real goal, though, was to make original games for the DS—what they call “gamer’s games”, titles with mainstream appeal but with enough depth and intelligence to them to appeal to core gamers. Their first DS title, Drawn To Life, was a huge critical and commercial success, especially for a unique game unaffiliated with either a known license or development team. That game’s popularity allowed 5th Cell to pursue their next original concept—a real-time mix of action and strategy called Lock’s Quest.

As is implied by the title, the game stars Lock, a young man living in an ocean-side village with his grandfather and sister. Lock dreams of becoming an archineer (a combination architect/engineer, who builds defensive structures to protect the Kingdom) like his parents, who perished when Lock was little in the fight against Lord Agony, leader of the Clockwork Army. It seems that after being defeated in the Battle of Dry Ridge years ago, Lord Agony has rebuilt his Clockwork Army, and is once again spreading fear and destruction across the Kingdom. When a wounded archineer arrives out of town and Lock’s little sister is kidnapped by the Clockworks, Lock is swept into the conflict, and begins his training in archineering. While the story’s early events are the stuff of video game cliché, as the quest goes on the tale evolves into something more unique and considerably darker than the game’s family-friendly presentation might imply. Suffice it to say that the dialogue is well-written, the characters are unique and well-rounded, and the story is a higher quality than the thrown-together plots that you’d usually find in games like this.

The storyline is revealed both in event-based cutscenes and in RPG-style conversations.

While the story might keep you interested, this is a strategy title, and strategy games live and die by their gameplay. The gameplay in Lock’s Quest is reminiscent of the arcade classic Rampart, as well as the numerous tower defense games popular online. Battle rounds are divided into two parts: Build Phase and Battle Phase. During Build Phase, you’ve got limited amounts of time and Source (the world’s primary resource, which can be used to construct and power a variety of mechanical equipment) to create defenses around whatever you’re trying to protect (usually either an important character or a Source Well). Defenses come in many different varieties, both passive (walls) and active (turrets and traps), so there are plenty of ways to construct your fortifications.  

Choosing your defenses and placing them intelligently is crucial to success.

Once Build Phase has ended, Battle Phase begins—during combat, Lock can repair defenses that have taken damage, as well as joining the fight firsthand, attacking the Clockwork directly. Most actions during Battle Phase have an accompanying touchscreen minigame, which you must complete while the fight continues in real time. Repairing defenses requires “ratcheting”, which involves cranking a gear back and forth, while Lock’s various special attacks use a variety of minigames, from touching numbers in sequence to spinning gears; all the combat minigames must be performed quickly and accurately to be successful. Players can choose to devote their time to whatever task they wish, so there’s room for a variety of strategies—you can concentrate on keeping your defenses at 100%, focus more on attacking and worry about the defenses during the next Build Phase, or somewhere in between. There are a wide variety of enemy types and scenarios, so sometimes one tactic proves more successful than others, but on the whole the game gives the player the freedom to play how they wish.

Clockwork forces can and will show up in overwhelming numbers, so you must strike a balance between repairing damaged defenses and attacking enemy soldiers.

The game makes good use of the stylus for controlling all aspects of gameplay. Since you can move the camera around the battlefield with the face buttons and tapping a location makes Lock drop what he’s doing and go where you indicated, it’s easy to quickly focus on an area that’s come under attack—a must for a game like this. Since the game uses a 2D isometric viewpoint, it can sometimes be difficult to select one specific location or object, and sometimes pathfinding can be a problem (like, when you tap a spot close to Lock, but he runs all the way around a building to get there), but on the whole the developers have done an excellent job of streamlining the controls, making it easy to orchestrate your defense. Visually, the game uses a similar style as Drawn To Life’s excellent sprite-based graphics, with detailed, expressive characters that animate beautifully, and high-quality character artwork accompanying dialogue. The faux-symphonic score is beautiful and epic, easily cementing its spot as some of the best original music in a DS game.

While the 2D graphics look fine in screenshots, they really come to life when they move. This is a game that has to be seen in action to be appreciated.

While the story mode is plenty deep enough, there’s also an enjoyable multiplayer aspect. Here, each player has limited time and resources to build their defenses or to deploy offensive Clockworks. Like in the main game, during combat players can choose how to divide their time between attacking and repairing their own defenses, so a wide variety of strategies can be used. While it’s a shame that the multiplayer requires each player to have their own copy of the game, the game’s mix of action and strategy makes for unique and compelling battles against your friends.

Lock’s Quest is a fantastic, unique game that really fits the DS well. In today’s gaming world, where innovation is discouraged and mediocre licensed games are the rule, not the exception, it’s refreshing to see that there are still development teams dedicated to delivering well-crafted, distinctive, incredibly fun gaming experiences. 5th Cell has proven that Drawn To Life wasn’t a fluke, as Lock’s Quest is as deep, innovative, and engaging a game as you could hope for, and it’s a worthy addition to any DS gamer’s library.

Gameplay: 9.1
Build defenses as you see fit, then keep them strong while fighting off the advancing enemy. The gameplay straddles the gap between deep and accessible, and strikes the perfect balance. The minigames integrated into the main game keep things fresh and there are enough options, structures, and tactics available to you to keep any player busy for a long time.

Graphics: 8.6
The game uses 2D spritework the likes of which we don’t see nearly often enough. Characters are full of life, thanks to smooth animations and plenty of personality. The game’s environments are varied and colorful, and also feature exemplary sprite work.

Sound: 8.9
The stunning, sweeping score ranks among the best on the DS. While there could stand to be a bit more variety (the Build Mode song is the same throughout the entire game), what’s here is top notch video game music.

Difficulty: Medium
The game has a perfect difficulty curve, throwing just enough challenges and new features at you at a time to keep things interesting without letting you feel overwhelmed. While there are definitely some tough battles in the game, by the time you get to them you know what you’re doing and how to overcome them.

Multiplayer: 8.1
Multiplayer matches are fun and deep, but they lack the variety found in the story mode. Still, matches can turn into entrenched battles, with each player chipping away at their opponent’s defenses, and are a great way to spend an afternoon if you’ve got a friend with the game.

Concept: 9.1
Fortifying defenses is a gameplay concept that’s been increasingly popular lately, but the game’s blend of an RPG-style storyline, deep tactical defense building, and quick minigame-filled combat sequences provide a one-of-a-kind blend that’s fun and deeply satisfying.

Overall: 9.0
Lock’s Quest is a unique game that’s perfectly suited to the DS. With any number of ways to approach its lengthy quest, this is a game that will keep you playing for quite a while. In a sea of bland licensed titles and pet simulators, Lock’s Quest stands out on the DS as a fresh, engaging, immersive experience that’s well worth your time and money.