“Golvellius: The Second Quest” – An Awesome Retro Fan-Game!
Not long ago, when browsing the PureZC website’s list of custom quests, I came across one that really stood out. Its name translates to Golvellius: The Second Quest, and it was billed as a follow-up to 1987-88’s Golvellius – a Zelda-like game that was originally released for the MSX computer in Japan and later released on the Sega Master System and the MSX2. If you haven’t heard of the game, don’t worry: I’m very sure that you aren’t alone.
The original game drew quite heavily from Zelda in many ways, but it also presented many original ideas. The game had a rather massive overworld, split up into different themed areas, and contained both overhead areas and side-scrolling action scenes. The music was really good, and overall it was a very solid experience. The MSX2 release is often mistranslated as Golvellius 2, but in fact it is simply an enhanced remake of the original release, featuring new areas and a more drawn-out story.
This game, released in 2013 by Wonderboy Bobi, features a brand-new story and adventure set sometime after the events of the first game. While the direct links to the original game are minimal, the story does involve Golvellius, his Valley of Doom (here rendered as the Valley of Water), and a new hero who also is called Kelesis. Kelesis, who travels to the Desba Mountain to find a cure for his grandmother’s illness, is attacked by monsters and falls off a cliff, landing somewhere deep within Golvellius’s realm. Here, he is told that a magical spell prevents those who want to leave from leaving and those who wish entry to enter, and thus the only way out is to find the fragments of a soul-infused crystal and destroy the demon who guards the place.
Overall, the gameplay is very solid and the graphics are extremely well done. Here, in this video, you can enjoy the first hour or so of gameplay, presented in full 1080p at 60 frames-per-second. I take on the first two dungeons and do a lot of exploration of the overworld, so it should be a lot of fun!
Stay tuned for Part 2, and be sure to download your own copy of the game for free!
