I love The Quest. It is vast, open, and well-realized. It is a fantasy world of colorful characters written with consistency and style.
This expansion, on the other hand, is a garish, uneven, and silly in a stupid, unprofessional way. The writing is broad, constantly breaking the fourth wall and attempting humor that falls completely flat. The environments feel forced and internally inconsistent. You routinely are corralled into situations with no warning or context. Wake up in an abandoned prison cell surrounded by 5K+ armor and weapons items. Knock on a door and instantly become a criminal. Knock on another door and receive a one-time chance to purchase a medical license (?) for 3K. Touch an idol and suddenly a robber gives you 1K.
Did I mention that there are quests based around three blind mice? Or that the starting area is a steam bath and inn named Dante's Inferno? Or that seemingly every piece of land is littered with potions, keys, and weapons just scattered on the ground for your taking? Or that the massive imbalance and ridiculousness of this all serves to cheapen the main game's setting and provides items that completely break the balance of the main game?
I'm not only sorry I bought Cursed Chess Set, I'm deleting it from my copy of The Quest Gold and pretending that I never saw it.
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