Lock's Quest

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Lock's Quest is a 2008 real-time strategy game with tower defense elements for the Nintendo DS. Made by 5th Cell and published by THQ, it follows Lock, a young man who helps defend the kingdom of Antonia from clockwork invaders. It combines building defenses with direct combat, all shown on the DS’s isometric battlefield.

How you play
- The game has two phases per level: Build and Battle. In Build, you place walls, towers, cannons, traps, and other defenses within a time limit, using Source as a resource. Lock can move through gates in walls, and you regain Source by defeating enemies.
- In Battle, waves of enemies attack your defenses while you fight them and repair damage. Lock can strike enemies, trigger quick-time events for extra damage, and perform a special “ratcheting” repair to fix defenses.
- Your main goal is to protect a person or object. Enemies appear at map edges and push toward the target, with tougher boss enemies in some levels. There’s also a 2D Siege mode you can play for extra Source.
- A multiplayer mode lets players build defenses on their own maps and send enemies against each other’s defenses.

Story
The game is set in Antonia, a kingdom built with a mysterious substance called Source. Archineers—builders who study Source—found that it can imitate life. A powerful archineer named Agonius becomes Lord Agony and creates a clockwork army to destroy the kingdom. Years later, Lock grows up with his sister Emi and grandfather Tobias in a coastal village. When clockwork forces attack again, Lock becomes an Archineer and helps defend the kingdom. The story twists as it’s revealed that Lock and Emi are connected to Agonius in surprising ways, and that Lock was given a soul by Agonius, making him more than just clockwork. The ending shows Lock and Emi on a beach, highlighting the game’s themes of life and identity.

Development, release and reception
THQ announced Lock's Quest in 2008 and promoted the game with a mini-comic. It released in North America on September 9, 2008, and later worldwide. The game was well received for its story, gameplay, and colorful graphics, though some reviewers criticized the controls, especially for building and moving Lock, and the pathfinding.

Remaster and ports
A remastered version, released in May 2017, came to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC with updated graphics and new modes, developed by Digital Continue. The remaster drew mixed reviews, with some reviewers criticizing the controls. In 2019, Lock's Quest was released on mobile devices for iOS and Android.