Interesting enough it is very little known that this game (original title: La Quete de l'Oiseau du Temps, German title: Auf der Suche nach dem Vogel der Zeit) was originally an Atari/Amiga game. Graphics were the same for both, meaning that they used the Atari's subdued 16-color palette. The far wider known PC port suffered heavily under the unnecessary use of CGA graphics at a time when EGA had been standard for about three years, and under the game music coming through the PC speaker.
Like many French games (especially from Infogrames), Quest for the Timebird is based on a successful comic series of the same name.
Although it was marketed as an "adventure game," QFTB plays more like an interactive storybook: you advance the plot merely by exploring the lands, charming anyone you can, and attacking others. The game also includes an annoying maze, although it is thankfully short enough that you can solve it by trial and error. Similar to Infocom's Journey, you must select what to do from multiple choices, although the game is far easier and much more linear. The game uses a simple mouse-driven interface where clicking the left mouse button does everything that needs to be done in the game. Overall, if you enjoy the graphic novel, you will likely find QFTB a pleasant way to refresh your memory about the story. If you have never read it, you will find the game an interesting storybook whose decent writing and a somewhat unique fantasy plot are interesting enough to compensate for minimal "gaming" elements.
