Brand New Quest

Brand New QUEST is a quest mode present in the PlayStation version of Ehrgeiz. It has the subtitle The Forsaken Dungeon in the English version and Godless The Dungeon in the Japanese version.

Story
While the Ehrgeiz Championship Tournament is being held, an archeologist by the name of Koji Masuda and his student Clair Andrews are making their way towards the ancient ruins which have been said to hold the secret to immortality. There, Koji finds a sealed staircase. Curiosity gets the best of him as he deciphers and unlocks the seal. Destiny awaits him. This new world is best described as a foreign dimension with remnants of ancient memories. In search of the spring of eternal life, Koji is drawn through the dungeon.

Prologue
Koji: "Far before the beginning of recorded history, in an age that's said to be the beginning of everything, a civilization far more advanced than we could ever imagine inhabited this land. However, there are only a few scholars in the world who believe this."

Clair: "You must be one of those scholars then, professor."

Koji: "Actually, this idea is not even accepted as theory."

Clair: "Hmm... What kind of civilization was it, anyway?"

Koji: "They searched for the realm of the gods and possessed the technology to reach it. There are no concrete records to prove it, but there is an ancient weapon that was found about 50 years ago in an old German castle that seems to have some kind of connection to the civilization. The former lord of the castle got a hold of this item through a transaction with a local merchant. There was a stone embedded in the weapon, which was made of an unidentifiable substance... It was a material not found anywhere else in this world. That stone is probably the key to answering the mystery of immortality."

Clair: "The mystery of immortality?"

Koji: "I have no accurate understanding of what that refers to. But, I have firm belief that there is somehing there."

Clair: "But if that's really the secret of immortality, isn't it the ultimate treasure that rulers everywhere have sought after since ancient times? It'll be sensational if we find it!"

Koji: "Definitely."

Clair: "Wow. This is the ultimate dream of any archaeologist! I'm getting excited already!"

(After the dialogue, Koji and Clair appear in the "Colosseum" stage)

Clair: "It's in great condition. For a ruin, I think it's relatively new... From the looks of it, it's probably from around 1000 B.C. But the one we're looking for is supposed to be far older than any known ancient civilization, right?"

Koji: "This is more of a decoy. It would be more precise to say that it is something that protects the ultra-ancient artifact. I'm pretty sure the artifact we're after is lying dormant down here."

(Koji and Clair jump down to the "Dig Site" stage)

Clair: "Oh, professor! There are stairs over there! C'mon, let's go down!"

(They go downstairs and suddenly pass out. When they awake, they are in the hotel of a mysterious town.)

Gameplay
There are two modes in the Brand New QUEST. The Normal Mode allows two characters to explore the dungeon one at a time. The Hard Mode allows only one character to explore the dungeon without the option of returning to the village.

In Normal Mode, the two characters can switch out as they please. They share an inventory, but items can be dropped in the inn room for the other character to use. If one character dies, their inventory is dropped to the ground around where they died, along with a box containing their soul. The remaining character must then enter the dungeon and find the box, releasing the other's soul and restoring them to life. If both character die in the dungeon, the game ends.

Controls

 * Directional buttons: Move the character.
 * Square button: Physical Attack. Attacks monsters with equipped weapon. Hold down the button then release to use a Special Attack.
 * Circle button: Magic Attack. The Basic Magic effects of the Materia equipped will be cast when the button is pressed. Hold down the button then release to cast Ultra Magic. Magic Stones are necessary to perform a Magic Attack.
 * X button: Pick up items.
 * Triangle button: Use items stored in the satchel.
 * L1 button: Jump.
 * R1 button: Guard. Defend with the shield or weapon currently equipped. Equipment is damaged after several hits and will eventually break, unless it is repaired with the blacksmith.
 * L2 or R2 button: Select items stored in satchel.
 * Start button: Displays Status Screen. It is possible to use items as well as equip weapons and magic from this screen.

Status Screen
The game can be saved anytime by pressing the Start button to bring the Status Screen, and then the Select button to bring the options "Check Stats" (Food diet), "Save Game" (money must be used to save), and "Quit Game" (return to the quest mode main menu).