King's Quest (2015)

I never played the original games, so my experience of KQ comes in fresh. I found the humour to be genuinely hilarious, the puzzles to be devilliously satisfying, and the story to be compelling. However I am not generally a fan of the genre, requiring experimentation with every item that I was holding with every possible prompt to interact with something. I persisted with it because I found the game so charming, but there were several occassions where I consulted walkthroughs because it just never occured to me that Item A could interact with Situation B. Or worse, I'd tried Item A, but I'd been slightly out of position so it didn't work, and then I'd give up and try and come up with another solution only to find that I'd been right the first dang time.

Overall I'd say my joy outweighed my frustration by a small margin. I really did love the story, and the evolution of characters over time was deeply touching to me. In one memorable chapter, I sobbed my heart out because I'd never seen such a beautiful display of fatherhood, desperately trying not to break my rhythm in the minigame as I wailed inconsolably. I think my favourite chapter was the Third one, but they all had their moments to shine. Iiii think I'm probably done with Point and Click Adventures for a while though.

I began my King's Quest series journey 5 months ago in November 2020 and have just completed this last chapter.

I began with the AGDI remakes of King's Quest 1, 2, and 3 and I highly recommend those games. They are very well done and the remakes make for good adventure games even by today's standards. By the time I completed King's Quest 7, I was starting to feel a little puzzle gamed out. King's Quest 8 is a different type of game, but I was starting to feel ready to move on...

However after starting this "reimagining", my love for these types of games was reinvigorated and I couldn't have asked for a better way to send off the series. Most of this game fills in a lot of blanks between the originals while never changing the "what happened", but taking pretty big liberties with the "how it happened". The game also paints the characters with a lot of personality that was not present in the other games. Last we saw King Graham in King's Quest 5, he was a wise, fatherly figure who was very placid and confident. This King Graham here is extremely excitable, goofy, and sometimes makes the wrong decision even if his heart is in the right place. I was extremely charmed however and not too bothered with the differences.

You don't need to have played all the previous King's Quests to enjoy this game, but you will be well rewarded by catching obscure references if you have played them. You'll be able to chuckle at little inside jokes like "We are Grahams, we do not solve puzzles through trial and error!" knowing full well that a lot of how you got through the originals was by just doing that. :) I highly enjoyed this game and am giving it five stars. It's not perfect, especially the final chapter, but I still highly enjoyed its puzzles and humor. I have that feeling in my stomach you get after finishing a long book and realizing you're really going to miss the characters and the story, and not many games do that to me. Thank you Odd Gentlemen for making this masterpiece!

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. -William Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5 19-28

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Kingdoms come and go, empires rise and fall, but legends can last forever.

Once upon a time long before the proliferation of console gaming, the personal computer was the gateway to unexplored realms. A time some consider the golden era of adventure gaming, and Sierra Games was the undisputed pinnacle of PC gaming for over a decade. The accomplishments of Ken and Roberta Williams were instrumental in creating the gaming landscape we enjoy today.

The first King’s Quest adventure began in 1984, and with each subsequent release the series pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling and what could be accomplished creatively and technologically using the personal computer. The series is known for its combination of humor, puns, problem solving, and numerous references to the mythology of fairy tales which gave each game a unique charm. These adventures circled around the legend of King Graham and his family up until 1998.

After a 15 year hiatus, Sierra Games is reborn under the creative direction of The Odd Gentlemen.

The return to Daventry is not only a reboot but a complete re-imagining of the King’s Quest series. This time the story develops in an episodic chapter by chapter progression, chronicling the exploits of a young Graham following the many adventures through his life that lead him to the throne.

The Odd Gentleman pay homage to King’s Quest history by including the main characters, but make a conscious decision of presenting all new adventures, quests that happen between the events of the proceeding series. Each chapter makes allusions to the past but feels completely unencumbered by it. This is definitely an adventure for a new generation of gamers that anyone familiar with the series will find a lot of Easter eggs to reminisce over. The days of the point-and-click adventure are long gone; players control a young exuberant Graham making his way in the world.

In each chapter players are presented with numerous decisions that will impact the progression of the story, which relationships develop, and the king that Graham will become. After each chapter, players are presented with a gorgeous mural that illustrates the decisions Graham has chosen. Some choices are more subtle, while others impact larger plot threads down the line, there are no wrong choices with multiple ways to solve problems. The game feels like a powerful fusion of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel and a living painting. With no score system and no time limits on the gameplay, players are free to explore, experiment, and immerse themselves in the adventure.

Narrated by a reflective Graham revisiting his many adventures, he shares the stories with his granddaughter Gwendolyn. The interactions between grandfather and granddaughter are truly heartwarming. The banter is such a great layer over the narrative. Each chapter focuses on a different stage in Graham’s life, from knight to king, friendships, love, family, betrayal, and loss. The game weaves the King’s Quest of yesterday for a new generation with passion and vitality. As Gwendolyn listens, learning from her grand father, she begins to understand and appreciate his legacy.

Click here for the full review... https://thewellredmage.com/2017/12/26/kings-quest-2016/