King's Quest 1+2+3

I sat down with a few friends to play through the Kings Quest series, and to my genuine surprise, these games are quite well. Although prototypical, very simple and comically dated in appearance, the puzzle solving is robust (if unsophisticated), and the maps feel expansive and enjoyable to explore. The first two games are very similar and quite simple- you play in a field of about 24 tiles, collecting items, examining the environment and occasionally using items to solve puzzles (of which, surprisingly, there aren't very many). Most puzzles support multiple solutions, to my surprise- you might discover there's an item you haven't used that would lead to a "better" solution, but this means you're rarely blocked, which is great for pacing. The first game has a few sections, like the beanstalk, where precise movement is required, something the SCI engine is not well suited to and is extremely frustrating to navigate. But there besides, they're very simple games, only taking a few hours each to complete, but well constructed and enjoyable. The same can't be said for the more ambitious third title, which adds timed events, many more areas where precise movement is needed, and somehow, fewer puzzles. Most of the game is spent tracking down and collecting lots and lots of items used as components in spells, and then casting those spells, using very precise commands under a time limit, which is both monotonous and frustrating. Lengths of the game are also spent waiting for an event to occur (like a wizard leaving the house, or a pirate ship arriving at port), which is both boring and robs the player of agency. But even though I didn't enjoy it, it was still entirely playable, and it's early attempt at in-game storytelling is laudable. I was really surprised at how well these games held up. They're quite different to more modern adventure games, relying on environments rather than characters to engage, but what they do, they do quite well. Well, the first two at least...

Having never played King's Quest before I found it on GOG, I must say that even twenty-seven years on, these games are quite enjoyable -- BUT entirely unforgiving. I don't understand how anybody beat them without a walkthrough. You constantly need to save because you die every minute, but you can also very easily realise that you've made the game impossible and just saved over your last "good" save. The most enjoyable way to experience it is to get a walkthrough. Try to work out puzzles on your own, make your own maps, etc, but always consult the walkthrough to make sure you did the right thing and haven't made the game impossible. Once you get used to punishment, the game is a great retro experience. The story is fairly childish; based mostly on fairy tales, but there's something cool about it that makes you want to keep going. The first two games feature Sir Graham's adventures to become king and find a queen. The third game is completely separate; it starts in a far-away land with the player controlling a slave boy, Gwydion, but ends up connecting back to the main story. The third game was therefore less interesting to begin with, but after playing through it was the most exciting. I am looking forward to continuing with the remaining five games, also available on GOG.

OK, let's get one thing straight. This KQ series began in 1984, and bears little if any resemblance to the new KQ series that began in 2015. I tried the 2015 instalment via XBox, bought the whole thing. As soon as I realized the main character was being presented as a bumbling idiot, which is just what the creators were trying to do, I dropped the series and hit the uninstall button. This series, which is the original, depicts you as a hero, a worthy candidate of a throne, not some bumbling half-wit. I have played this original series from 1-8, but the first four were just tedious, what with the text parser and all. If you were to play one of the first four, just to get a taste of what it was like in the early days of PC adventure gaming, I'd choose KQ4 The Perils of Rosella. It kind of shows how the game was being modernized graphic-wise, but still has that old text parser. As far as the final four, the best by far is KQ8. It is so good, the voice acting, the myriad of characters, the variable and well conveyed environments; I'd play for hours, so immersed I'd forget to save, die, and end up having to go waaay back. Lesson - don't forget to save! KQ5 is also tedious. KQ6 has multiple endings, which I do not like, KQ7 was a bit cartoony, but KQ8, ohhhhh 8, brought out the zing in amazing! So if you want to try some gaming history when men were still thought of as valiant heros when it came to adventure games, I recommend KQ 5-8. https://youtu.be/YvlimrtBjEo

These games are classic, but they have not held up with time. Just not as fun to play anymore.

It's very nice.