King's Quest 7+8

King's Quest VII is fun and runs well, King's Quest VIII however, does not work past the main menu screen, thus I have to give this 2 stars until such an issue is resolved.

KQ8 was the only game in the series I've played so I totally understand the hate it gets from people who say it strayed from it's roots. But I absolutely loved it. I loved the atmosphere, the puzzles, the combat and light rpg elements and also the formula of figuring out a level and moving on to another area which will have a totally different feel. It's a formula that modern games seem to have forgotten about. You could tell they spent the most time on the first area because it's still awesome. The atmosphere and music are amazing and really puts you into the game as you explore the area. The puzzles are nice and fun too. All in all it was a very fun and addicting game with great atmosphere. This game is a template I wish modern games would follow.

Ah, King's Quest VII. It was the very first CD-rom game I ever owned. Back in 94 when I upgraded myself from my trusty Amiga 500 to a Compaq 486 90Mhz, this came included in the box. I had played all the previous games on the Amiga, so I was no newcomer to the series, but this was the first time it was with speech and animated sequences. Needless to say, I was very impressed. However, looking back, KQ7 was probably the least good KQ game. At least until KQ8. Not that KQ8 was horrible, it just wasn't a KQ-game. Riding on, what was still at the time, a well respected name, it brought more action elements. But it wasn't a big surprise. Adventure games were really struggling at the time and 2D was being abandoned for 3D, a switch the genre handled poorly. All in all, this is a good collection to have since it really tells a bit of history. The last 2D adventure game from the one-time giants Sierra. Yes, they made games like GK2 after this, but while great in its own way, I consider it more an interactive movie, more than a proper adventure game.

The final two installments in the beloved King's Quest series have in common the dubious honor of most poorly-received entry in the series, but very little else. KQ7 is a charming Disney-inspired cartoon adventure, the last of the traditional 2D point and clicks in the series and the most kid-friendly. Mask of Eternity is a gritty, dark fantasy 3D RPG action-adventure that channels Diablo and Tomb Raider more than it does its own predecessors. The controversy of these games really hijack the discourse on them. Neither are as bad as the rhetoric would have you believe. KQ7 is a delightful fairytale adventure whose biggest crime is not being as good as KQ6. I'm not sure how any longtime fan of the series could be surprised or disappointed that the series eventually landed on a Disney aesthetic -- it'd been invoking those elements since the first game. That's not to say it's flawless. It's cheesy at times. The puzzle design is simplistic, designed to engage a younger audience. The supporting characters are incredibly silly and occasionally grating -- but apart from KQ6 this isn't off the mark for the series as a whole. If you can access that part of you that still enjoys kids' movies, you'll find a lot to love. Mask is a little harder of a sell for me, and a jarring departure. The RPG elements on their own work surprisingly well. But the world of Daventry and its surrounding lands, unrecognizable from established lore, is barren and visually drab. The adventure elements of its pedigree are rudimentary and few-and -far-between. All-in-all its not a terrible hack-n-slash, and its puzzle elements do set it apart from its contemporaries. It's really just disappointing as a King's Quest, and even moreso as the series' swan song. Grab this on sale to finish your collection. Any fan of the series owes it to themselves to at least play through 7. But this is certainly the black sheep of GOG's King's Quest packages.

King's Quest will not work without some computer gymnastics. According to forums I've read, GOG have the code and ability to support KQ8 but refuse. It crashes instantly on start-up and as this isn't the 90's- if it doesn't work on launch, it is unacceptable. Refunded