King's Quest is a episodic game series developed by Odd Gentlemen and published by Sierra Entertainment. This review will primarily focus on the first episode: A Knight To Remember. All considered, this game was actually pretty interesting. Now, at first glance it may look like yet another series by Telltale Games, given the similar art style and gameplay, but it's not. This game series goes way, way, way back. Like….1983 way back. Being one of the earliest point-and-click games around at the time, and one of the most beloved adventure titles, it became popular quickly. This "reimagining" of the game takes from what the original eight enstalments started with, except this time the player gets to change some of the events in the process. It is a mixture of the classic game with some more modern elements added to it.
The Story
In this story, you assume the role of Graham, an adventurous, eager, and slightly erratic young man who desperately desires to become a knight. The story follows him as he travels the land of Daventry to enter in the knight competitions, but also takes place many years after this, where Graham is an elderly king, lying in a bed. The way in which the narrative plays out is basically like a bed time story that he is telling to his granddaughter, Gwendolyn. The player is given opportunities to change events in the past to effect who Graham becomes in the future. I found this aspect to be rather entertaining. It's also pretty funny to die in the game, especially when elderly Graham comments on how much it would have sucked if he died.This game is chock-full of clever, as well as hilarious, dialogue. Each of the characters and environments have a unique set of charming elements that I haven't experienced in some time now.
The Gameplay
Okay, the best way to describe this game's style of play is by comparing it to Telltale and their games. The whole "change events by making decisions" gimmick is quite present and it's kind of cool. Other than the consequence-based story driven narrative, the actual gameplay revolves around walking Graham from location to location and having him interact with objects in order to continue the story or to solve puzzles. The order in which the player goes about these puzzles will make the difference between success and frustrating repetition. I found myself having some trouble with an early puzzle where I was attempting to steal a magical mirror from a half-blind dragon. I suppose it was more my fault than the game's at that point, though. I just didn't want to take the time. Patience is a virtue.
The Art
The art style is simply hilarious. From the exaggerated features of some of the more eccentric characters, to the goofy, proportionally absurd armor designs of the knight characters, this game's art oozes charm and satire. Like I said before, this game reminds me a lot of Telltale's art style, but it is just similar, not an exact copy. Whereas Telltale goes for a more comic book-like style, King's Quest feels a bit more like a 3D cartoon, the humorous animations being one of the more prominent aspects of the style.
Conclusion
All in all, I enjoyed this game's first episode quite a bit. Even with the tedious walking around, repeated puzzles, and character conversations, I couldn't help but find myself becoming invested in Graham and the annoying, yet somehow charming knights. Even some of the side characters I found to be quite funny. If you like story driven games, this game is for you. If you prefer more gameplay-heavy titles that involve more depth and mechanics, than perhaps you may want to try something else. You can pick up episode 1 on Steam for $9.99 or purchase the complete collection for $39.99. Check it out on Steam here! You can save $10.00 if you buy the season pass, or if you just want to try it out and not have to pay for it, you can download it for free through PSN if you have a PlayStation Plus subscription. Players can expect episode 2 on the 15th of December.
