• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

King's Quest |OT| Heir to Stay?

Denur

Member
Dear John Walker, I too loved the old King's Quest games, and Space Quest, and Police Quest. I'm a few hours into this game now and love it to pieces: its game design, the puzzles, the conversations, the humor. It's all there again. John, this type of game is clearly not your cup of thee, so go and play something else.
 
Dear John Walker, I too loved the old King's Quest games, and Space Quest, and Police Quest. I'm a few hours into this game now and love it to pieces: its game design, the puzzles, the conversations, the humor. It's all there again. John, this type of game is clearly not your cup of thee, so go and play something else.
You just don't want to *play* games :p
Is there going to be a retail version down the road? Any word or rumors? I prefer physical copies.
Telltale's episodic content has gotten physical releases. I suspect Life is Strange will too. No harm in waiting if that's what you're looking for (I'm doing the same now).
 
Like others have said, I also am waiting for the full game release. I don't care to wait months in between chapters.

Looks good, will definately buy.
 
I've been playing King's Quest games since I was 10-11. It was my introduction to the point and click adventure genre.

So this game is legit???

KQ1 was the first real PC game I ever played on a monochrome Tandy-1000 laptop. It ruined me forever :) This new incarnation is legit.

Yup 6 hours for me, thanks Xbox app

5r1mAAt.jpg

Whoa, those stats are pretty cool :) Are those kind of random stats available for all games on Xbox One via that app?
 
I've rarely seen a reviewer so irrationally angry at a game's positive reception.

Yeah, he questioning other reviewers like that, seeking other peoples confirmation, and being so extremely defensive against comments is a bit odd for a professional reviewer.

And as such, you have to question if comments phrased like this is really neccessary:

JohnWalker said:
But the game has no saves, and offers no ability to go back to a particular moments when you’ve finished, and the idea of suffering through the hours of hideous shite a second time to reach that point and find out was beyond any possibility.

There are several things he mentions in the reviews that I'm a bit wary off, but I know from other games that his reviews contains (IMHO) quite a lot of hyperbole, so it's not really going to put me off from trying this, even if I might end up disliking it just as much as he does.
 

Schlomo

Member
Uh huh John. jenniferlawrenceok.gif. He's certainly welcome to his opinion, but I'm self-aware enough to know that I never need to read another review of his if his tastes are so difference compared to mine. We obviously live on different sides of the gaming world.

Haha, I had the exact same reaction to that comment you quoted.
 

FrsDvl

Member
Whoa, those stats are pretty cool :) Are those kind of random stats available for all games on Xbox One via that app?

Yeah by the looks of it! My app keeps crashing when i go into the achievement page so i haven't checked every game, but at least Shadow of Mordor has it.
 

DryvBy

Member
I'm hoping for a retail of this after it's done. I want to hit the $9.99 price but I don't want to do this and find out I can own the disc later.
 
Keep going back and forth on if I should pick this up.. Never played the series but I love old school adventure games, especially the old LucasArts classics. I'll probably love this right?
 

spinz

Member
Keep going back and forth on if I should pick this up.. Never played the series but I love old school adventure games, especially the old LucasArts classics. I'll probably love this right?

Yeah probably. Its lovingly crafted, with a lively cast of characters, lots of rooms to explore, inventory puzzles and some freedom of choice on puzzle order that effects some outcomes.
 
Keep going back and forth on if I should pick this up.. Never played the series but I love old school adventure games, especially the old LucasArts classics. I'll probably love this right?

How have you never played the series if you love old school adventure games? Have you played any of the other Sierra stuff?
 

DryvBy

Member
Keep going back and forth on if I should pick this up.. Never played the series but I love old school adventure games, especially the old LucasArts classics. I'll probably love this right?

If it's like the originals, it'll be a memory forever. King's Quest games were how my family spent some Friday nights at my house when I was a young pup. They're really great and the themes are so magical.
 
How have you never played the series if you love old school adventure games? Have you played any of the other Sierra stuff?

I was really young, so I played what my older cousins put on my computer. I remember all of the Lucas Arts classics (monkey island is still my favorite series ever), the Hugo series, and Simon the Sorcerer. Damn those were some magical times in my life.
 
I was really young, so I played what my older cousins put on my computer. I remember all of the Lucas Arts classics (monkey island is still my favorite series ever), the Hugo series, and Simon the Sorcerer. Damn those were some magical times in my life.

All great games! There are a plethora of classic Sierra games you should check including this new one :)
 

Maxwood

Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
That article by John Walker did it; the first time i've been aggravated by someone else's opinion.
I don't care he doesn't like King's Quest or the Sam & Max titles, his loss, but how a "profesional" reviewer can be so judgemental is beyond me.

Anyway, on a more positive note, loving this game. I could listen to Christopher Lloyd's voice for hours. And it really opens up. The game, not Christopher Lloyd.
Great stuff.
 

RetroMG

Member
iv heard it has some performance issues on xbox consoles, but it may have been patched already.

There was a patch that made the load times more bearable, but as I've almost never noticed loading on PC, that is still the superior version.
 

inm8num2

Member
I find myself hopeful that the positive reception to KQ will be good for the adventure genre. It sounds like there are some genuine classic adventure game elements once the game opens up later in the episode. There also seems to be a good opportunity to increase puzzle difficulty with the future installments.

Telltale's recent games like TWD generated mainstream interest in 'adventure games' (even if they aren't really 'adventure games' in the sense of having puzzles, allowing open exploration, etc. like Telltale's earlier games). I'm hoping that KQ is a sort of course correction for what the mainstream thinks adventure games are or wants them to be. Perhaps people will explore more modern options in the genre. Maybe Activision's Sierra revival will be a foundation for more mid-tier adventure games with publisher support (kind of like Ubisoft did with Valiant Hearts).

Either way, I admit to being cynical about the KQ announcement last year. I viewed it as a nostalgia-driven cash grab with the dead Sierra brand pasted over it. I'm happy that longtime KQ fans and new adventurers are having a great time with the game. :)
 
Well said inm8.

Although I certainly hope KQ brings a resurgence of classical adventure games in the mainstream, my main sentiment is more specific; I desperately want The Odd Gentlemen to start working on a Space Quest game after all KQ episodes are out. I can't stop imagining what it could be like in the face of how good King's Quest turned out to be.
 
Well said inm8.

Although I certainly hope KQ brings a resurgence of classical adventure games in the mainstream, my main sentiment is more specific; I desperately want The Odd Gentlemen to start working on a Space Quest game after all KQ episodes are out. I can't stop imagining what it could be like in the face of how good King's Quest turned out to be.

This might be an awkward sell to Activision since Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (creators of Space Quest) are currently working on a spiritual successor to SQ (SpaceVenture) that was funded via KS. However given how The Odd Gentlemen have treated KQ, I also wouldn't mind them to take a crack at it.
 
This might be an awkward sell to Activision since Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (creators of Space Quest) are currently working on a spiritual successor to SQ (SpaceVenture) that was funded via KS. However given how The Odd Gentlemen have treated KQ, I also wouldn't mind them to take a crack at it.

I remember when I was excited about SpaceVenture. Maybe that feeling will come back one day.
 

inm8num2

Member
Spaceventure is practically vaporware at this point. It might come out, but if it does I'd guess it will be in 3-4 episodes over a period of a 2-3 years.
 
I hate paying for episodes, but this game looks really good/fun.

You and me both, for the same reason why I tend to wait for an entire season of a particular TV show to be on Netflix before I sit down and tear through it. Didn't touch TWD or WAU until they had concluded their seasons (And enjoyed both). I know I will really enjoy Life Is Strange but I won't grab it until that final episode is released; yet something about KQ and the reception is was getting from people in my age bracket (30s) that grew up with these properties was enough to sell me on checking it out even though it's not complete yet. No regrets. Such a solid combination of good writing, great VA, and really lovely artwork.


Spaceventure is practically vaporware at this point. It might come out, but if it does I'd guess it will be in 3-4 episodes over a period of a 2-3 years.

You know that's a great point. Most of these "Creator Kickstarters" we seem to be inundated with these days are in part because the publishers holding the IP aren't treating the property well, if at all. KQ gives the impression that Activision may have its shit together (in terms of how they allow the property to be handled) and therefore gives us real hope for other Sierra properties, which simultaneously puts a bit of damper on KS run by former Sierra developers.
 
I finished it today and really liked it. Especially after the intro when the game really opens up. I think they have a really good formula, it's not as frustrating as the old P&C from back then, but you're still free to explore and wander unlike the Walking Dead clones. I really liked the charm of the univers and the humor. I can't wait for the next episodes.

The only thing I didn't like is the art style. The background are just ugly, it's supposed to look like a cartoon, but it just look like some lame 3D game with poor textures. I wished they used some proper cell shading graphics like in Zelda Wind Waker. The characters are fine though, especially the animations.

I played the game on PS4 and had no technical problems whatsoever. Great framerate, no aliasing, short loading times, it almost felt like playing on PC.
 

mike4001_

Member
Great, my savegame has just gone missing .... (Xbox One).

OK, I only played for about 45 min yesterday, not the end of the world, but still not a good sign.

I had the game suspended, made an console update (preview), started the game again and I could only play from the beginning...

But there were dozens of auto-saves which should have been there ...
 
so far it's been a nice game to sit back, relax and listen to a story.

Christopher Lloyd's voice acting is kind of annoying though :(
 

Apt101

Member
I haven't laughed this much at a game in a long time. It's the same light and absurd humor I remember from years ago. And man, some of these locations look amazing - the art direction is spot on.

Now the long, hard wait for episode 2.
 
No release date for episode 2... I hope my hair don't grey as much as Graham's waiting for all those episodes to come out.

At least the first chapter was meaty.
 
I haven't laughed this much at a game in a long time. It's the same light and absurd humor I remember from years ago. And man, some of these locations look amazing - the art direction is spot on.

Now the long, hard wait for episode 2.

Yeah a lot of that stuff had me reeling. Personally, any interaction with
Acorn
or
the Trolls.
were great; the former in particular. The knights' quips
as they got knocked into the water during the test of strength
were also hilarious.
 
After the first unbearably dreadful hour of insta-death and nothing to do but press A, we leap to the present day with an elderly King Graham (Lloyd) telling stories to his granddaughter, clearly while on his last legs.

lol! That took him an hour!?
 
lol! That took him an hour!?

It took my girlfriend-- who really only plays PuyoPuyo Tetris-- about 35 minutes to sort through that intro section, most of it spent on that last section where you need to react a bit quicker. Still, she sorted it. I can't imagine how someone that plays, writes about, and reviews games as their job couldn't negotiate that section quickly. The mind reels.
 
I'm only 38 minutes in and I'm past that and through the long cutscene that follows it. I don't understand how that lone section could take an hour. It couldn't. It's an intellectually dishonest review like most of the Walker stuff I've read in the past. Was the same when he was writing a shitty little budget column in PC Gamer UK. Just a litany of made-up complaints about games he either hasn't played or is lying about.

Sure he's a lovely chap, though. And smiling gamely that he's managed to wind me up. Again.
 

AEREC

Member
Having a really hard time playing this game, not because it's difficult but just because it's so boring.

* Humor falls flat for me, feels like it tries too hard
* It's got that Tell Tale janky engine thing going on (characters abruptly starting their animation loop during conversations, really crappy character models, odd minor graphical glitches that just make it seem unpolished)
* crappy QTE's
* Annoying clichéd characters

Game just straight up sucks so far...Just finished the chivalry test and I'm supposed to get an eye of some beast. Not sure Ill play it any further.
 
Having a really hard time playing this game, not because it's difficult but just because it's so boring.

* Humor falls flat for me, feels like it tries too hard
* It's got that Tell Tale janky engine thing going on (characters abruptly starting their animation loop during conversations, really crappy character models, odd minor graphical glitches that just make it seem unpolished)
* crappy QTE's
* Annoying clichéd characters

Game just straight up sucks so far...Just finished the chivalry test and I'm supposed to get an eye of some beast. Not sure Ill play it any further.

Huh, different strokes and all that I guess! I've played pretty much all of the "classic" PnC & Adventure games out there (including your avatar's namesake) and I thought this new KQ was really well done. The dialogue and characters aren't as over-the-top quirky as what you'll find in classic LucasArts games, but I thought that there was definitely a cheesy Guybrush/MI vibe about this KQ that I not only wasn't expecting, but rather enjoyed. Dialogue animation loops aside, I thought a lot of the models looked great.

If you don't mind me asking, what were you personally expecting this KQ to play out like, or would have rather it been?
 

Tizoc

Member
Huh, different strokes and all that I guess! I've played pretty much all of the "classic" PnC & Adventure games out there (including your avatar's namesake) and I thought this new KQ was really well done. The dialogue and characters aren't as over-the-top quirky as what you'll find in classic LucasArts games, but I thought that there was definitely a cheesy Guybrush/MI vibe about this KQ that I not only wasn't expecting, but rather enjoyed. Dialogue animation loops aside, I thought a lot of the models looked great.

If you don't mind me asking, what were you personally expecting this KQ to play out like, or would have rather it been?

One thing we should take into consideration is that this is also targetted at a new audience and is from what I've seen kid friendly, so younger children can play and enjoy it as it gives that cartoon vibe.
Just my 2 cents :p
 
There is one graphical glitch that detracted from the experience for me. After the game opens up and you're able to travel long distances by foot, Graham's running animation routinely stutters every few seconds.

Also, the loading screens don't seem consistent. Instead of set points on the map, they seem to show up whenever you've walked a certain distance without stopping, and the game can no longer catch up. That makes them a bit more jarring IMO.
 
One thing we should take into consideration is that this is also targetted at a new audience and is from what I've seen kid friendly, so younger children can play and enjoy it as it gives that cartoon vibe.
Just my 2 cents :p

Yeah, this is definitely something that I have to remind myself of when something doesn't click with me, as I'm certainly older than the core demographic that most games are aimed at these days.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
That article by John Walker did it; the first time i've been aggravated by someone else's opinion.
I don't care he doesn't like King's Quest or the Sam & Max titles, his loss, but how a "profesional" reviewer can be so judgemental is beyond me.

Anyway, on a more positive note, loving this game. I could listen to Christopher Lloyd's voice for hours. And it really opens up. The game, not Christopher Lloyd.
Great stuff.

I used to be a big fan of John Walker, and I still do enjoy him for the most part on the Rum Doings podcast, but I feel like he's gotten increasingly inflammatory in recent years to the point of being quite annoying at times.

It's just a review and his opinion, of course, but when he says stuff like "I have no idea what game those people played" and otherwise openly attacks other people's opinions about the game, he's kind of crossing the line in my view. People not willing to accept that their opinion is not the only opinion are frustrating.
 

ced

Member
Finished it last night.

I really enjoyed this on ps4. Besides the lame intro it's really good as an adventure game.

I should have just waited for all eps though, hate that it ended.

I spent at least 6 hrs in it btw, with a little wandering around stumped.
 
I will say as much as I am enjoying the game, and relieved it turned out well, I do see what John is saying. Apart from some of the charm and humor in the writing the game doesn't play like the classic series. And understandably so. The PnC genre is still faltering, and the current Telltale style is pretty much the accepted position these adnevture games take.

However, I am really enjoying the game so far, and the Odd Gentlemen did their homework.
 
My one big complaint with this is how slow everything is. You move so ungodly slow, especially when you are going across a rope or something, and the dialogue is unskippable, too, which sucks because sometimes you gotta hear it multiple times. The biggest offender so far is the
section where Achaka wants you to attack a rope to the dragons tail. Oh my God, this puzzle would be done in 1/4th the time if Graham moved faster and Achaka didnt ask you if he should shoot every time you do something.
When you get to the
dark cave with wolves in it and on the way back you skip it I was so glad.

As for John Walker's review, he comes across as a dickhead but he make some valid points, it's very annoying the game has no way to go back, especially when they have locked trophies behind stuff you wont find easily your first way through, and I doubt many replay episodic games.
 

georly

Member
Just beat it. Very pleased. Absolutely adore what they did with it. No complaints other than a few minor technical things that can be improved, but nothing to the detriment of the game (not being able to skip cutscenes/dialog, etc). The music brought me to nostalgic tears. This was the game I used to play sitting on my dad's lap as a little kid. My father passed away when I was 11, so this makes me incredibly nostalgic for those nights watching him play and trying to help him solve the puzzles.

Gonna try to replay it tomorrow and maybe get all of the hidden achievements. Anyone have a good guide for them? I got literally 0 of them.
 
Just beat it. Very pleased. Absolutely adore what they did with it. No complaints other than a few minor technical things that can be improved, but nothing to the detriment of the game (not being able to skip cutscenes/dialog, etc). The music brought me to nostalgic tears. This was the game I used to play sitting on my dad's lap as a little kid. My father passed away when I was 11, so this makes me incredibly nostalgic for those nights watching him play and trying to help him solve the puzzles.

Gonna try to replay it tomorrow and maybe get all of the hidden achievements. Anyone have a good guide for them? I got literally 0 of them.

Best non-guide advice would be to do the "dumb" thing. There are a lot of hidden achievements for dying different ways :)

The trophy guide on playstationtrophies are solid too, as far as guides go:

The trophy list [LINK] (click on the comments sections to see what people have to say about each one).

The ps trophies thread on KQ missable trophies [LINK] is another good place. Spoilers abound, obviously, but you've already finished the episode so whateva whateva :)
 

georly

Member
Best non-guide advice would be to do the "dumb" thing. There are a lot of hidden achievements for dying different ways :)

The trophy guide on playstationtrophies are solid too, as far as guides go:
P
The trophy list [LINK] (click on the comments sections to see what people have to say about each one).

The ps trophies thread on KQ missable trophies [LINK] is another good place. Spoilers abound, obviously, but you've already finished the episode so whateva whateva :)


Thanks! Doing them now
 
Top Bottom