Disclaimer: So before I start this review, I'm going to get it out of the way that I am not a big fan of adventure games, or more specifically, old school PC adventure games that were mostly of the point and click style. Pre-school stuff I had as a kid aside, the only one I think I've ever played and enjoyed was Inherit The Earth, which was alright. Of course I never exactly wanted them to die down like they seem to have, but these games just aren't for me. Even the newer format that has been molded and kept by Telltales many series, and Dontnod's Life is Strange series has felt kind of mediocre. So take my review as a grain of salt since I just don't typically like these kind of games, and I am no expert. I also haven't touched the old series this game is based on, and I don't know how a nostalgic fan would react to its changes. Now that that's done, lets get on with the review.
Once upon a time...
The first episode in a 5 part series begins with a very elderly king Graham telling a story to his granddaughter, Gwendolyn. The story (and game) is all about re-collecting the events that lead him to inherit the kingdom of Daventry. You'll start off wandering around a cave which turns out to host one of the more dangerous moments in the game: snatching a magical mirror from a dragon. Little context is given because, as custom for any wacky adventure told by an elder, the best stories are told out of order. Afterwards, you'll get a glimpse at present day Daventry before being taken back in by past events. The 2nd major piece of the game (and 70% of the experience really) takes place before your mirror snatching. Young Graham has just found himself arriving in Daventry for a chance to become a knight. Unfortunately, things already don't look so good when it becomes clear you're late. Things only get worse. With budget cuts, bridge trolls lifting the bridges for a strike, clumsy knights that love reciting rules more so than being useful, and angry wolves, you'll find the kingdom has seen better days. Regardless, you'll still be up against 4 major tournament challenges competing up against many other contestants, each possessing an ability that appears more intimidating than what your character is cut out for. Only one can become a knight, and earn a spot in front of the fading yet still powerful King Edward.
I had some doubts about an out of order, and episodic story at first. Thankfully, no fear was valid. Its actually really clever in how things are done. You have an exciting prologue, but one still handled in a way that carefully pulls you in and prevents many mistakes through the setting of a tight cave. Things that happen later will also get eerily explained by things you notice in the past, if that makes any sense at all. However the fact of the matter is, the story in just the whole game is just really good. The meta-story vibe gives off a nice fairy tale vibe, and gives room to a smaller outer story and conflict going on. The way King Graham remembers his story, and his actions within it, help teach and inspire Gwendolyn in her own contest. Meanwhile the casting is full of great talent and voices. I don't keep up with actors and celebrities very well, but for those that do know the names better there's Wallace Shawn, Josh Keaton, Zelda Williams, Tom Kenny (actually one I did instantly recognize: the 2nd voice of Spyro, and rabbit from 2011's winnie the pooh. Most of the internet will know him as Adventure Time's Ice king), and Christopher Lloyd who is the main voice as the elderly King Graham. Even those that I couldn't find a quick name to, like the guardsmen, or Acorn, had very familiar and great voices. Every character had a very distinct presence, from their amazing acting, to their well written lines, or of course their eccentric traits. The story is perfectly set to create a lot of great laughs, some heart felt moments, and yet leave you curious enough to go right back in it again to see if you missed anything. There's also a ton of great puns in there for good measure, the title is far from the only one. The conclusion to episode 1 wraps up perfectly, with a satisfying ending to the short term events on the game, yet a nice little cliff hangar on the end of the meta-story.
The very first thing that'll meet and delight your eyes in this game though is the art. I don't even want to call it graphics, I want to describe it as traditional animation, art, or 80-early 2000's disney-esque. At first glance, you think its another cell shaded game where bright colors, bold lines, and stylized feeling make up the visuals. However there's just something off about it that puts it beyond what we call "cell shading". There's a certain drawing feel here, and everything from the way the characters are physically designed, to the way they move make the game feel more like you're watching some kind of hand-drawn 2D animation that inflated itself into 3D CGI. That's because you partially are seeing 2D drawing at work, as the artistis have used a form of rotoscoping to put traditional art over top of 3D modeled characters. Heck sometimes the 2D art is just slapped right into the world, with hand drawn distant sky boxes greeting you as you gaze at distant mountains. Its a work of art in motion. Even occasional clipping that typically occurs in games like this, doesn't distract from how wonderful it all looks. Oh and the music is good to, but... kind of a little safe and what you'd expect with the given style. The music is at its best when its literally working with a cut-scene, as in foot steps triggering an instrument. Nothing too notable or memorable, it just works out alright for immersion.
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| WOW! wait... I mean, uh oh. |
Of course, the more important thing might be how the game plays. Sort of.... I mean, is gameplay actually that important to story adventure fans? Okay that awkward question aside, King's Quest sort of follows its own path by going in between past and present adventure titles. The game has you in direct control of your character and actions like a modern day Telltale game, and also gives you a feeling of choices and consequences in the world you're a part of. However unlike those games, the choices don't come from babbling with NPCs and getting some corny "this guy will remember that" moral feedback. Instead the game's gameplay is ran by action, and the dialogue is merely there to progress that action or get advice by it. In that way you might consider it a step closer to old-school gameplay. In fact this also ties in to the genius choice system, which is themed around attitude and action rather than good/evil. Your morals run on 3 things: Kindness, wit, and strength. These actions influence character dialogue, future events, and even Gwendolyn. Sometimes the way you make choices aren't even obvious in terms of normal game logic, rather you really look and think about your possibilities, and when put into motion they're surprisingly fluid and believable things a person of that attitude would have done. Nothing is exactly right or wrong, instead its just about how you choose to solve problems. This also helps define who your character actually is, as its all about the moment and real decision rather than what you simply intended or thought to become. I went in aiming for wit, but ended up with kindness, and yet also somehow had the blacksmith (who encourages strength) telling me how great of a knight I would be. There's also a clever little bit in the story that changes if you went in expecting certain moral results, and came out with another.
Unlike older adventure games (or even some more modern ones), there's no super contrived illogical puzzles, and you wont find yourself stumped over silly things. Well at least aside from one weird pattern memory game, which sort of comes out of nowhere. The game works in ways that just make sense. You'll face problems like trying to cross dark woods, so you need to put together a light, starting with the discovery that a shop has a lit candle. ...Or, you'll race up against a brainy character who wants to hypnotize you with potions before a challenging board game. So you need to find a way to fix his potions ahead of the match, and then beat him at the board game. Its all very simple, and largely helped by a very quick and easy inventory system. Walk up against something, press square, get the item, and you'll have your response. It also helps that the screen zooms on the thing your inventory will focused on when you open it. If you at all find yourself dying or losing, you're almost rewarded for it with a hilarious dialogue line from the narrators ("uh... wait, no. I'm remembering this wrong"), or sometimes a new cut-scene that'll try and spin you back into a loop before you lost. That isn't to say you'll always feel great for feeling lost, stuck, or losing. Besides the obvious lack of progression, there's a repetition to it, because you actually have to endure the cut-scenes over and over and over again if you're not doing things right. Sadly there's no skip. If you were just experimenting to see different results, or just waiting for that "ah-ha moment", or simply coming back from a gamer over screen, you'll be tasked to see things over again and there's no way to skip them. I understand these games are heavy on story, but at the same time it felt like a heavy flaw that I had to sit through and watch the some of the scenes as much as I did all around one time just because there's no skip command.
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| Dark? Simple, find a lantern |
Like the story, even the length isn't disturbed by the episodic format. It takes probably around 5-8 hours, depending on how good you are with your choices, moving in the world, and puzzle solving. Then you can go back and do it all again for a different path, or two, or three. For $10, I think the first episode offers a lot on its own.
Verdict & Closing notes
I'm really glad I took a chance on this game. It essentially the video game way of doing a fairy tale, and that's two of my favorite things I never expected to see cross. In just one episode it tells a great tale on how some boy one day comes to a crumbling kingdom, beats the odds and all the strength of his opponents, and becomes a knight. Meanwhile there's a fascinating plots going around that leaving more depth, details, and question than just that simple but well told story. If the continuing episodes are as good as this game was, with the incredible voice acting, the clever writing, the interesting choices you make by action rather than word, and the perfect type of logical puzzles, then I am indeed ready for more. In many ways I kept comparing this game to one of my favorite movies: The Princess's Bride. ...and its not just because Wallace Shawn's character is strangely similar to the one he played in the film (though that does help justify the comparison). Its because its a great light-hearted fairy tale story that brings out emotions of joy, laughter, and a sense of adventure all at once in a great fantasy setting. If that interests you, then its well worth the given price (for the single episode at least), and I hope the rest of the series can live up to the great introduction. A knight to Remember is truly worth remembering, and it stands as the most fun I've had with an adventure game. For once, I'm truly excited for an episodic game.
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| Just wonderful! |
Back-up text score
Score: Awesome
Pros:
+ Stellar visual quality that justifies rotoscoping in gaming, and builds a beautifully animated world
+ Perfect voice casting where every character is pleasant to hear.
+ A well written story that gives you a good lengthy tale, and wraps it up neatly before the credits. It'll leave you wanting more, but in a good way.
+ Adventure gameplay that is kept simple, but fun. Puzzles are done just right.
Cons:
-No skipping past cut-scenes.
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