King's Quest (2015 video game)
King's Quest is an episodic video game series developed by The Odd Gentlemen and published by Activision under the Sierra Entertainment brand name for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is a re-imagining of the long-running King's Quest adventure game series. The interface is not fully point-and-click, and the Windows version only uses point-and-click for the dialogue and first person scenes.
The game is one of several attempts at resurrecting or rebooting the King's Quest franchise since 1998, and its first chapter was released about 32 years after King's Quest I. The new chapters are seen as neither a remake nor necessarily a sequel but a "re-imagining". The original games are considered to be part of the canon of the new series, as each chapter will take place between those games; however, previous games may be reinterpreted in completely new ways.
Gameplay
Unlike some of the classic King's Quest video games, the new King's Quest is not a point-and-click adventure. Instead, it is an adventure game that tasks players to control Graham, who ventures to different places to become a knight. The movement of Graham can be completely controlled by players. According to Matt Korba, the game's creative director, the game's controls focuses on "one-button context". As a result, the game does not have any complicated interfaces or controls. Player interaction includes picking up, gathering, and inspecting scenery items. They can switch to first-person perspective when inspecting them.The game is narrated by the elderly King Graham and his granddaughter Gwendolyn. Players' actions in the game change the narrative. For instance, performing certain actions unlocks additional dialogue. When players make wrong decisions and die, Graham replies with phrases such as "That's what would have happened if I did that", before players re-spawn. Players also make decisions throughout the game that are divided into three different approaches, bravery, wisdom, and compassion. Actions performed by players have consequences and impact the game's story, and as a result, change the game's overall experience. Most of these choices are game play-based. According to Korba, all the choices made by Graham are heroic, and there is no way for players to build a "bad" Graham.
The first section is linear, where levels open sequentially. Players are free to explore levels, and have no prescribed or predetermined paths. Players can use a variety of methods to complete their objectives, and are tasked to solve various puzzles, with no fixed solutions. Players can also have conversations with anyone in the game. The game features branching dialogue, action sequences, quick-time events, and on-rail platform elements.
Plot
King Graham shares his previous adventures with his curious granddaughter, Gwendolyn, teaching her about his life.The series re-imagines certain events, elements, and backstories from previous games. Some of Graham's backstory even differs from that given in Sierra's previous material. Rather than having grown up in Daventry, he is now an outsider that has recently come to the land. The main tale of Chapter I, according to Graham, is from the time when he was but a lad, before he was a knight, and before he came to Daventry for the first time from Llewdor. He has only read about Daventry from travel guides he used to read as a child, and could not wait to see its famous landmarks for himself.
Classic games and The King's Quest Companion are reused for references and reimagined events including places from the expanded universe. Chapter 1s prologue reimagines events from King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown and focuses on the Mirror of the three treasures as the main treasure Edward sent Graham on to become king of Daventry, the events of the dragon's lair from the King's Quest I are completely reimagined as an action sequence involving being chased by the dragon, and having to make a final choice on how to distract the dragon to escape back up the well to the surface. Later chapters put further focus on the mirror, and point out that he also went on separate adventures throughout his life for other treasures, and wants to go on adventures to find even more lost treasures of Daventry even in his old age to save his legacy.
The main story is about Graham coming to the kingdom to take part in a Knight Tournament to become a Knight of Daventry, and the winner will also be in the running to become the next king. Graham must defeat each of the other knights at various challenges. He befriends one of the knights Achaka, who teaches him how to properly use his bow, but witnesses his death to the dragon. Ultimately he defeats the last knight Manny at a game of Wits, and banishes the evil knight from the kingdom.
Chapter 3: Once Upon A Climb completely reimagines the events from King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne by taking the story of the princess trapped in the tower by an evil witch Hagatha, but now there are two princesses trapped in the same tower, trapped along with the witch who is also a princess. Graham himself becomes trapped with them in the tower, and has to figure out how to escape. The player ends up choosing between the two princesses to be his wife. The synopsis suggests that the original story players may remember was only a fairy tale, and that the new series tells the real and more complicated story.
Chapter 4: Snow Place Like Home reimagined elements of King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human, including the details of how Alexander was stolen with the Royal Family, and elements of Alexander's stay in Llewdor. Manannan fled there soon after the kidnapping, with Alexander imprisoned in a mansion. Alexander and Mordon were trained in magic in preparation to conquer Daventry, and usurp the throne.
Alexander eventually escaped by turning his master into a cat, and returned to a relatively peaceful Daventry. Surprising the royal family as they discuss vacation plans, they decide to allow Alexander to accompany them, and ultimately end up travelling to a mysterious Ice Labyrinth. The princess whom the player did not choose turns out to be Icebella. Icebella is ultimately killed by Manny. Manny is defeated again by Alexander, who uses a magic cookie to transform him back into a cat. In the end, one of Icebella's ice guardian creations picks up her crown and declares herself the new Icebella. Mordon ends dropping his "slave name", and changes his name to Mordack, further foreshadowing King's Quest V. Some of Alexander's dialogue also foreshadows events of King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow; he mentions that a crystal ball predicted that he would encounter a minotaur in a labyrinth in the future, and that he would encounter a woman with olive skin and green eyes.
Chapter 5: The Good Knight takes place late in Graham's life as an elderly man. He has one last encounter with Manny—a chance to prove he is still healthy and sound of mind. The events of King's Quest V are revised; rather than stonework, the location where Graham and Mordack had their magical duel had wooden floor boards, which he hid under after casting a fire spell. Similar references are made to King's Quest VI, including the idea that Graham is contemplating his mortality, and his travels to the Realm of the Dead to stand before Samhain. One reference in particular shows the gates to Realm of the Dead in their classic digitized-watercolor style. Graham manages to save his kingdom, but is poisoned in the process, and Manny tries to exact his final revenge; Mordack takes pity on Graham and saves the king. The former rivals become friends.
The framing story takes place in the last weeks or months of Graham's life while he is bedridden from the poison in Chapter 5. King Graham is relating the tales of his life to his grand-daughter, Gwendolyn, to assist her in becoming a wise and just ruler when he passes on. To ensure that Gwendolyn will be allowed to assume the throne, Graham revises the laws of Daventry, which previously stated that only a male heir could take the throne. As the poison takes its toll, Graham sees the ghost of his old friend Achaka, and begins to forget the details of many of his adventures; Gwendolyn fills in the gaps where possible, and eventually concludes Graham's story by interpreting the events he had already related. Graham passes away later that night, leaving a letter for Gwendolyn to read that urges her to build her own legacy, rather than relying on his.
In the Epilogue, Gwendolyn embarks on her own adventure: the hunt for a yarblesnoof. Along the way, she encounters Achaka's own granddaughter, Taskia, who arrived in Daventry to defeat a dragon and avenge Achaka. When the two located the dragon, they discover that it's still an infant, innocent of any involvement in Achaka's death. The two befriend the dragon and return to the castle.