Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: As Robin Hood, you must gather money for the king's ransom while avoiding the Sheriff of Nottingham's men.
Gameplay: Gameplay is a mix of arcade sequences involving things such as playing backgammon or (of course) archery and puzzles, which are a mix of item usage, wayfinding, and memory. Thankfully, there is a difficulty slider for the arcade sequences.
As for the puzzles, many of them depend upon the game's copy protection, which uses things such as coats of arms and arcane druid knowledge. It's interesting stuff, but it feels over-used. Other puzzles aren't bad, but there are some annoying instances where it takes a bit to realize how to implement what you want to do.
Style: The graphics have lovely VGA colors with plenty of inset portraits to convey characters. Sherwood Forest is vibrant and there are plenty of screens, but also lots of maps so you don't have to tromp about to get everywhere. The music is beautiful.
Story: The story takes place very sequentially, with certain events happening each day and the day ending when events are completed. Thus the game can go quite quickly if you know what to do and quite slowly if you do not. It's also possible to have something go awry early in the game and then play the rest of the game to go a horrible ending. Despite these issues, the game builds nicely and includes lots of Robin Hood touchstones.
As in the previous Conquest game, there are lots of pagan references, and they feel a bit odder here, perhaps because this game is set later in time. It doesn't help that Friar Tuck is the sole charitably portrayed priestly character, and he has to be included by tradition.
Conclusion: Conquests of the Longbow is a colorful and fun tale of Robin Hood with some annoyances in its puzzles.
Showing posts with label sierra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sierra. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Monday, November 19, 2018
"Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail" Review
Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: To heal Camelot, King Arthur must find the Holy Grail.
Gameplay: The puzzles in the game are more often knowledge than inventory-based (although there are some of the latter as well.) They range from straightforward to frustratingly obscure. There are also various arcade sequences involving timing as King Arthur fights foes.
Style: These are EGA graphics at their finest. The scenery is colorful and varied. The screen is bordered, which besides offering a nice setting changes per scene to subtly set the tone. The music is memorable as well. Even the text-based parser has a nice touch (you as King Arthur are talking to Merlin.)
Story: The magical Britain of the game is not so unusual for Camelot stories, although the mix of myths perhaps is. I am, however, unable to remember any grail stories that actually go to Jerusalem, especially in the fifth century A.D. It all makes for a strange mishmash at times (most quests that start with a prayer to Christ don't end with a talk with Aphrodite) but it's interesting at the very least.
The story does excel at conveying the tone of knightly virtue needed for hunting the grail and, in its end, the melancholy of Camelot's ultimate fate.
Conclusion: Despite some iffy puzzles and old-school awkwardness, "Conquests of Camelot" offers a beautiful game and some truly emotional moments.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: To heal Camelot, King Arthur must find the Holy Grail.
Gameplay: The puzzles in the game are more often knowledge than inventory-based (although there are some of the latter as well.) They range from straightforward to frustratingly obscure. There are also various arcade sequences involving timing as King Arthur fights foes.
Style: These are EGA graphics at their finest. The scenery is colorful and varied. The screen is bordered, which besides offering a nice setting changes per scene to subtly set the tone. The music is memorable as well. Even the text-based parser has a nice touch (you as King Arthur are talking to Merlin.)
Story: The magical Britain of the game is not so unusual for Camelot stories, although the mix of myths perhaps is. I am, however, unable to remember any grail stories that actually go to Jerusalem, especially in the fifth century A.D. It all makes for a strange mishmash at times (most quests that start with a prayer to Christ don't end with a talk with Aphrodite) but it's interesting at the very least.
The story does excel at conveying the tone of knightly virtue needed for hunting the grail and, in its end, the melancholy of Camelot's ultimate fate.
Conclusion: Despite some iffy puzzles and old-school awkwardness, "Conquests of Camelot" offers a beautiful game and some truly emotional moments.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
"King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella" Review
Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After her father falls ill, Princess Rosella must find the magical fruit to heal him while also helping a fairy recover her magical talisman.
Gameplay: Most of the puzzles are baffling enough I find a walkthrough vital. Knowledge of faery tales helps a little, but not always. (Why would I go fishing? How am I supposed to know where Pandora's Box is?) There is sometimes dexterity involved in navigating stairs and cliffsides, but this is minor (especially compared to previous King's Quest games.)
Style: Graphics have improved greatly from previous games, and pixelated close-ups of faces, while orange, ably convey emotion. I wish I could look using the right mouse button, but Rosella automatically swims and the game usually pauses when typing, which are great improvements. I like the music.
Story: As in previous games, the realm Rosella traverses has a somewhat random collection of locations and characters, but there are occasional connections (I want to know the story behind that mansion, though.)
The overarching story is relatively complex compared to previous games, with some memorable characters and even a bit of variety (you can choose when to go get the magical fruit, for example.) The ending is satisfying, as well.
Conclusion: While sometimes rough around the edges, "The Perils of Rosella" is a fun game with neat moments.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After her father falls ill, Princess Rosella must find the magical fruit to heal him while also helping a fairy recover her magical talisman.
Gameplay: Most of the puzzles are baffling enough I find a walkthrough vital. Knowledge of faery tales helps a little, but not always. (Why would I go fishing? How am I supposed to know where Pandora's Box is?) There is sometimes dexterity involved in navigating stairs and cliffsides, but this is minor (especially compared to previous King's Quest games.)
Style: Graphics have improved greatly from previous games, and pixelated close-ups of faces, while orange, ably convey emotion. I wish I could look using the right mouse button, but Rosella automatically swims and the game usually pauses when typing, which are great improvements. I like the music.
Story: As in previous games, the realm Rosella traverses has a somewhat random collection of locations and characters, but there are occasional connections (I want to know the story behind that mansion, though.)
The overarching story is relatively complex compared to previous games, with some memorable characters and even a bit of variety (you can choose when to go get the magical fruit, for example.) The ending is satisfying, as well.
Conclusion: While sometimes rough around the edges, "The Perils of Rosella" is a fun game with neat moments.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
"King's Quest III: To Heir is Human Redux" Review
Publisher: AGD Interactive Studios
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq3/about/overview.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: For as long as he can remember, Gwydion has been a slave to the evil wizard Manannan. He must secretly learn spells to escape and find his true family.
Gameplay: Most of the game involves puzzles and gathering spell ingredients while avoiding Manannan finding out. The AGD version adds a timer the turns yellow and then red as his return grows closer, which is helpful. It also highlights inventory items that need to be hidden from the wizard. In turn, "Redux" adds some new puzzles and solutions in places. These are sometimes interesting but sometimes feel unnecessary.
Style: The point-and-click interface is welcome, as it makes it easier to cast spells than when typing (not easy, mind, but easier.) The graphics are also nicely updated, although I wish Gwydion looked a bit more like the original's ragged yet noble waif than his more coiffed King's Quest 6 self here.
Story: Even with the timer, the tension of escaping the evil wizard is strong, and I don't enjoy it at all. Still, it's certainly always satisfying to finally defeat Manannan. But I wish the game were better paced, as the post-Manannan game feels rushed and disparate, despite being very interesting and emotional.
The AGD version adds some backstory and ties in to other bits of King's Quest lore, but I found I wished it had better connected the miscellaneous characters and monsters of the original game like the AGD King's Quest II. And more could be done with the revelation of Gwydion's true past.
Conclusion: Despite some fun elements and some helpful updates in this version, I'll never enjoy the format of this game. Too much of it is spent under the thumb of a tyrannical wizard.
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq3/about/overview.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: For as long as he can remember, Gwydion has been a slave to the evil wizard Manannan. He must secretly learn spells to escape and find his true family.
Gameplay: Most of the game involves puzzles and gathering spell ingredients while avoiding Manannan finding out. The AGD version adds a timer the turns yellow and then red as his return grows closer, which is helpful. It also highlights inventory items that need to be hidden from the wizard. In turn, "Redux" adds some new puzzles and solutions in places. These are sometimes interesting but sometimes feel unnecessary.
Style: The point-and-click interface is welcome, as it makes it easier to cast spells than when typing (not easy, mind, but easier.) The graphics are also nicely updated, although I wish Gwydion looked a bit more like the original's ragged yet noble waif than his more coiffed King's Quest 6 self here.
Story: Even with the timer, the tension of escaping the evil wizard is strong, and I don't enjoy it at all. Still, it's certainly always satisfying to finally defeat Manannan. But I wish the game were better paced, as the post-Manannan game feels rushed and disparate, despite being very interesting and emotional.
The AGD version adds some backstory and ties in to other bits of King's Quest lore, but I found I wished it had better connected the miscellaneous characters and monsters of the original game like the AGD King's Quest II. And more could be done with the revelation of Gwydion's true past.
Conclusion: Despite some fun elements and some helpful updates in this version, I'll never enjoy the format of this game. Too much of it is spent under the thumb of a tyrannical wizard.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
"King's Quest II: Romancing the Stones" Review
Publisher: AGDInteractive Studios
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq2/about/about.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After having a vision of a beautiful woman trapped in a tower, King Graham travels to the treacherous land of Kolyma to seek three magical gems to free her.
Gameplay: Among the updates to the 1985 original version is a point-and-click interface, which is very welcome. There is also voice acting, which I don't generally bother with (I don't mind characters being voiced, but narration generally annoys me.) It can be turned off in favor of text, but I can't seem skip past the text boxes in some scenes, which is irritating.
Numerous puzzles are also changed or added. Some of this is welcome to flesh out the story, but sometimes it's a bit much. A lot of the puzzles are finicky (items that only have one use, for example) or the solutions don't feel very intuitive (granted, this was also true of the original.) There's too much backtracking, and the game overall feels longer than it needs to be.
Style: The graphics have been updated and look nice. Sometimes close-ups are rather awkward, however. I greatly enjoyed the music, especially when it used cues from other games in the series in appropriate instances.
Story: An early game like "King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne" was pretty bare-bones when it came to plot, so I appreciate efforts to add more, and many of the ways the AGD team ties together the very disparate plot elements of the original are quite clever. As the game draws to a close, references to future King's Quest games and some more dramatic plot elements really enrich the story.
Not everything works, however. There are some bits that could have used a bit more set-up. And, most importantly, I think the game feels a bit too dark and violent for King's Quest, especially the "second" game in the series. The original docked you points for killing a snake. In this game Graham threatens several people with a sword and definitely kills one person (getting points for it.) I can't help but feel there could have been some lighter solutions to problems (particularly in the area of Count Caldaur.)
Conclusion: Although an improvement over its simple predecessor and containing some great moments, "Romancing the Stones" is dogged by too many puzzles and some rough plot elements.
Website: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq2/about/about.html
Genre: Adventure
Summary: After having a vision of a beautiful woman trapped in a tower, King Graham travels to the treacherous land of Kolyma to seek three magical gems to free her.
Gameplay: Among the updates to the 1985 original version is a point-and-click interface, which is very welcome. There is also voice acting, which I don't generally bother with (I don't mind characters being voiced, but narration generally annoys me.) It can be turned off in favor of text, but I can't seem skip past the text boxes in some scenes, which is irritating.
Numerous puzzles are also changed or added. Some of this is welcome to flesh out the story, but sometimes it's a bit much. A lot of the puzzles are finicky (items that only have one use, for example) or the solutions don't feel very intuitive (granted, this was also true of the original.) There's too much backtracking, and the game overall feels longer than it needs to be.
Style: The graphics have been updated and look nice. Sometimes close-ups are rather awkward, however. I greatly enjoyed the music, especially when it used cues from other games in the series in appropriate instances.
Story: An early game like "King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne" was pretty bare-bones when it came to plot, so I appreciate efforts to add more, and many of the ways the AGD team ties together the very disparate plot elements of the original are quite clever. As the game draws to a close, references to future King's Quest games and some more dramatic plot elements really enrich the story.
Not everything works, however. There are some bits that could have used a bit more set-up. And, most importantly, I think the game feels a bit too dark and violent for King's Quest, especially the "second" game in the series. The original docked you points for killing a snake. In this game Graham threatens several people with a sword and definitely kills one person (getting points for it.) I can't help but feel there could have been some lighter solutions to problems (particularly in the area of Count Caldaur.)
Conclusion: Although an improvement over its simple predecessor and containing some great moments, "Romancing the Stones" is dogged by too many puzzles and some rough plot elements.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
"King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown" Review
Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Sir Graham is tasked by the King of Daventry with finding its lost three treasures.
Notes: Given the various versions and remakes this game has had over its long history (originally released in 1983, it's older than me), I wanted to clarify which game I'm talking about. I have played the original version, but not in some time. I am most familiar with the 1990 SCI remake, and that is the game I mostly reference here.
Gameplay: Daventry isn't huge, but it's just about the right size that it's pleasant to explore but quick enough to get where you need to go without much trouble. The quests themselves are mostly straightforward, with some exceptions (and the legendarily ridiculous gnome name riddle, which is at least slightly less horrendous in the remake.)
Best of all, however, are the options. There are random treasures to discover and several optional quests. The main quests all have at least two if not more ways to solve them. Such variability is always appreciated and is especially impressive in such an early game.
I don't mind the typing interface in the remake, mostly because the game pauses when you type. Previously, your ability to survive might be dependent upon how fast you could type "duck."
Style: The graphics in the original are obviously rough, but given it is literally the first game with interactive graphics, it's hard to fault it. I find the remake's graphics charming and colorful.
Story: While the quest for the treasures is simple enough, there isn't much underpinning the rest of the story besides random bits stolen from fairy tales. It's fun, mind you, but part of me wishes for a more logical structure than just a random witch here and a leprechaun there.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Sir Graham is tasked by the King of Daventry with finding its lost three treasures.
Notes: Given the various versions and remakes this game has had over its long history (originally released in 1983, it's older than me), I wanted to clarify which game I'm talking about. I have played the original version, but not in some time. I am most familiar with the 1990 SCI remake, and that is the game I mostly reference here.
Gameplay: Daventry isn't huge, but it's just about the right size that it's pleasant to explore but quick enough to get where you need to go without much trouble. The quests themselves are mostly straightforward, with some exceptions (and the legendarily ridiculous gnome name riddle, which is at least slightly less horrendous in the remake.)
Best of all, however, are the options. There are random treasures to discover and several optional quests. The main quests all have at least two if not more ways to solve them. Such variability is always appreciated and is especially impressive in such an early game.
I don't mind the typing interface in the remake, mostly because the game pauses when you type. Previously, your ability to survive might be dependent upon how fast you could type "duck."
Style: The graphics in the original are obviously rough, but given it is literally the first game with interactive graphics, it's hard to fault it. I find the remake's graphics charming and colorful.
Story: While the quest for the treasures is simple enough, there isn't much underpinning the rest of the story besides random bits stolen from fairy tales. It's fun, mind you, but part of me wishes for a more logical structure than just a random witch here and a leprechaun there.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Five Best Endgames
A good game ending may be hard to find--but equally hard to find is a good endgame. The preceding sentence to an ending's punctuation, too often an endgame is a joyless slog of mindless, difficult combat, or simply deficient in wrapping the game up for the coming finish.
But this post is for the good ones. These endgames are fun, exciting, and, one way or another, draw everything to a perfect close.
But this post is for the good ones. These endgames are fun, exciting, and, one way or another, draw everything to a perfect close.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Five Best Game Endings
Well, I've discussed worst endings. Far more difficult, of course, are good endings. What makes a good ending? Well, the game's plot must be concluded satisfactorily--no cliffhangers that leave half of the game unexplained, no abrupt twists of tone, no petering out of the story. Often, the chance to see how I affected the game world for better or worse with various actions throughout the game is a plus.
As before, this is a list of the best endings of games I have personally finished, and it is the endings themselves I am rating, not the endgames (that will be another list. Someday.)
As before, this is a list of the best endings of games I have personally finished, and it is the endings themselves I am rating, not the endgames (that will be another list. Someday.)
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