Korgoth of Barbaria
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I think we kind of expect too much. Outside of KQ6, the KQ series was all pretty sucky, wasn't it? Charming, but on closer examination, a bit on the sucky side....
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Decline New King's Quest game - MASSIVE DECLINE Everything is shit
- Thread starter Crooked Bee
- Start date
Jackalope
Arcane
I'm really not expecting much. I just wanted some OK puzzles and a story that doesn't insult my inteligence and that doesn't contradict everything established in the previous games. But:
The puzzles are bad, real bad. Most of the puzzles are 1/ sliding puzzles and 2/follow a line in the floor. Also 3D Tetris to fit some cargo in the back of a carriage. I have better puzzles on my phone. The only "puzzles" I liked in this episode are the riddles, and even that has one that's way too stupid to even mention.
The writing is really bad. The pacing is all over the place. The jokes never work and always out of place. I don't think I chuckled even once.
There are no stakes. Graham spends 90% of the time thinking he's in some kind of resort and he actually thinks all the "puzzles" are some kind of entertaiment. He walks in there like an idiot and when his wife and daughter go missing, he's ok with it. And no one is that stupid.
The Sphinx is the one cool thing in this episode and that's mainly due to the voice actor, design and animation... She's an interesting villain (Too bad they ruin her in the end). Manny is crap and so is Isobella. The whole Alexander thing doesn't work at all. Graham is an idiot and has nothing in common with the Graham from King's Quest 5.
The writing is really bad. The pacing is all over the place. The jokes never work and always out of place. I don't think I chuckled even once.
There are no stakes. Graham spends 90% of the time thinking he's in some kind of resort and he actually thinks all the "puzzles" are some kind of entertaiment. He walks in there like an idiot and when his wife and daughter go missing, he's ok with it. And no one is that stupid.
The Sphinx is the one cool thing in this episode and that's mainly due to the voice actor, design and animation... She's an interesting villain (Too bad they ruin her in the end). Manny is crap and so is Isobella. The whole Alexander thing doesn't work at all. Graham is an idiot and has nothing in common with the Graham from King's Quest 5.
There are fans of this?
Korgoth of Barbaria
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I think my biggest qualm with the reboot is the following. It's several things which are all generally connected:
1) Why does every character have to engage in puns and be over the top? I get that puns were a part of the title, and the death screens, but the characters themselves (with the exception of one or two) were played straight. Graham was always stoic, and this wasn't poor acting; Josh Mandel has said Roberta's conception of Graham was basically that, no matter the situation, he was stoic and "buff." That he might've had emotions, but he kept a strong face outwardly. Alexander was always the more proper Prince, meeker than his father and more gentle due to his background as a slave. Rosella was both a pampered Princess - having been doted on as the family's only remaining child - and also brave. Valanice was stern and regal. None of these characters were silly, nor did they engage in pun wars. But in the reboot, EVERY character is zany. Daventry is sillier than Monty Python's Camelot.
2) Why have they made Graham so effeminate? Not only is he silly and engaging in puns, but he just comes off like a very feminine, hipster male. He talks at one point about how looking at a milkshake, at his age, "makes [his] thighs jiggle" (that's a direct quote), and his speech patterns resemble more feminine ones than masculine. And he also squees a lot. He comes off like a girl from Tumblr at times rather than a brave King.
3) Why is there so much modern day lingo? While the original 7 games were in generally modern English, I don't recall them ever using slang. Graham says the following at various points: "My bad", "My relaxed box"; another character actually says he is "pissed off", verbatim. "Pissed off" doesn't fit in a medieval setting, unless its GOT where cursing is the norm; and it especially doesn't fit in a family game. Graham also makes reference to "number two" meaning poo. There's repeated references to leg, arm and "belly" day.
4) Every bad guy has a complicated backstory and becomes in one way or another a sympathetic character. There are no just plain old villains. Even Manannan, the only real bad guy, has a sad backstory added to his character. Why? What ever happened to a bad guy is bad just because he's bad, and he needs to be vanquished because of it? Even in the most kid friendly original game, KQ7, Malicia was just evil because that's who she was. Why does every character have to be redeemed?
5) I get that this is an episodic game, but why do we need to meet the same cast of characters repeatedly? You could argue that these are all parts of a singular arc of Graham's life. But why do Whisper, Amaya, and a few others have to be the narrow features of that arc? You can have a connected narrative and still have each chapter of that narrative be relatively standalone.
6) Why all the references to modern day pop culture - which goes to point #3? KQ NEVER had references to '80s or '90s pop culture.
7) A minor quibble, but the game in each chapter makes repeated jibes and jabs at "dream logic". Which is basically insulting the original games. Even if dream logic hasn't held up well, you don't insult prior entries in your own series.
I just...The writing is good, in the sense that these guys can write. I don't mean it's good writing from a KQ perspective, just that these guys can construct a story...But why did they choose to so utterly throw out everything about how the original characters acted? Why do they need to make it so...hipstery? So "Modern Disney" I guess is the only fitting word. There are no serious characters. No darkness, really.
I never liked Monkey Island, despite really wanting to, because of how over-the-top it was. I'm no stick in the mud. I like humor, but it has to be clever. Why did they feel the need to turn KQ into Medieval Monkey Island? Often times, it feels like a parody of King's Quest rather than a reboot. The same way the 2004 Starsky & Hutch was both a parody and a remake.
As I said, I now view this game as basically licensed fan fiction, and I enjoy it from that perspective. I'm over hating it. It's not a bad game. It's just it would've worked better on its own, as a medieval Monkey Island, than with the KQ name attached to it. The KQ name would seem to actually be an albatross as to what they seem to be going for. They're not bad writers. They would've done a great Monkey Island game. They just specialize in quirky games and probably would've done a great entry level, quirky adventure game. But fixing their template to KQ feels forced, and breaks the characters and the world. The fanboy part of me does try to gloss over these flaws at times because I am admittedly so desperate for anything KQ or Sierra related; and at times when I can't gloss over them, it turns to anger. Which is why I flip flop.
A part of me sees the talent present and effort put into it, and thinks, "Okay, I like this part of it", and then I get pissed off when they take a cool idea and totally ruin it with hipsterness. There was so much potential in the basic plotline of an elderly Graham telling the tales of his adventures to his granddaughter. You could have that framework, and still tell some really epic, on par with KQVI stories. But instead, they chose to Monkey Island it, and that drives me nuts, because I'll never understand why. What possessed them to make buff King Graham into an effete Tumblr dweller?
1) Why does every character have to engage in puns and be over the top? I get that puns were a part of the title, and the death screens, but the characters themselves (with the exception of one or two) were played straight. Graham was always stoic, and this wasn't poor acting; Josh Mandel has said Roberta's conception of Graham was basically that, no matter the situation, he was stoic and "buff." That he might've had emotions, but he kept a strong face outwardly. Alexander was always the more proper Prince, meeker than his father and more gentle due to his background as a slave. Rosella was both a pampered Princess - having been doted on as the family's only remaining child - and also brave. Valanice was stern and regal. None of these characters were silly, nor did they engage in pun wars. But in the reboot, EVERY character is zany. Daventry is sillier than Monty Python's Camelot.
2) Why have they made Graham so effeminate? Not only is he silly and engaging in puns, but he just comes off like a very feminine, hipster male. He talks at one point about how looking at a milkshake, at his age, "makes [his] thighs jiggle" (that's a direct quote), and his speech patterns resemble more feminine ones than masculine. And he also squees a lot. He comes off like a girl from Tumblr at times rather than a brave King.
3) Why is there so much modern day lingo? While the original 7 games were in generally modern English, I don't recall them ever using slang. Graham says the following at various points: "My bad", "My relaxed box"; another character actually says he is "pissed off", verbatim. "Pissed off" doesn't fit in a medieval setting, unless its GOT where cursing is the norm; and it especially doesn't fit in a family game. Graham also makes reference to "number two" meaning poo. There's repeated references to leg, arm and "belly" day.
4) Every bad guy has a complicated backstory and becomes in one way or another a sympathetic character. There are no just plain old villains. Even Manannan, the only real bad guy, has a sad backstory added to his character. Why? What ever happened to a bad guy is bad just because he's bad, and he needs to be vanquished because of it? Even in the most kid friendly original game, KQ7, Malicia was just evil because that's who she was. Why does every character have to be redeemed?
5) I get that this is an episodic game, but why do we need to meet the same cast of characters repeatedly? You could argue that these are all parts of a singular arc of Graham's life. But why do Whisper, Amaya, and a few others have to be the narrow features of that arc? You can have a connected narrative and still have each chapter of that narrative be relatively standalone.
6) Why all the references to modern day pop culture - which goes to point #3? KQ NEVER had references to '80s or '90s pop culture.
7) A minor quibble, but the game in each chapter makes repeated jibes and jabs at "dream logic". Which is basically insulting the original games. Even if dream logic hasn't held up well, you don't insult prior entries in your own series.
I just...The writing is good, in the sense that these guys can write. I don't mean it's good writing from a KQ perspective, just that these guys can construct a story...But why did they choose to so utterly throw out everything about how the original characters acted? Why do they need to make it so...hipstery? So "Modern Disney" I guess is the only fitting word. There are no serious characters. No darkness, really.
I never liked Monkey Island, despite really wanting to, because of how over-the-top it was. I'm no stick in the mud. I like humor, but it has to be clever. Why did they feel the need to turn KQ into Medieval Monkey Island? Often times, it feels like a parody of King's Quest rather than a reboot. The same way the 2004 Starsky & Hutch was both a parody and a remake.
As I said, I now view this game as basically licensed fan fiction, and I enjoy it from that perspective. I'm over hating it. It's not a bad game. It's just it would've worked better on its own, as a medieval Monkey Island, than with the KQ name attached to it. The KQ name would seem to actually be an albatross as to what they seem to be going for. They're not bad writers. They would've done a great Monkey Island game. They just specialize in quirky games and probably would've done a great entry level, quirky adventure game. But fixing their template to KQ feels forced, and breaks the characters and the world. The fanboy part of me does try to gloss over these flaws at times because I am admittedly so desperate for anything KQ or Sierra related; and at times when I can't gloss over them, it turns to anger. Which is why I flip flop.
A part of me sees the talent present and effort put into it, and thinks, "Okay, I like this part of it", and then I get pissed off when they take a cool idea and totally ruin it with hipsterness. There was so much potential in the basic plotline of an elderly Graham telling the tales of his adventures to his granddaughter. You could have that framework, and still tell some really epic, on par with KQVI stories. But instead, they chose to Monkey Island it, and that drives me nuts, because I'll never understand why. What possessed them to make buff King Graham into an effete Tumblr dweller?
Jackalope
Arcane
I agree with most of this, though comparing it to Monkey Island is kind of an insult to Monkey Island. The "humor" in NewKQ is a lot worse than anything in Monkey Island. I guess they are just trying so hard to make King's Quest into something it is not, and it shows. It just doesn't work. I'm fine with a pun or two, but you can't just drop five in a row and hope someone chuckles.
The way they handle humor is real sad. They want to have a bunch of zany, stupid good guys. But they are so zany and stupid, they actually become incompetent. The guards, Acorn, the Hobblepots, Whisper, even Graham - all are these monkeys that want to make puns and bad jokes. They themselves are jokes, as basic as they are. Annoying and trite. I can't root for the idiots, even if they are idiots who think that are charming. In the game so far I liked 3 characters. Achaka, because he didn't talk and was actually competent. Hagatha, because they did something interesting with a character for a change. I also liked the Sphinx (before the big reveal at the end), because she wasn't an idiot. Everybody else can go burn in a fire. The grandchildren are ever more annoying this time, which is kind of an achievement.
The way they handle humor is real sad. They want to have a bunch of zany, stupid good guys. But they are so zany and stupid, they actually become incompetent. The guards, Acorn, the Hobblepots, Whisper, even Graham - all are these monkeys that want to make puns and bad jokes. They themselves are jokes, as basic as they are. Annoying and trite. I can't root for the idiots, even if they are idiots who think that are charming. In the game so far I liked 3 characters. Achaka, because he didn't talk and was actually competent. Hagatha, because they did something interesting with a character for a change. I also liked the Sphinx (before the big reveal at the end), because she wasn't an idiot. Everybody else can go burn in a fire. The grandchildren are ever more annoying this time, which is kind of an achievement.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Here, Graham literally squees like a woman about gaining weight.
Actual dialogue:
"This body can't handle sweets the way it used to. Seriously, if I even look at a milkshake, my thighs will jiggle for a week. But Alexander, you're in for a real treeeeeaaaat."
King Graham of Daventry everybody.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Also, go to 1:24:31 to see Graham literally squee and jiggle like a girl for an entire minute.
I was on a lot of prednisone the last few weeks due, and boy - that'll bring out the rage in you. I can say I don't care for this game, at all, but I'm laughing at my own rage on some previous posts. I mean, I never expected the game to get better, but man - this latest chapter was just more terrible characterization and pretty poor puzzles, that's for sure.
Bt
Bt
Korgoth of Barbaria
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There was very very few character or inventory based puzzles. Each Episode they seem to be trying for a different game mechanic - the first was the closest to a traditional adventure game. The second was sort of a resource manager. The third was inspired by Japanese dating Sims, and this was inspired by Professor Layton and Puzzle Games. The fact they want to explore different styles of play is all well and good, but they should do that in their own sandbox - not someone else's. Even KQ7 while different tonally was still a pure adventure game. The whole reason people disliked KQ8 is because it deviated from being an adventure game to being a hybrid. With each chapter they also keep breaking established canon more and more, and I don't see the need for that. This newest chapter retcons KQ4 out of existence and dramatically changes KQ3 and 5.
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That's a bit too harsh IMNSHO. It may have overall been one of Sierra's weaker adventure game series (particularly in terms of fairness), but that doesn't per se put it on the sucky side. Sure, 1+2 are quite frankly terrible, but 3+6 are both great games, and 4+5 are pretty good as well. And while 7+8 were Decline Incarnate, they still rank as okay to me.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Yeah I was probably a little too harsh myself. I love KQ1 SCI, 4, 5, and 6. 8 I love for being what it is - not a KQ sequel, just a game set in that world. 7 I don't mind but I don't play often. But I honestly have no use for the original KQ1, 2 or 2. I'm just not a fan of AGI games at all.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Sierra has announced the finale to its episodic King’s Quest game will release on October 25.
King’s Quest - Chapter 5: The Good Knight will take a look at King Graham, who is now an old man even in his flashbacks, as he prepares to go on one last adventure for his kingdom. Unfortunately, with Graham’s old age comes a natural deterioration of his health, and the legitimacy of his memories come into question.
"Watching King Graham grow up through each chapter has been surreal for our team, as we ourselves have grown as game developers and humans right beside him," said Matt Korba, president and creative director at The Odd Gentlemen. "It's a rare opportunity to be able to cover the lifetime of a character in one series of a video game, and as we approach the end, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the final pages of this vision of King Graham's journey.”
Now that the finale is nearly here, Sierra is also announcing a retail version of King’s Quest: The Complete Collection will also launch on October 25 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. The retail version of the game will include all five chapters as well as a bonus playable story epilogue.
It’s been quite an interesting ride for the new King’s Quest game, which was first announced in December 2014. Since its debut, we’ve seen Graham become a king, be tested as the ruler of a new kingdom, find the love of his life, and save Prince Alexander from Queen Isabella’s Frozen Castle. We’re sure the finale will be just as exciting as Graham’s life has been and we’re looking forward to its release later this month.
King’s Quest - Chapter 5: The Good Knight will take a look at King Graham, who is now an old man even in his flashbacks, as he prepares to go on one last adventure for his kingdom. Unfortunately, with Graham’s old age comes a natural deterioration of his health, and the legitimacy of his memories come into question.
"Watching King Graham grow up through each chapter has been surreal for our team, as we ourselves have grown as game developers and humans right beside him," said Matt Korba, president and creative director at The Odd Gentlemen. "It's a rare opportunity to be able to cover the lifetime of a character in one series of a video game, and as we approach the end, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the final pages of this vision of King Graham's journey.”
Now that the finale is nearly here, Sierra is also announcing a retail version of King’s Quest: The Complete Collection will also launch on October 25 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. The retail version of the game will include all five chapters as well as a bonus playable story epilogue.
It’s been quite an interesting ride for the new King’s Quest game, which was first announced in December 2014. Since its debut, we’ve seen Graham become a king, be tested as the ruler of a new kingdom, find the love of his life, and save Prince Alexander from Queen Isabella’s Frozen Castle. We’re sure the finale will be just as exciting as Graham’s life has been and we’re looking forward to its release later this month.
Well, finally we can put this to rest, and let the series die, I suppose. Sad way for "Sierra" to go out.
Bt
Bt
Boleskine
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It was about 4 months between the other episodes. The final one coming out so soon seems like when you take a big dump and have a small pebble-sized turd left. After waiting patiently for a few moments, you just decide to squeeze it out and be done.
Activision probably told TOG to wrap it up so they can go back to not giving a shit about Sierra and the overrated brand of 90s point and click nostalgia. Would have been better to leave the Sierra corpse rotting peacefully than to dig it up, throw a hipster King's Quest costume on it, and have to bury the damn thing all over again.
Activision probably told TOG to wrap it up so they can go back to not giving a shit about Sierra and the overrated brand of 90s point and click nostalgia. Would have been better to leave the Sierra corpse rotting peacefully than to dig it up, throw a hipster King's Quest costume on it, and have to bury the damn thing all over again.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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They're even doing the physical/retail release assbackwards:
*The PlayStation®4 and Xbox One retail editions of King’s Quest: The Complete Collection will contain the first four chapters on disc, plus the ability to download the remaining content for free when available. The Xbox 360 retail version contains the first chapter, with the ability to download all other content for free when available.
*The PlayStation®4 and Xbox One retail editions of King’s Quest: The Complete Collection will contain the first four chapters on disc, plus the ability to download the remaining content for free when available. The Xbox 360 retail version contains the first chapter, with the ability to download all other content for free when available.
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Assuming this is meant the way it sounds, ...oh fuck it, I don't even care enough anymore to be pissed about it either way.
This was just a massive fuck up on all levels.
Bt
Bt
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Because Activision decided to basically just blindly toss the IP at the first indie developer that expressed any interest. A developer that made only made two very short hipster games prior to this.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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Would've been better off in your hands, or Phoenix Online's, or AGDI'S. All are "indie"....
Great Deceiver
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KQ3 is, for me, one of the best adventure games of all time. KQ4 was pretty awesome too. I actually think KQ6 is overrated, although still a good game. KQ5 was kinda shit, the first two are pretty bad even on the early Sierra parser scale of things and I never played the later ones.
Still, I don't think people here "expected too much", except maybe for you. Pretty much everyone was sure this hipster shitshow was going to be exactly the absolute garbage that it turned out to be.
\
I'll be honest, as much as I like King's Quest, I wouldn't have wanted to do this project - but AGDI/Himalaya did, and would have done a way better job than what ended up coming out. Just a tragic misfire, really. We remade KQ3 back in 2004 (released in 2006) because at the time, it seemed no one else was going to do it, we had the free time, wanted to make some games and it was a learning experience that we ended up sharing with people on the internet. Pretty cool, was tons of fun to do - as was doing Space Quest 2. Honestly, though, after having made my own games - I'm much more apt and willing to work on something like Quest for Infamy. But there were extremely competent and good groups who were willing and able to do a King's Quest reboot, and do it better than The Odd Gentlemen did. This game is going to pass, without much fanfare, and be forgotten, while the originals - even as lame and weird as some are in today's context - will be remembered, not this game where Doc Brown voiced a dying old King Graham. Honestly, I love Christopher Lloyd, but I could care less about him in this game. I hope they all got paid well.
Bt
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Well, fact is that when it comes to King's Quest, just like with Ultima, the third-to-last entry of the original (main) series run is generally the most fondly remembered (while for most other old series it's either the final entry or rather evenly distributed), so naturally most (UO maniacs aside) would want a sequel to resemble a prettied-up U7(-7.2)/KQ6, while some would rather see something resembling any one game of middle U4-6/KQ3-5 and almost nobody wants a return of early ventures U0-3/KQ0-2 or the respective wildly differing two-step decline of U8-9/KQ7-8, but we all knew that under the supervision of a major publisher (or almost any other) none of those wishes would ever come true, yet quite how (much) both this and Ultima Forever sucked still came as a surprise.
Korgoth of Barbaria
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In retrospect, this game's failure isn't a surprise. Sierra was a company run by and consisting mostly of Hippie types, and based in rural SoCal. Mountain town Hippies. Roberta Williams was a natural storyteller, in love from childhood with fairy tales, a lady steeped in fable and fae. She grew up writing stories in her mind, a creative young girl who always had one toe in Wonderland.
KQ's other designers are similarly well-read figures who also have great respect for or at least, a good knowledge of fairytales. Jane Jensen and Lorelei Shannon are published authoresses besides being game girls. Josh Mandel, who wrote the first KQ1 remake, is also an accomplished game writer and designer.
Even KQ8, for all its differences from the conceits of KQ's V-VII, is basically a reboot of KQ1: Hero is tasked to find treasures to save Daventry. It's basically KQ: The Next Generation. While the gameplay is different, its still rooted in fable, fictiin, and mythology.
Also, Roberta had a free hand for the first seven and half of eight in terms of doing what she wanted. Even the games that Roberta didn't solely create (mainly 6 and 7), she had creative control over which allowed for a relatively consistent vision to permeate the first seven, and while she lost some creative control KQ8, the main design was in essence her vision.
This game on the other hand was developed by a bunch of L.A. hipsters, who, while huge fans of Sierra and the original games, lacked creative freedom (they were specifically ordered by Activision not to make a sequel), and thus had to come up with a story that not only welcomed back old players, but also brought in new players, while also rebooting the originals, yet trying not to stray too far from the original lore so as not to alienate old fans.
TOG were likely ordered as well to follow TT's humor driven, episodic model as Activision probably thought that would mean instant success. After all, what would the audience for a KQ made in 2015 by a big publisher be? The last game had come out in 1998, forever ago in terms of the game industry. So TOG tried to make the new KQ akin to an interactive Pixar film, whimsical and silly, hoping to draw in kids while also hoping to draw upon the nostalgia of those kids' parents who grew up with the originals. I would guess that TOG were ordered to put in "new" adventure game elements such as QTEs to draw in new fans as well.
TOG had to straddle a line between not making the game too easy, which would alienate old fans, while not making it too hard for young kids to enjoy. As such, the final product was is too easy for seasoned adventure gamers (probably 90% of the audience), and too difficult for the 5-10 year old audience. They made a game which both tugs too close to old canon for new players to appreciate or understand (what kid who never played a KQ game before is going to be emotionally attached to Old Graham?); and yet strays too far from the established lore for older fans to truly enjoy. It's a reboot that's also not a reboot, which is a sequel but not really, that reimagines the old games yet insists they still happened. They attempted to be all things for all potential players, and in doing so, made a sloppy game that appeals to a select few, without an "it" factor that would wow youngsters and draw them in.
In underestimating the intelligence of today's youth, they eschewed fairy tale puzzles and situations (the very heart of KQ) for a more generic fantasy world, which lacks much of the cheesy charm which makes the old games enjoyable. They eschewed the more tongue-in-cheek, mature humor of the originals for more goofy, ''Disney'' humor that young kids could get.
Remember also, these guys had only done Flea Syphony and The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom before this; They had only designed short, quirky, hipster games, so that was their forte. Not fairytale driven adventure games.
If this game had been a straight reboot devoid of all winks and nods to the originals, or even say, if they had made an action/platformer remake of KQ1 (same story, same Graham, different gameplay mechanics), it might've been a success. It would've alienated older folks, but it probably would've found a new audience, those who love Zelda/Kingdom Hearts would LOVE an action/platformer KQ if done right, and might have been better overall. KQ8, for as much as old fans hated it, was a success, for example.
TOG failed by attempting to please everyone. And in doing so, pleased virtually no one.
That said, I don't hate the game. I'll probably buy a copy for my 10 year old niece. It's a cutesy, nice fantasy entry level adventure game. For myself, it's a very flawed game that does have moments of possible greatness, and a lot of loving nods to the original games, but I'll stick to my original games. It's simply too wacky, too Monkey Island-esque, for me to enjoy. I don't enjoy slapstick or silliness. It's not a turd, or an abomination, or an (intentional) insult to the fans. It's a game that simply tried to please too many audiences.
Also, way too many stupid puns.
KQ's other designers are similarly well-read figures who also have great respect for or at least, a good knowledge of fairytales. Jane Jensen and Lorelei Shannon are published authoresses besides being game girls. Josh Mandel, who wrote the first KQ1 remake, is also an accomplished game writer and designer.
Even KQ8, for all its differences from the conceits of KQ's V-VII, is basically a reboot of KQ1: Hero is tasked to find treasures to save Daventry. It's basically KQ: The Next Generation. While the gameplay is different, its still rooted in fable, fictiin, and mythology.
Also, Roberta had a free hand for the first seven and half of eight in terms of doing what she wanted. Even the games that Roberta didn't solely create (mainly 6 and 7), she had creative control over which allowed for a relatively consistent vision to permeate the first seven, and while she lost some creative control KQ8, the main design was in essence her vision.
This game on the other hand was developed by a bunch of L.A. hipsters, who, while huge fans of Sierra and the original games, lacked creative freedom (they were specifically ordered by Activision not to make a sequel), and thus had to come up with a story that not only welcomed back old players, but also brought in new players, while also rebooting the originals, yet trying not to stray too far from the original lore so as not to alienate old fans.
TOG were likely ordered as well to follow TT's humor driven, episodic model as Activision probably thought that would mean instant success. After all, what would the audience for a KQ made in 2015 by a big publisher be? The last game had come out in 1998, forever ago in terms of the game industry. So TOG tried to make the new KQ akin to an interactive Pixar film, whimsical and silly, hoping to draw in kids while also hoping to draw upon the nostalgia of those kids' parents who grew up with the originals. I would guess that TOG were ordered to put in "new" adventure game elements such as QTEs to draw in new fans as well.
TOG had to straddle a line between not making the game too easy, which would alienate old fans, while not making it too hard for young kids to enjoy. As such, the final product was is too easy for seasoned adventure gamers (probably 90% of the audience), and too difficult for the 5-10 year old audience. They made a game which both tugs too close to old canon for new players to appreciate or understand (what kid who never played a KQ game before is going to be emotionally attached to Old Graham?); and yet strays too far from the established lore for older fans to truly enjoy. It's a reboot that's also not a reboot, which is a sequel but not really, that reimagines the old games yet insists they still happened. They attempted to be all things for all potential players, and in doing so, made a sloppy game that appeals to a select few, without an "it" factor that would wow youngsters and draw them in.
In underestimating the intelligence of today's youth, they eschewed fairy tale puzzles and situations (the very heart of KQ) for a more generic fantasy world, which lacks much of the cheesy charm which makes the old games enjoyable. They eschewed the more tongue-in-cheek, mature humor of the originals for more goofy, ''Disney'' humor that young kids could get.
Remember also, these guys had only done Flea Syphony and The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom before this; They had only designed short, quirky, hipster games, so that was their forte. Not fairytale driven adventure games.
If this game had been a straight reboot devoid of all winks and nods to the originals, or even say, if they had made an action/platformer remake of KQ1 (same story, same Graham, different gameplay mechanics), it might've been a success. It would've alienated older folks, but it probably would've found a new audience, those who love Zelda/Kingdom Hearts would LOVE an action/platformer KQ if done right, and might have been better overall. KQ8, for as much as old fans hated it, was a success, for example.
TOG failed by attempting to please everyone. And in doing so, pleased virtually no one.
That said, I don't hate the game. I'll probably buy a copy for my 10 year old niece. It's a cutesy, nice fantasy entry level adventure game. For myself, it's a very flawed game that does have moments of possible greatness, and a lot of loving nods to the original games, but I'll stick to my original games. It's simply too wacky, too Monkey Island-esque, for me to enjoy. I don't enjoy slapstick or silliness. It's not a turd, or an abomination, or an (intentional) insult to the fans. It's a game that simply tried to please too many audiences.
Also, way too many stupid puns.
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I would respect TOG more if now, knowing their game has failed, they tried something new or creative with the last episodes.
Instead, they do a game about sliding puzzles, with the worst characterization and dialog possible. Which makes me think that's their "real" vision - that's the humour they like, that's the story they want to tell.
Instead, they do a game about sliding puzzles, with the worst characterization and dialog possible. Which makes me think that's their "real" vision - that's the humour they like, that's the story they want to tell.
Korgoth of Barbaria
Cipher
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- Jul 4, 2015
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From what I understand, they were funding this themselves all along, so they may have run out of money.
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