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The Lounge => Gaming Talk => Topic started by: Numbers on August 29, 2015, 02:37:04 PM

Title: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 29, 2015, 02:37:04 PM
So, the review you all haven't been waiting for is here. The Numbers take on KQ 2015.

Perhaps I should go back a bit before starting to talk about the game itself. I've always viewed King's Quest as more of a guilty pleasure, rather than an actual high-quality series. In my opinion, Space Quest and Quest for Glory were significantly better, based on their use of humor and replay value, respectively. I've seen people question why KQ gets so much bile, and other people who race to defend the games as an art form (Paw Dugan comes to mind), and my reaction is: "You liked these games? You thought they were good?"

Now, don't get me wrong. I still like KQ. It was the series that taught me how to read and write, when most of the other games I played during my childhood were primitive platformers. The first two Duke Nukems, Commander Keen, Bio Menace, Xargon, Dangerous Dave, those kinds of games. What they taught me in reflexes, they failed to teach me in terms of actual education. There were exceptions, sure. I collected all the letters in Duke Nukem's name in the correct order to get the highest points, Commander Keen's alien alphabet helped me to translate all those weird signs I kept seeing throughout the games, and Xargon is where I first found out how to spell the word "congratulations."

But KQ is where I learned to spell everything else. I'd never used the word "examine" until KQ4 came out, and I "examined" that suspicious-looking wall in the mansion that opened up to the tower. I read all of the tombstones carefully, trying to absorb what they said. I read the grave that said "Thorpe's corpse" and didn't know the meaning until I found out who Thorpe was (an athlete), and that the word "corpse" is a synonym for "dead body." I watched the intro to KQ4 many many times until I understood it.

For me, KQ4 is the best non-point-and-click game in the series, and probably the best game, period. But on your first few playthroughs, it's still insanely, unrelentingly, frustratingly, unfairly difficult. And the only way you could find out what to do back then was to call up a hotline that gave you vague, unhelpful hints and cost you more money the more times you called. And even then, when I was at a young age and had little knowledge of computer games, I remember thinking to myself, "That's really stupid." It was at that point that I realized the concept of the cash grab, and my steady disillusionment with series grew from there.

KQ6 came out, and although I have issues with it, it seemed like a logical progression for KQ, and taking the series in a more mature direction, with such subjects as political intrigue, cultist rituals, and the matter of what happens to one after death. I disliked the copy protection on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain, I could've done without the Isle of Wonder in its entirety, and back then, I liked Rosella as a protagonist more than Alexander, who I found to be a bit of a pansy. But overall KQ6 was a step in the right direction.

Then KQ7 came out. You all know how I feel about that one. It was, and still is, the worst gaming experience of my life. Sure, I've played objectively worse games (F*ck Quest comes to mind), but I went into them knowing that they were bad, and only played them for the sheer mesmerizing fascination that one gets when watching a plane crash. I never liked Leisure Suit Larry, so when Box Office Bust came out and killed the franchise, my reaction was, in a nutshell, "Good riddance." I didn't jump on board the hype train for Duke Nukem Forever, so when it got released and critically panned, I was indifferent to it, since I wasn't interested anyway. Same idea for Sonic 2006, because I was never a Sonic fan, and my knowledge of Sonic 06 and every subsequent game makes me glad I'm not.

Nothing could've prepared me for KQ7. It was the first time I'd truly felt betrayed. It was immature, childish, with a generic plot that was a massive step backwards from KQ6, and devoid of any real tension. It reminded me of one of Don Bluth's later movies, like A Troll in Central Park. (Get it? They both have cutesy trolls?...it's funny?) But what ruined it for me most of all was Rosella's portrayal. In KQ4, Rosella was a blank slate who nonetheless performed some very brave actions, which for me speak louder than words. When Rosella cries in KQ4, it's because she just barely escaped being killed by a dragon at the hands of her long-lost brother, only to see her father collapse from a fatal heart attack. Here...she bursts into tears when a complete stranger calls her a usurper to the troll throne when she's been there less than five minutes. Yes, it's possible to commit character assassination on someone who had very little character to begin with. And she only got more aggravating from there.

MoE, for whatever reason, I could take. It had so little to do with anything that I saw it for what it was, an action-platformer with the King's Quest name slapped on it to earn big bucks, which it did, but because it didn't unrealistically topple world records upon its release, they ended KQ there. From what I saw of the then-planned KQ9, it would've been similar to a Zelda game, with even more platforming and combat and fewer puzzles. Who knows, if that game had ever come out, people might look back more fondly on MoE, because at least it wasn't KQ9: Skyward Graham.

So why do I like King's Quest, in spite of all the apparent problems in it? Mostly, because of the fans. I play TSL and the AGDI remakes of KQ1-3 much more often than the actual canon games, because, to put it simply, they're better. They're prettier to look at, the puzzles don't fall into moon logic territory as often, and it feels like a lot of effort and attention to detail was put into them. True, the AGDI games are mostly just retelling stories we already know, and TSL has moments of superb cheesiness, but all in all, you could tell that these fans were earnest about their work.

Now that I've wasted several minutes of your time explaining my "this is why I'm evil" backstory that all villains have to have these days, let's get onto the actual review of KQ 2015.

It reminds me of KQ7. There you go, my big problem with the game, my Freudian excuse if you will, spelled out in only one sentence. Like KQ7, only with easier puzzles, and even easier arcade sections.

It started off on a sour note--absolutely no introductory cutscene--and followed up with one such arcade section that combined quick-time events with first-person shooters, that let me know I was going to be in for a world of hurt.

Then we see Graham in the present day. He's old. Extremely old. As in, "we'll be lucky if he survives all five chapters" old. He talks to his granddaughter Gwendolyn, who is, in my opinion, the most irritating KQ character since Cedric. The fact that she sounds almost exactly like Rainbow Dash doesn't help. She's every other young whippersnapper in every other fantasy plot you've ever seen. Then Gart makes his entrance, and boy, is it bad. Why is he British when Gwen is American? Was that half-hearted roar he made really the best take they went with? Why does he say that lots of people will be attending his fencing tournament when at the end of the game, pretty much nobody is watching? Why is he British? And wait, Gwen got to Daventry "as fast as she could?" TOG does know that Alexander has a genie at his beck and call who can teleport people, right?

Then we flash back to young Graham who engages in the most embarrassing slapstick since Tom and Jerry, before we see our bizarrely-proportioned knight characters whose faces are conveniently obscured by their helmets so the animators don't have to do more work. (This is actually a good thing; has anyone noticed how off the lip-syncing in this game in general is?) This doesn't just refer to the four knights hopeful, this refers to every other knight in the game, all of whom are completely interchangeable, except for two knights giving each other piggyback rides, one of whom sounds like Groundskeeper Willie.

Anyway, the Merchant of Miracles makes his entrance by stepping on Graham's foot, causing Graham to awkwardly and unfunnily hobble around for the next minute or so. He also starts off a sentence with the modern word "welp," taking me out of the game immediately. It's at this point that I really start to despise the character design in this game. Everyone looks so...ugly. There's no subtlety at all. TSL is more subtle than this, with a vastly outdated engine, to boot. The knights are all completely exaggerated, old Graham looks like a hairy raisin, Gwen and Gart are inexpressive, young Graham looks like a pretty boy, the Merchant of Miracles also looks like a raisin...ugh.

Moving on, the town square is the next big location in the game, though it's mostly reminiscent of TSL's town square. Time to do branching paths stuff. As long as you leave a tip, that is. Eventually, you make it to the knights hopeful and participate in a prank that involves bees. My God.

(https://eyewaste.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bees-my-god.jpg)

After a moment that evokes the now-infamous scene from the Nicolas Cage Wicker Man movie, the knights all beat you to the other side of the river, all of which use a technique known as foreshadowing. Achaka's good with bows and arrows, Acorn's good at pushing things over, etc. Then the little guy, Manny, who is definitely not a bad guy, forms a secret pact with Graham to beat the opposition. It's okay, because Manny is just as trustworthy as the other short character in the game, the Merchant of Miracles. He's obviously not going to turn on us at the end of the game. He's an okay guy.

You probably get my point by now.

You then meet the owners of the three town square shops. One of them is a baker who relies on pies to solve all of his problems. Yes, TOG, we remember that pie scene from KQ5, and we would do better if we were to forget it. Unfortunately, it's possible for the baker to get attacked by bees too.

(https://eyewaste.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bees-my-god.jpg)

However, that's got nothing on Amaya, who is forced to shoo out wolves and as it turns out, lose her bed somehow. While she was sleeping in it. I'm not questioning anything at this point, and neither should you. It's better if you don't think about it. We've also got two old creepy people running a potion shop, so...standard fantasy fare. If the potion shop owner in your story isn't creepy, you're probably either doing it wrong or are some kind of potion shop owner revolutionist.

And now for the eye of the hideous beast...multiple ways to do it, but let's talk about the most important part of it.

It's time to go back to the well in order to find Achaka, aka the only new character I liked. Lots of shenanigans ensue, none of which are all that fun and mostly rely on trial-and-error, up until the dragon attacks; at this point the game goes into arcade overdrive and it's one death-defying section after another. Arguably the best part of the game then goes out like a wet fart when Achaka dies saving you...whee, goodbye, one character that I liked...and then Graham lets out a pitiful big "No!" (come on, Graham, put your heart into it), and then he gets cheered up by Manny. Who is definitely not lying about Achaka's background. You know that saying, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer"? Manny is your friend, not your enemy. Anyone that's voiced by Wallace Shawn is automatically a good guy. This is compounded by the next scene being those goofy knights presenting their eyes, and then that is followed by a narmy scene featuring Gwen interacting with her evil doll, Mr. Springbottom. And then SPRINGBOTTOM COMES TO LIFE AND ATTACKS GWEN OH MY GOD

(http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/scary-clown.jpg)

Nah, that doesn't happen. But wouldn't that be great? It would mix things up a bit.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 29, 2015, 02:38:03 PM
(Sorry, my review was so long I couldn't do it in one post and had to split it up into two parts.)

At some point, first-person shooter time. I'm dead serious. They actually thought it would be a good idea to have Graham shoot goblins with a bow and arrow, from a first-person perspective. Just like all those fondly-remembered battle scenes from the old games--oh wait, they didn't have battle scenes.

These aren't just any ordinary goblins, though...

(http://static.zehn.de/image/1bac3554b3ce3e4d1c3343bffbe9332f/1228677542.55.20b79cffe0b58460686c802fbe1e2d29.Mimrock-ingame.pngthumb_999x999)

...they're like the Mimrocks from Commander Keen, enemies that look like ordinary rocks and follow you when your back is turned, quickly sitting back down if you turn to face them. A novel idea, except that they ruin their opportunity to dispatch Graham by popping up in front of him and tripping him up, giving him time to grab his bow and shoot away to his heart's content. Because, as the TV Tropes article on MoE says, "Savage battles are what King's Quest is all about."

Not to worry, though. The Merchant of Miracles rears his ugly head a second time, and you can do with him as you will. Given that there are no wrong choices in this game, it literally doesn't matter what path you choose.

At this point, the game becomes a blur of boring fetch quests...so I guess you could say it is kind of similar to the first two KQs. The town square people, the bridge trolls (who have admittedly kind of a neat redesign, becoming a visual pun in the process), and two duels that you can't beat until you have everything you need are what make up the rest of the game. It's at this point that the baker can have a bad encounter with bees.

(https://eyewaste.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bees-my-god.jpg)

It's also at this point that Amaya can get mad at you for any number of reasons, because we need a tough chick in the story somewhere. At least we don't have any other characters like that--

*sees the female bridge troll for the first time*

(http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/picard1.jpg)

...well, at least they're not going to top that one anytime soon. I don't remember her name, so I'm just going to call her Brawn Hilda. Brawn Hilda doesn't want to be walked on, even though her purpose as a species is to get walked on. Is this some kind of parable about race and class relations or something? Is there a "Don't tread on me" pun that didn't make it in? Either way, it's going to go completely over the heads of any little kid who plays it. Regardless, it's possible to calm her down; this involves drugging her up with magic and forcing her to keep her place in society. Oh, and this is after a quick-time event involving dancing. King's Quest, ladies and gentlemen.

But I've done enough talking about the midgame stuff, let's go to the end. First off, the duel of strength. It's just you and Acorn, who looks like a metal-encased Strong Sad with Samuel L. Jackson's voice. Or rather, it's you, along with all the guards, the bridge trolls, and Manny, vs. Acorn. After another arcade section that's not much fun and a plot twist that's embarrassing for Acorn, Graham and the audience by proximity, you get to hear some modern-day language that has no place in a KQ game. "Thank God." "Pissed off." "Sorry, I'm not sorry." "Worth it." Do any of these sound right to any of you? Am I the only one who gets taken out of the game whenever I hear those phrases?

You eventually get launched high in the air. "Noooooo" Olfie groans as he catches you in slow-mo in a scene that seems to be half dramatic, half parody. It was the only joke I actually laughed at in the whole game.

Don't worry, you're easily forgiven by Acorn after a couple minutes of talking. Never mind the fact that he just took down a floating island and did God knows how much property damage because he was "pissed off" at you.

Then it's on the duel of speed. Just you and Whisper. Or rather, you, Triumph, all of the knights and Manny vs. Whisper. No wonder Graham wins all of these duels. Although I'm not a fan of the arcade sections in this game, midgame dragon scene excluded, this one is really, really weak. It's slapsticky, it's slow, and there's no danger to it since Graham has to win because everyone says so. Whisper beat you to the finish line? Don't worry, you'll just go another lap until you win. The game literally won't let you exit the sequence at any point; once you enter it, there's no going back until you beat it.

Don't worry, you're easily forgiven by Whisper after a couple minutes of talking. Never mind the fact that his ego just took a massive blow in the nuts.

And then we have the duel of wits. Just you and Manny. Or rather, you and every single knight present vs. Manny. And they won't let you lose to Manny permanently. They'll keep screwing up Manny's playing board until you win.

Are you starting to see the problem with these duels? There's no tension. Graham wins them all because the plot says he has to. He cheats his way to victory. It's very unbecoming of his character. Graham in the older games was an ace. Graham in this game is a puny baby. And before you say, "Well, he's younger here", no crap. He obviously had to start somewhere. But I didn't care where he started, and after seeing him in this game, I frankly don't care if I ever see him again.

Also, Manny is a bad guy? Whaaaaaat?

(http://www.unixstickers.com/image/data/stickers/meme/dalema/D'alema.sh.png)

Who would've thought that a guy voiced by Wallace Shawn would be a villain? Truly the best plot twist since Darth Vader told Luke he was his father.

There's only so much more of this that I can take, so I'm going to make it fast. Graham beats Manny in the duel of wits because the plot says so. Graham beats Manny in a duel of strength because the plot says so. Manny gets away because the plot says so. And Gwen dresses up in her Assassin's Creed garb and beats Gart in their duel, which nobody is watching...because the plot says so. There are no wrong choices to make, and ultimately the decisions you make affect bugger all because Gwen still beats Gart in a non-interactive cutscene no matter what. Though, given this game's attempt at arcade sections, I'm not complaining.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger indicating something is wrong with Graham. A knight who sounds exactly like the rest of the knights in the main game (maybe he's a clone trooper) calls Gwen and Gart, saying "Children! Children! Come along quickly, it's your grandfather!" I like to think that he followed this up with "He's pregnant!"

(http://www.unixstickers.com/image/data/stickers/meme/dalema/D'alema.sh.png)

Do I even need to say what's wrong with this game? I think it's pretty clear. As Lambonius on the IQ forum put it, this is like Falderal: The Game. In other words, it's everything wrong with KQ7 taken to its logical conclusion. It's childish, unfunny, with unlikable characters, ugly graphics, extremely easy puzzles and amateurish plot progression. In my opinion, it's the worst possible direction this series could've taken in the wake of MoE. I honestly would've preferred a Dark Souls-esque MoE 2 over this train wreck any day of the week. And that really is my honest opinion, so sorry to rain on your parade.

If you really do like this game, then don't let my opinion stop you. I'm well aware that I'm in a very small minority right now. The purpose of this thread was for me to explain what I didn't like about it, so that all viewpoints could be properly represented. There have been people who have done nothing but kiss the ground this game walks on, and I'd like to see an in-depth response to this post explaining what it was they liked about it. Don't let my sourpuss personality be the only thing this thread contains.

In closing, I'm hoping episode two contains more bees.

(https://eyewaste.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bees-my-god.jpg)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Lambonius on August 30, 2015, 02:45:17 AM
I second the call for more bees.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on August 30, 2015, 07:14:03 AM
You know what? I'm actually the exact opposite of your opinion- even if you did bring up a couple good points that made me go, "Huh." regardless. -but you know what? I'm not even mad at you, but I'm instead laughing at the jokes you made during this. :) Brawn Hilda- nice pun!

I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you, not liking a game everybody else loves. Just like me with Leisure Suit Larry 5-6-7.

Also, who DOESN'T like Achaka?!
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 30, 2015, 10:57:37 AM
Achaka: The Ensemble Darkhorse of KQ2015.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on August 30, 2015, 11:11:41 AM
Either him or Whisper.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 30, 2015, 01:29:35 PM
I found Whisper irritating, but I can see why people would like him. Whisper: The Donald Trump of Daventry.

I also hate Gwen, but it seems like enough people like her that she isn't a full-blown Scrappy. My vote for Scrappy territory would be Pillare.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on August 30, 2015, 03:54:43 PM
QuoteA novel idea, except that they ruin their opportunity to dispatch Graham by popping up in front of him and tripping him up, giving him time to grab Achaka's bow and shoot away to his heart's content.

Graham's not using Achaka's bow there.  He only gets that bow when he goes back to the dragon's lair, to get the magic mirror.  Why would his corpse still be holding it, if Graham had taken it earlier?

Quoteyou get to hear some modern-day language that has no place in a KQ game. "Thank God." "Pissed off." "Sorry, I'm not sorry." "Worth it." Do any of these sound right to any of you?

I'll agree with the first two, but I've honestly never heard anyone say "Sorry I'm not sorry" in my life.  And I find nothing wrong with "worth it" either.  At least they didn't say anything that's really been done to death, like "I regret nothing!"

QuoteGwen still beats Gart in a non-interactive cutscene

Well, duh.  You're playing as Graham, not Gwen.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 30, 2015, 07:00:07 PM
Quote from: Jack Stryker on August 30, 2015, 03:54:43 PM
Graham's not using Achaka's bow there.  He only gets that bow when he goes back to the dragon's lair, to get the magic mirror.  Why would his corpse still be holding it, if Graham had taken it earlier?

Fixed.

Quote from: Jack Stryker on August 30, 2015, 03:54:43 PM
I'll agree with the first two, but I've honestly never heard anyone say "Sorry I'm not sorry" in my life.  And I find nothing wrong with "worth it" either.  At least they didn't say anything that's really been done to death, like "I regret nothing!"

"Sorry not sorry" is an Internet meme. Google Image Search the phrase and you get stuff like this:

(http://www.happenistaproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tumblr_m9gc6uP8Kr1r2iiuao1_500.gif)

Honestly, "I regret nothing" would've sounded much better to my ears than modern lingo.

Quote from: Jack Stryker on August 30, 2015, 03:54:43 PM
QuoteGwen still beats Gart in a non-interactive cutscene

Well, duh.  You're playing as Graham, not Gwen.


But we'll be playing as Gwen soon, in the inevitable sequel to this game.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on August 30, 2015, 07:35:11 PM
Honestly it's only the "Sorry not sorry!" line that bothered me. But tbh, I kinda don't like hearing it (or rather seeing it in hashtags) in our time either. Just never sounded right to me.

Also, Gwen sounds a lot less horse than Rainbow Dash. ;)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 30, 2015, 08:30:26 PM
C'mon...quit foaling around.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on August 30, 2015, 08:45:26 PM
Don't be such a bucking neighsayer, then. ;) I'm not gonna stand bridlely by and not say my piece, even if I did get a kick out of your review, though.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: KatieHal on August 31, 2015, 08:37:04 AM
Glad to see you give it a fair shake at the very least, Numbers!

I've been watching an LP and I cannot help but be amused at the "Come at me, bees!" line, even if it is FAR more modern than it should be.  ;D
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Nilan8888 on August 31, 2015, 10:31:59 AM
I also had a radically different opinion of the game.

That the characters were pretty one-dimensional I figured was in keeping with the series: they were just as one-dimensional as characters in the King's Quest games have ALWAYS been. This series is not precisely 'Game of Thrones'.

As for it being too 'kiddie': I felt here it totally fit, because we are going back in time. The thing I don't like about KQ7 is that it breaks the general trend of things getting darker as they go on, similar to Harry Potter. Of course they never get really, really dark (the aforementioned 'Game of Thrones' has elements in it so far beyond the darkest recesses of KQ6 that you might as well be comparing puppy dogs to a nuclear holocaust), but they do get more PG-13 as opposed to G.

So since this is meant to be in keeping with the first game, I totally bought the lighter feel, and I even expect a lot of that in the next chapter, while the last three will probably get darker as they start entering the more 'serious' tones of KQ 3-6. But episodes taking place suring KQ 1 & 2 make sense as being more silly romps that would appeal to children.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on August 31, 2015, 02:30:55 PM
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on August 30, 2015, 08:45:26 PM
Don't be such a bucking neighsayer, then. ;) I'm not gonna stand bridlely by and not say my piece, even if I did get a kick out of your review, though.

All right, two can play at this incredibly nerdy game. I don't know what the hay your problem is, but you're clearly not stable. Whinny gonna grow up and not stirrup other people's emotions? I can't horse around anymore; I'm dun. I won't be on these forums furlong now. I foaled. I thought it would be a cinch to carriage a conversation here, but I mustang out with the wrong people. It's a problem I've had since the day I was barn. I mare have to trot off.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on August 31, 2015, 03:26:21 PM
Wow, your puns are SO much better than mine! You even used horse racing terms, stuff I haven't heard in years!

Aw, don't go buggy! ;) I'm chomping at the bit to say something but odds are I'll stirrup trouble somehow by arguing or defending Akhal. 

Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 02, 2015, 04:33:22 PM
Quote from: Nilan8888 on August 31, 2015, 10:31:59 AM
I also had a radically different opinion of the game.

That the characters were pretty one-dimensional I figured was in keeping with the series: they were just as one-dimensional as characters in the King's Quest games have ALWAYS been. This series is not precisely 'Game of Thrones'.

As for it being too 'kiddie': I felt here it totally fit, because we are going back in time. The thing I don't like about KQ7 is that it breaks the general trend of things getting darker as they go on, similar to Harry Potter. Of course they never get really, really dark (the aforementioned 'Game of Thrones' has elements in it so far beyond the darkest recesses of KQ6 that you might as well be comparing puppy dogs to a nuclear holocaust), but they do get more PG-13 as opposed to G.

So since this is meant to be in keeping with the first game, I totally bought the lighter feel, and I even expect a lot of that in the next chapter, while the last three will probably get darker as they start entering the more 'serious' tones of KQ 3-6. But episodes taking place suring KQ 1 & 2 make sense as being more silly romps that would appeal to children.

I'm really hoping you're right and the chapters get darker as they go along. TSL had a more mature feel to it than this game, and the characters were deliberately written to be less one-dimensional. Your mileage may vary on how effectively it was pulled off, but it was good enough for me, certainly more so than TOG's entry. Young Graham is just a wide-eyed idealist. Acorn is just a jerk with a heart of gold. Whisper is literally the same. Achaka is just the quiet one. Manny is just the smug snake. They're all very one-note. Here's to hoping chapter 2 improves on the character writing.

On another subject, I really would've preferred it if TOG had come up with a unique title for KQ2015 so we don't have to verify which KQ we're talking about. "Your Legacy Awaits" ended up just being a tagline, and not punny like most KQ titles are. This seems to be another case of reboot-itis, which is what happens when a new game in a franchise is just given the franchise's generic title instead of clarifying which entry it happens to be. Doom 4 is just called "Doom." Wolfenstein 2009 is just called "Wolfenstein." Command and Conquer: Generals 2 was just "Command and Conquer" before it was cancelled. Sonic 06 is just called "Sonic the Hedgehog." Star Wars Battlefront 3 is just called "Star Wars: Battlefront." And KQ2015 is just called "King's Quest." Would it be that difficult to come up with a new title so people don't have to give the game a nickname?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 02, 2015, 04:39:32 PM
I'm actually with ya on the title thing.

Still, I like TSL and I like TOG's take on it. One's more lighthearted, the other is darker. Both are great to me!

Though I do hope we go darker as the years go by and Graham ages, otherwise I'll be disappointed and wondering "Okay, where are you guys going writing wise? I'm concerned." which was actually my response to Squire Graham being so skinny in the first episode too- if time passes and he's STILL that scrawny, THEN I'll be concerned.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 02, 2015, 04:46:16 PM
Old Graham actually seems to have more muscle in his arms than young Graham, so there's always a chance he'll turn into Captain Daventry by the later chapters.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 02, 2015, 04:47:46 PM
Oh yeah, I know that NOW, but I meant pre-release that's what I said. Like, when the first trailer came out, people were complaining about Graham looking too skinny.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 02, 2015, 06:57:18 PM
I distinctly remember being one of those people. And I distinctly remember you defending the design.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 02, 2015, 09:03:56 PM
I don't remember you saying that, actually. Unless we unexpectedly met on a Facebook thread, I don't remember bringing it up THAT much. Especially not here.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on September 02, 2015, 09:38:29 PM
QuoteStar Wars Battlefront 3 is just called "Star Wars: Battlefront.

I was real excited about that game, until I found this:

http://ps4daily.com/2015/04/star-wars-battlefronts-features-compared-to-battlefront-2/

Lousy punks!
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Rock Knight on September 03, 2015, 08:16:50 AM
Quote from: Numbers on September 02, 2015, 06:57:18 PM
I distinctly remember being one of those people. And I distinctly remember you defending the design.

Graham's design is already slowly changing:
KQ0 era (Ch1) design:
(http://cloud.attackofthefanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/kings_quest_e3_screenshot_3_1434444866_jpg_1400x0_q85-e1438279038700.jpg)No definition to body, no muscles on stomach or frame, walks a little slouched.

KQ1.2 (Ch2) design:
(http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2015/07/2015-07-27_00014-100598661-large.jpg)Bracers, lean arm muscles, solid chest frame.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 03, 2015, 08:25:46 AM
Right, of course. :)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: KatieHal on September 03, 2015, 03:41:34 PM
To be fair, the titles of the chapters have puns in them (so far). A Knight to Remember, Rubble Without a Cause...I assume the other 3 will as well.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 03, 2015, 06:18:22 PM
Anybody else hoping for some of the original characters to appear in later episodes?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 03, 2015, 07:47:10 PM
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on September 02, 2015, 09:03:56 PM
I don't remember you saying that, actually. Unless we unexpectedly met on a Facebook thread, I don't remember bringing it up THAT much. Especially not here.

I've never once joined a Sierra Facebook group of any kind, so we've definitely never talked outside of this forum.

Quote from: Birdy on September 03, 2015, 06:18:22 PM
Anybody else hoping for some of the original characters to appear in later episodes?

As long as their personalities are changed for the better. I wouldn't be happy seeing Alexander and Rosella young again, and would like for them to have matured. The second chapter allegedly is part of young Graham's romance with young Valanice, so we might see Alexander and Rosella as children or something. Hopefully it won't turn into King's Quest 2 1/2: Breast Intentions.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 03, 2015, 07:51:06 PM
:nods:

Matured characters are always good.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 03, 2015, 09:09:57 PM
If that were the case it would probably only show Rosella as a child... otherwise the creators will have really flubbed with their lore
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Rock Knight on September 04, 2015, 09:03:03 AM
Quote from: Birdy on September 03, 2015, 09:09:57 PM
If that were the case it would probably only show Rosella as a child... otherwise the creators will have really flubbed with their lore

While the new series is called a "reboot" by many, the original games are canon to this one and thus this game, though it retcons some bits, is a continuation of the old ones. Gwendolyn was named such because Alexander is proud of having overcome his slavery, so, Alexander being kidnapped and being a slave is not something they forgot.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 04, 2015, 09:07:42 AM
Let's hope. They might change how he gets kidnapped or when, but it's important that Alexander is young enough that he doesn't know who his parents are when Manannan captures him.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 04, 2015, 09:11:13 AM
I do hope they do go into that. It's got potential to make a really good story, especially if the chapters are about conflucts throughout Graham's life.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 04, 2015, 11:42:42 AM
And in episode 5, Graham will go in for a colonoscopy.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 04, 2015, 01:19:01 PM
...



Well then...
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 04, 2015, 04:00:31 PM
"All right, Graham," Crispin whispered reassuringly, "Bite down on this branch, and whatever you do, don't spit it out. This will only take a minute."
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 04, 2015, 08:22:24 PM
..............................
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 05, 2015, 08:34:52 AM
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aatJzc9RwJ4/TkB6hOZglHI/AAAAAAAAA5M/7FS3u0C2ZQY/s1600/tobey%20maguire%20trollface%20troll.jpg)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Rock Knight on September 05, 2015, 09:43:50 PM
It's kind of weird that the hype surrounding the new game has died down so much. Flashforward to two months ago and almost the entire adventure game community was abuzz about it, either hyped or cynical. Now the release announcement for the second Chapter barely got any attention and there's no real buzz. It's strange. The game's rated in the 80s on Metacritic so it's not as if it did poorly in terms of reception.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 05, 2015, 09:48:40 PM
Aw, no need to feel down about it, man. I think we're just waiting the next chapter patiently and have exhausted pretty much everything there is to talk about in the first chapter.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: KatieHal on September 08, 2015, 08:08:58 AM
That's often the nature of these things. The more announcements you have about a game, the less attention and buzz each subsequent announcement will get. But I imagine by the time they get to the final episode, there will be a lot of buzz again.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 15, 2015, 09:44:31 PM
As this new game's very Tumblr- centric fanbase is revealing itself more and more, I find myself more and more disso@lutioned with it.... I hope this doesn't turn into Homestuck...
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 16, 2015, 08:28:12 AM
I doubt it.

Homestuck is so huge and convoluted and has a fandom so thick that I don't even know where to begin... @_@

Btw, been meaning to ask you Numbers, thoughts on the music and environment in the game? You never mentioned them.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 16, 2015, 01:58:39 PM
The hand-painted environments are fine; it's the character design I don't like. Kind of like KQ7, actually; good attention to detail in the backgrounds, but the more animated characters in the foreground are too simple and their movements too choppy for me to enjoy. But yeah, the dragon cave looked good, and so did the town.

I honestly don't remember the music. However, the "item get" sound effect was a nice callback to KQ6.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 16, 2015, 02:36:43 PM
I was just curious.  :)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Birdy on September 16, 2015, 05:52:05 PM
I don't think anyone could give this game a harsh criticism on the visuals, considering that's probably what they put most of their effort into... though I guess the character animation is up to personal preference.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on September 18, 2015, 11:49:37 AM
Evidently, they put more effort into the visuals than they did into the script.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on September 18, 2015, 04:34:00 PM
*nonchalant shrug* :)

I found more problems with TSL than I did with this game. Doesn't stop me from loving them both, though.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 15, 2015, 09:23:11 PM
Finally played it. I really enjoyed it! I have to agree that I wish the game were a bit more serious but I can't pretend that the game is unfaithful to the originals since KQ as a series never really had a consistent tone. I do hope later installments have some emotional weight to them, now that the devs satisfied the need to make Wallace Shawn lose in another battle of wits.

Besides I thought it was funny. >_>

EDIT: I really hate the autosave feature though, it led to some really dense excuses to keep Graham from losing the tournament, there is something to be said about the old Lucasarts no death style of adventure games but this is KQ we are talking about, I need at least a little bit of the old moon logic death tension.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 15, 2015, 10:03:32 PM
It's weird, I don't hate the autosave, but at the same time I wouldn't mind having a save function either.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 16, 2015, 04:40:38 PM
Kinda reminds me of KQ7's saving system. Very clunky, and much harder to work with than it needed to be. The previous game's saving systems were fine, no need to fix what isn't broken. MoE, of course, reverted back to the simpler saving system the earlier games had, but with the caveat that it would take you a friggin' year to reload a saved game from a different level.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Rock Knight on November 23, 2015, 02:56:40 AM
KQ8 was ten times better than this crappy, horribly cliched childish Princess Bride ripoff.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 23, 2015, 03:55:12 AM
RK, there's no need for that. I'm not in the mood. Please just don't.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 23, 2015, 09:40:22 AM
I suspect it makes the puzzles easier to implement. Autosave ensures you don't mess up and leave the game in an unwinnable state, and to be fair a lot Sierra games had cruel and nonsensical ways to mess up.

But the game's puzzles aren't that difficult so I would've preferred a system that added weight to the death screens. At least those pain in the butt MOE load times gave you a pretty good incentive to not die.

I suppose part of the issue is that "Save early, save often" is no longer an integral to adventure games.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 23, 2015, 11:44:37 AM
*shrugs*

I admit that "Save Early, Save Often, Don't Overwrite Saves" would have actually been useful to me as a kid. Not in playing Sierra games, because I didn't grow up with them, but other games like the Nancy Drew series. I can still remember the very first time I ever got stuck in an unwinnable situation: it was a game called Mystery at Rosemond Valley. A spinoff from the Lets Ride! games I enjoyed as a kid, it was unique because it had nothing to do with horses whatsoever (hence the "Lets Ride!" title), and instead of starring Annie from the Rosemond Hill game, it starred her sister, Emma, who was a journalist who was on the case for some stolen diamonds from a museum. Said unwinnable situation was because I didn't know to show an old lady a photograph that I'd found in the attic to continue talking to her and get extra info for the case. As soon as you exit that house, you cannot go back in as the text says "No answer. Maybe she's sleeping."

Another example, just due to own stupidity was Nancy Drew: Danger On Deception Island. I misidentified the piece of wood I found, and I couldn't call up the person who identified it again, which got me stuck later on. I feel said dumbness because when I was looking at it closely, I could see that it was reddish brown, not brown brown... and yet I still said it was the latter anyway.

This is why I like stuff like Let's Plays and using walkthroughs. I don't care if it's seen as cheating or weak, I hate getting stuck, dammit! Heck, I've been introduced to so many game series through LPs, when otherwise I wouldn't have given them a second glance in the store.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 23, 2015, 12:25:03 PM
I'm amazed that Paw Dugan from Channel Awesome managed to pull off a Let's Play of KQ5 that got a perfect score on his first time through. Really shows you how savvy people who grew up with moon logic puzzles tend to be. His LPs also introduced me to the No One Lives Forever games, which I friggin' loved. He and Pushing Up Roses also worked together on another nostalgic adventure game franchise, Hugo's House of Horrors and its sequels. Though none of them are anything special, they're...nostalgic, dammit.

Speaking of which, the fourth Hugo game, which he didn't do, was not an adventure game, but a first-person shooter more simplistic than Wolfenstein 3D. So look on the bright side; MoE may be many things--a black sheep in the family, a KQ in name only, a franchise killer--but it wasn't a FPS completely devoid of adventure elements the way the fourth Hugo game is. And the strange thing is, this game (it's called Nitemare 3D if you're wondering) has a cult following.

(http://image.dosgamesarchive.com/screenshots/DOSBox%202014-09-30%2016-43-37-08.png)

It's possibly the ugliest FPS ever made, next to the likes of Hovertank 3D (which had the excuse of being one of the first FPSs in existence) or Extreme Paintbrawl (which had the excuse of being rushed out for release in only two weeks), and it's still being updated to work on modern systems and still being sold by its original creator. So bizarre.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 23, 2015, 02:23:02 PM
I wasn't aware there was a way to beat KQ5 without a full score, pitfalls galore but all of them pretty much leave the game unwinnable, do you just avoid the cat and blue guy or something?

I just watched Roses LP of Dropsy, that game has a traditional save system AND a fart button so kudos for improving on an old system Dropsy.

GR....I think I did the exact same thing with the wood in that Nancy Drew game, I honestly forgot those games existed.  They were pretty silly but also surprisingly hard.

Also creepy, look at the ghastly visage of turn of the century graphics. Glad NOLF never went down this route.

(http://www.mysterygamecentral.com/img/games/NancyDrewDangerOnDeceptionIsland_3.jpg)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 23, 2015, 02:34:37 PM
We're? They're still making them, actually! Same company too. I feel a little sad that they got rid of Nancy's old voice actress recently, but what are ya gonna do? I have a ton of them, but haven't bought one of them in a while. Also, another infamous puzzle for me that I've never solved completely (and thusly never completed the game, though that does happen a lot when I play ND, sometimes it takes me years to complete them because I'm that fricking incompetent) was the Fox and Geese puzzle in White Wolf of Icicle Creek. Ugh!! Maybe if I knew how to play the game in real life, it'd be easier for me? But I've tried looking up walkthroughs for that on Her Interactive forums, but they're not helpful.

There's a fourth Hugo game?! I thought there were only 2?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 23, 2015, 03:24:17 PM
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on November 23, 2015, 02:34:37 PM
There's a fourth Hugo game?! I thought there were only 2?

3 adventure games, actually--one of which you play as Hugo's girlfriend rather than Hugo himself--followed by Nitemare 3D. You're not missing out on much if you've never played Nitemare 3D, and given the game's shoddy graphics, poor gameplay, boring level design, nonthreatening enemies, a grand total of three weapons to use when even Wolf3D (which came out earlier) had four, and a dissatisfying ending on top of all that, the franchise has obviously never been continued again.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 24, 2015, 08:38:35 AM
Must've been some ending since the Hugo games weren't too plot heavy to begin with.

Can you at least throw chop in Nitemare 3D?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 24, 2015, 01:11:13 PM
Quote from: Bludshot on November 24, 2015, 08:38:35 AM
Must've been some ending since the Hugo games weren't too plot heavy to begin with.

The ending is literally Hugo saying to his girlfriend that they should go home and relax after all the crap they've both been through, but then the girlfriend says something to the effect of "No, I have to go do stuff. Maybe we'll get together, I don't know." Hugo deserves better than that.

Quote from: Bludshot on November 24, 2015, 08:38:35 AM
Can you at least throw chop in Nitemare 3D?

No, but at least you don't have to navigate a minuscule bridge with pixel-perfect precision so that you don't get your matches wet.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on November 24, 2015, 11:48:21 PM
I hated Nightmare 3D.  All that hard work, only to NOT get the girl.  What a crock of horse s***!
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 25, 2015, 03:16:05 PM
Yeah, that's the first time I can remember playing a game and really hating the ending. It's possible to have a good downer ending in a game; the original Doom's ending was a downer if ever there was one, but it was a sequel hook for Doom 2. I guess you could argue that Hugo's girlfriend going off on her own was a sequel hook as well, potentially setting up a game where you play as her, but as it is, the series ended right there, with no sequel in sight. And honestly, I couldn't care less if there were a sequel regardless, as the Hugo series had already gone off the rails by transitioning from Adventure to FPS. The genre change was such a massive step backward. One of the only other examples of that happening that I can think of would be the Metroid games, mostly 2D sidescrollers and 3D FPS Adventures suddenly getting...a pinball game. Why? Why does the Metroid franchise need a pinball entry? It boggles my mind that anyone thought that would be a good idea.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 25, 2015, 03:48:26 PM
*is suddenly picturing Samus's Morph Ball ability used as the pinball*
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 25, 2015, 04:14:19 PM
That's exactly what it is. Samus is in her morph ball form, and you just knock her around the playing field with your paddles and hope for the best.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on November 25, 2015, 04:14:47 PM
You mean Sonic wasn't the first to suffer that fate?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 25, 2015, 04:46:35 PM
Sonic has suffered from...a lot of things.



I'll just leave it at that.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 26, 2015, 12:07:51 PM
Uh what are you two talking about that ending sounds amazing.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 26, 2015, 12:13:58 PM
omg no its not u dont understand
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on November 26, 2015, 02:17:14 PM
Would you have enjoyed Super Mario Bros. if it ended like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn2xqRHt3Ko

I sure wouldn't have.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 26, 2015, 03:09:42 PM
Bludshot was being sarcastic...I hope.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 26, 2015, 04:20:36 PM
Probably.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 26, 2015, 06:46:45 PM
No it's great. After 3 games of rescuing each other Hugo and his girlfriend  (what was her name?) can't summon the enthusiasm for surviving another horror scenario. She accepts this is there life now, a neverending series of abductions and horror tropes. Peach should've come to this realization ages ago.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 27, 2015, 05:37:21 PM
Hugo's girlfriend's name is Penelope.

I guess you could say that it's a kid-friendly "horror" series (only the first and fourth ones were really horror-themed), so it doesn't need to break new ground with those kinds of tropes. Nitemare 3D was the darkest one by virtue of being a first-person shooter, and even then enemies morphed into flower pots when you "killed" them, to put things into perspective. One could argue that Penelope was being smart by getting away from Hugo, but of course that doesn't mean we have to like it. And for my money, when it comes to my favorite characters from the Mario Bros. franchise, Peach is down at the bottom, along with Toad. Stupid mushroom abomination.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 27, 2015, 05:45:22 PM
I like Peach. *shrugs* That could be because I like how the RPGs like Mario&Luigi, Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG handled her character. Then again, any semblance of a likable personality and/or character growth from how the character started out as flat (which is why I, for better or worse, like Squire Graham a lot is because he's given some sort of personality at all in a canonical game and it actually made me care about him for once), is good enough for me.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 27, 2015, 06:02:18 PM
I hate Peach because in the earlier days she was a MacGuffin/Damsel in Distress. Then I found out she attacked enemies by crying in one of the other games and I flashed back to Valanice crying in KQ7 and...well...
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 27, 2015, 06:04:50 PM
Eh, *shrugs* to be fair, from what I hear of Super Princess Peach, she was the only one in that game who had any semblance of control over her emotions so it was up to her to save the land. That's what TV Tropes tells me iirc.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 27, 2015, 07:11:15 PM
TV Tropes: the best method of research.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 27, 2015, 07:12:34 PM
Hey, it's fun to look up stuff on there,  ;)
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Jack Stryker on November 27, 2015, 10:56:39 PM
I was always more of a fan of badass girls myself.  Like Princess Leia and Elastigirl- after getting some sense talked into her by Edna, of course.

Main reason why I became a Cognition fan.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 28, 2015, 10:54:14 AM
Yeah, Erica Reed's pretty cool. Some other female badasses in video games I admire include Samus Aran, Alyx Vance, Cortana, Cate Archer, Laura Croft and KQ4!Rosella. I'm sure there are others out there. That girl from Mirror's Edge, maybe? I haven't actually played that game.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 28, 2015, 11:04:04 AM
*nods in agreement* Elsa Von Spielburg too.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 28, 2015, 02:06:34 PM
Why did Nintendo make a Peach game where she cries her way to victory when they could've used SSB Peach who will bludgeon opponents with a golf club?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 28, 2015, 02:56:58 PM
Quote from: Bludshot on November 28, 2015, 02:06:34 PM
Why did Nintendo make a Peach game where she cries her way to victory when they could've used SSB Peach who will bludgeon opponents with a golf club?

Well, GrahamRocks? What do you have to say about this one?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 28, 2015, 03:59:47 PM
*holds up hands in surrender* Hey, to be fair here, I never said I liked that game! I've never played it! For all I know it could have, say, an interesting premise but absolutely terrible gameplay or story or whatever.

And I never said I liked her in the main games. Just that the RPGs do a better job at giving her an actual personality.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 28, 2015, 04:45:05 PM
That's fair.

Oh, and I almost forgot: female Commander Shepard.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 28, 2015, 07:23:04 PM
Female Dragonborn. Lucina. Sully (not the guy from Cognition, another Sully). Serana.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Bludshot on November 28, 2015, 09:06:39 PM
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on November 28, 2015, 03:59:47 PM
*holds up hands in surrender* Hey, to be fair here, I never said I liked that game! I've never played it! For all I know it could have, say, an interesting premise but absolutely terrible gameplay or story or whatever.

And I never said I liked her in the main games. Just that the RPGs do a better job at giving her an actual personality.

Oh for sure she is great in the RPG stuff.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 30, 2015, 11:40:37 AM
I hope I don't jinx things by saying this, but... I highly doubt that the next chapter could be worse for you. No first chapter is going to be an immediate success, and there's only one way to go once you hit potential rock bottom and that's up.

Right?
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 30, 2015, 02:58:19 PM
I don't know, for some people TSL got worse as it went along. I know I wasn't a big fan of episode four. To get into spoiler territory...

[spoiler]That damn hedge maze bogged everything down whenever I had to go back into it. The Isle of the Sacred Mountain had potential, but the limited animation that TSL's engine had was especially obvious with the Winged Ones having only one or two animations whenever you had a conversation with them, and the voice acting was...not the best. In my mind, the Winged Ones are supposed to sound mighty and elitist when they talk, not petulant and whiny. I was not invested in Prince Cocteau's plight at all. The Pandora's Box puzzle is a pain in the ass regardless of the difficulty you pick; choosing between easy and normal in that puzzle is like saying, "Do I hate myself, or do I despise myself?" The final battle with Shadrack is a lot of fun if you know what you're doing, but until then, it can be unfairly difficult and ruthless. Not helped by the many bugs in it, and again, the limited animation, where Shadrack appears to be standing on a flat surface when he is supposed to be floating above the water.

"Say hello to my army, and welcome to my game!"

*army promptly disappears and never comes up again*[/spoiler]
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 30, 2015, 03:35:53 PM
[spoiler]Well, I agree with you about the hedge maze, but I disagree on the Pandora's Box puzzle. I'm probably the one person who liked that puzzle. I somewhat agree about the Shadrack fight, but mostly on the animation side. Graham, why are you pointing so much? Your dialogue and acting are fine, but...[/spoiler]

But anyway, I was technically talking about KQ2015. But I guess you could apply it to TSL too. *shrugs*
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: Numbers on November 30, 2015, 05:40:40 PM
I was aware you were talking about KQ2015, I was just applying it to TSL.
Title: Re: My Review of KQ 2015 (spoilers)
Post by: GrahamRocks! on November 30, 2015, 06:08:34 PM
*nods*