If you thought Kotaku's review was scathing?

[Baggins]

This one is down right mean;
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-892-PC-Game-Examiner~y2010m7d12-The-Silver-Lining-review-About-thirty-minutes-of-cut-scenes-and-little-else

Also a bit scathing, but doesn't try to be insulting.
http://www.projectcoe.com/blog/2010/07/15/the-silver-lining-review/

Oh, and here is Justadventure's review to tone things down a bit.
http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/SilverLiningEp1/SilverLiningEp1.shtm

...and Adrenaline vault;
http://www.avault.com/reviews/pc/silver-lining-episode-1-pc-review/

[StormSpirit86]

I thought it would be worse but it's not that bad...

Unfortunately, the game also fails to add even modest gameplay improvements—or even much of a game. The 3D engine and graphics are adequate if a little ugly, and the game doesn't employ a context-sensitive cursor, instead requiring you to manually switch between "look", "talk", "use", and "move" cursors. Yes, this is "retro" but to our knowledge no one is nostalgic for antiquated control schemes. 

It's the first time I hear a complaint about the look, talk, etc. cursors. In fact everyone in the adventure gaming community seems to like it, just check the games created with AGS, almost all of them have this kind of control. I think it adds more gamepla, it's ironic because he complains about that there's not a game and just cutscenes, if there was a context-sensitive cursor it would be less of a game and more like an interactive film.

[Baggins]

Well I think the mean part, was the whole "mini-walkthrough" bit at the end.

[KatieHal]

Particularly since looking at the doors in the town area will prompt a very odd thing to happen.... 

The Examiner did seem a little overly critical, as in more than was necessary. The walkthrough pretty much says to me that this person isn't all that interested in what makes adventure games great.

[StormSpirit86]

Don't click on the strange man standing in town. Or the basket. Or any doors. None of them do or accomplish anything. And the narrator's dialog isn't clever enough to even make it entertaining.

Yes, I agree that bit is a bit silly. Adventure games are also about exploring, looking at stuff, etc. Not only about clicking your way to the end as if it the end of the world was about to come.

If you read a walkthrough you are oftenly encouraged to explore on your own and try things.

[darthkiwi]

Don't click on the strange man standing in town. Or the basket. Or any doors. None of them do or accomplish anything. And the narrator's dialog isn't clever enough to even make it entertaining.

That's rather unfair. Granted, an adventure game (and any other game for that matter) can be boiled down into purely functional actions ("get coin", "shoot boss", "wear dog") but the action itself is only a small part of the game: the atmosphere and overall "feel" of the game is largely built up by non-functional things like story and voice acting and artwork.

*Sigh* I do sometimes wonder if the instant gratification of "I shot something and it died with blood!" is making attention-spans somewhat antiquary...

[wilco64256]

I wonder if that reviewer has ever played any adventure game at all.  It seems like they were determined to dislike the game before they even started playing it.

[kindofdoon]

All these reviews fail to understand that Episode 1 is only the intro - not the game!

[Baggins]

Actually several actually mention that fact, then they go onto say that POS should have advertised the game as a prologue, one review even states it should have been named, "Episode 0: Prologue and Tutorial".
http://www.gamersdailynews.com/article-2505-The-Silver-Lining-Episode-1-What-Is-Decreed-Must-Be-PC.html

http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/8932/The-Silver-Lining-Episode-1-What-is-Decreed-Must-Be.html

http://www.gamerswithcasts.com/review-kings-quest-the-silver-lining-episode-1-pc/

So in other words some do note that it is just an introduction, and they factor that into there reasons for criticizing the episode, under what they felt was essentially false advertising, or they still felt disapointed by it.

They are a bit miffed it was advertised as a real episode of the game, rather the designer's saying from the getgo that it was just an "introduction".

One thing they many of the reviews seem to have in common is that they tend to make comparisons to Telltale Games style of episodic gaming... with the intent to review each invidiual part seperately like they do with other episodic games.

Here is some more reviews;
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=18501

http://www.impulsegamer.com/pcthesilverliningepisode1whatisdecreedmustbe.html

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/706160/The-Verdict-The-Silver-Lining--Episode-1-What-Is-Decreed.html

[kindofdoon]

You're right, PO should have made it clear that Episode 1 was really a prologue.

[Fierce Deity]

You're right, PO should have made it clear that Episode 1 was really a prologue.

I have to agree. If they could rename the title or the episode number without causing a stir or a bad rep with Activision, I think it would be better for the communication with their fanbase.

One thing I don't understand with these reviews are that they are looking at it through a colored lens. Their reviewing scale is not numeric or based off of a Grade system. One of them says, "Approach it with caution!" and another one says "Don't buy it!". Did they not get the memo that it's free? I've never heard so many people complain about something that's free. I understand why people are upset and disappointed, but really? People feel the need to convince others to be disappointed? What a world we live in.

[Baggins]

That actually shouldn't be something difficult to change stealthily it would require like a change to a menu, and the icon menu I think? Then reuploading the file. They wouldn't even have to announce they reuploaded it. Maybe just change a few websites references to the whole "Episode 1" to change it to "Episode 0".

[B'rrr]

would it matter really, if they change it to prologe or episode 0 now? it is out already, it won't change how people look at it.

[dark-daventry]

I don't believe there are any intentions right now to change the name of the episode. It is remaining as Episode 1: What is Decreed Must Be, as was intended.

Although, speaking off the record and not as a team member, I feel that it could have been more clearly explained that ep 1 was just an intro, but it's my only real gripe with the first episode.

The team knew before the release that this was going to be a hot button issue. I think they've done a good job post release though. They've handled the feedback well in my eyes.

[liggy002]

Seriously, this episode was not meant to be open-ended as has been stated multiple times.  It was meant to introduce you to the King's Quest world and set the stage for further events to come.  There are many games in which the player is first thrust into a linear world that eventually opens up.  People mostly don't complain about that because the game is presented as one single whole and they don't really notice it in the grand scheme of things.  Some people are thinking "oh no, what if the other episodes are just like this?   The team screwed up our beloved series."  Patience is a virtue here.  Take into account the fact that the game is set on a world map as a sort of homage to many Japanese role playing games.  This, in a sense, is foreshadowing of an open ended world to come in my opinion.  The voice acting was mostly pretty good with a few characters average but nothing terrible. I really liked Saladin in addition to Hassan and Graham.  The original Saladin was great voice acting and so is this Saladin.  I even thought the episode was slightly comical when the guard dog growls and puts his ears back, that was funny!  The narrator provided some comic relief as well.  It wasn't your traditional narration, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  I'll admit that I was somewhat dissapointed by the lack of length and puzzles of the first eposide after my first playthrough.  However, after thinking about it a little I understood why it was released that way from a presentational and business point of view.

[sahara]

The author of the first review says in the comments that he worked for Sierra for nearly nine years and is very familiar with adventure games.  I think his review was very fair.  At least he was generous enough to say he hopes Episode 2 is better, and that he will review that one as well.

When he was saying not to click on things, he was simply making the point that it wouldn't accomplish much... AND that the narrator's response to the action wouldn't be that great, either. 

[Baggins]

You know people that keep on defending POS because they have said it is meant as an introduction?

You know most of that came after the fact, after the reviews were made right? Trying to back peddle in a way from the initial overly hyped announcement for the episode, and their advertisement of it being a regular chapter of the game. They basically created for themselves a situation where it was going to get criticism for the false hopes they had created.

They could have saved themselves alot of grief if they had announced before the release that it would just be an introduction, instead of stating it after the fact. You know what they say about hindsight right? Hindsight is 20/20. Simply because they have an explanation for why its not up to par with people's expectations doesn't mean that is going to change individuals minds after the fact, and after the reviews have been posted.

The other issue which may or may have been fixed, I don't know, is that no where on there main website they didn't give a warning that its just an introduction, and they simply advertised it as a "game".  When its actually more of a semi-interactive cinematic or a tech demo. The only place you would learn it's a "introduction" was/is through the forums, and not every person who downloads the game is a visitor to these forums or may not take the time to look in these forums. That's going to affect people's impressions of the game as well, because unless they went to the forums, they are only going to see it as a not much of a game, but just that the main website hyped it and advertised as a game. I haven't checked the main website to see if they have fixed this issue or not however.

That being said part of the hype they had for the game before its release was comparing it to other serial based adventure games such as from Tell-tale, which Cez works at. So people had high expectations it was going to be something along that lines, and thus they went in reviewing it accordingly. Yes, each and every episode of Tell-tale game is individually reviewed by its own merits. This is the modern review style for episodic style games.  No they don't wait for the "whole game to be released", mainly because by that time it become old news, and many reviewers from the mainstream sites do get paid to write reviews... and there are many people that do enjoy reading reviews, and do use them to make or influence their decisions on which games to play or not (as much as there are many who may disagree with the reviewer).

The best POS can do is, learn their lesson, and not make the same mistake in the future. I think they will be able to prove themselves with Episode 2  (especially if it has a dozen or more puzzles to solve). But there is a possiblity that they may have hurt the impressions of those who downloaded the game, and aren't forumites, and don't pay attention the forums, who may not return.

[spinz]

The mantra of "it was made as an intro!! dont judge it yet!" just doesnt cut it for me. This "intro" was released in 2006, but it was properly labeled a demo then. Now they re-release it, with no new content, just a couple of  extra cutscenes, and re-labeled as "episode 1". If you think reviewers should reserve their judgement, they already did, they cant wait forever.

[crayauchtin]

Really, spinz?
Because usually reviewers review entire games and this was NEVER marketed as the release of the entire game. Even if it were seventeen hours of gameplay, reviewers should NOT be reviewing it yet. They should wait until the game is finished like they do for every other game they review.

[spinz]

They should wait until the game is finished like they do for every other game they review.

Sorry thats not true, games that are released in episodes are reviewed episode by episode, alllll the time. This was marketed as an episode, a complete release out of a series. So its being treated as such. Theyr not going to wait to review it until its more convenient, and who knows how long theyd have to wait.