What, for you, is the absolute peak of adventure gaming? It can be a single game, or a series, or anything along those lines.
For me, adventure gaming (and gaming in general) isn't and will never top King's Quests IV-VII, and the entire Space Quest series. Even though they are now very old games, they're basically everything a computer game, especially an adventure game, should be. I know many look forward to future adventure games, but I don't think I could ever fall in love with a world again the way I fell in love with the world and characters of King's Quest and Space Quest; I don't think any future game could ever really hit upon that special magic found in those games. It was lightning in a bottle. It'd be like a 2D animated film topping the quality of The Lion King (or any film from Disney's '89-'99 Renaissance period).
The only other game series which ever came close for me were the Baldur's Gate series, the Kingdom Hearts series, and the Legacy of Kain series. I don't pay much attention to modern games....
I'm gonna go with the Lucasarts series, Monkey Island, Indiana Jones, Sam and Max, Grim Fandango
I oved all of these, they were funny, they had nice puzzles and you didn't die constantly :P
Quest for Glory II, for me.
I think there are too many variables for a simple answer. I hesitate to call an entire series a height because it spanned so long. And I might feel that KQ6 is the best King's Quest, but it's also a completely different game than any of the earlier parser games. I don't want to call it the height of adventure gaming because the parser based game is a fully different animal and had it's own pinnacles. But here are some games that I feel are the best of their type.
Parser based: KQ4. This game is, I think, as close to perfection as the early games got. It still had one big land to explore but it had more depth and felt more organic. It was the culmination of everything the pre-VGA parser adventure games were.
VGA-graphics: KQ5. They really pulled out the stops to make this game look fabulous. It's a beautiful, visually striking game. More so than KQ6.
VGA-game/CD-ROM: KQ6. This game is also very close to perfection. The voices were well done, the story was good, the game play was fantastic.
Shout outs also to SQ5 and SQ6 for the post KQ6 adventure games. Those were both phenomenal games that had some interesting visual styles and were just fun to play.
The Book of Unwritten Tales is the best game I have ever played; the characters were adorable, the puzzles phenomenal and the voice acting was pretty much perfect. The locations were engaging and beautifully rendered and the range of puzzles was so diverse and fascinating. It is very much in the same style as Monkey Island III, which would be next on my list of best games ever. :P
It is hard for me to really decide.
Kings Quest 6 I think was the turning point of point and clicks It is the game I use as the definition of point and click and everything it can be. It managed to balance puzzles well and give them context, even random puzzles were alluded to and felt organic rather then forced.
Yet Monkey Island 3 is pretty much the unbeatable king of the Comedy point and click.
Broken Sword is the king of the history adventure point and clicks. (The second is terrible)
Freddy Fish is the king of children point and clicks (in my oppinion at least).
The Beast Within is the king of FMV point and clicks.
Heck I think the original Phantasmagoria is rather underrated as it is pretty much the only horror that REALLY takes its time trying to scare you. (most of the horror in the game is you noticing small things). (the second is terrible)
The first Laura Bow game is unmatched in its gameplay, even if it is nearly unplayable now adays, and pretty much is the best in a category shared only with itself.
So I am going to say Kings Quest 6, it isn't the best game of its type but it is what I consider to be the evolving point of point and clicks. When story and puzzles were balanced. Heck you could argue that Kings Quest 5 was this, but I found the elements in that more jarring and contrasted with the environment many a time.
Heck in KQ6 the major reasons why you can't just travel the islands, buy whatever you want, and do whatever you want are not only explained but are major obsticles and not treated as half handed remarks. The fact that you cannot sail anywhere actually shows up in the story as a genuin issue of the lands you are traveling through. (which anyone who has played a point and click knows that you cannot take that for granted... Stupid reasons why you cannot do something simple is par for the course)
http://youtu.be/rMV-fenGP1g
Bt
also, i just remember, the first time that I ever really loved a character in an adventurer game was Zanthia from Legend of Kyrandia 2.
I always felt that adventure games had this knack of making your main character dumb or a little too smart.
Zanthia was the first character that to me felt like a real person
You can add a little more to the discussion than that, Bt. :P
I'm not quite sure, for my answer--there are a lot of games I really like and think are heights of the genre, but I'm not sure it's peaked for me yet.
Perceval, I will say you're missing out on a lot of great games, though.
Heh, I was in a hurry this morning, but I really do mean Right Now!!
Bt
I see what you did there. :P
Quotei just remember, the first time that I ever really loved a character in an adventurer game was Zanthia from Legend of Kyrandia 2
I seen her Lands of Lore counterpart and she was simply a powerhouse (In that she is one of the most powerful magicians in existance)
Mind you in LoL she was called Dawn... but she looked exactly the same as Zanthia to the point where I think the game pokes fun at it.
Quote from: Neonivek on January 01, 2013, 12:31:14 AM
Quotei just remember, the first time that I ever really loved a character in an adventurer game was Zanthia from Legend of Kyrandia 2
I seen her Lands of Lore counterpart and she was simply a powerhouse (In that she is one of the most powerful magicians in existance)
Mind you in LoL she was called Dawn... but she looked exactly the same as Zanthia to the point where I think the game pokes fun at it.
I never played lands of the lore, but in Kyrandia 2 she's not very powerful, heck, one of the puzzles has you gathering ingredients to create a magical sandwich, lol
In the opening scene she beats up a swamp monster and she claims that the glass couldron was her starter set.
She is the second most powerful wizard in Kyrandia after Malcom was delt with.
I really do think right now is the new height for adventure games; the flame has been rekindled in a way it hasn't been in years; there's so many great new games on the horizon - plus, playing our old classics has never been easier thanks to GoG.com, DosBox, ScummVM to name a few... I'm certainly in love with my old favorites, but I'm looking forward to new favorites from some great adventure game makers. I think the next few years will really be exciting.... so, for me, in all the 25 years I've been playing adventure games - right now is really the most exciting.
Bt
I agree, bt. It was TSL that got me into adventure games in the first place.
Ooh that is a tricky question, the best adventure game titles are pretty scattered throughout the years, for Sierra the peak is probably Shadows of Darkness. Lucasarts is a bit trickier since Grim Fandango came out years after most of their other big hits.
GrahamRocks: really? Aww, yay!
I still want to play Grim Fandango. I wish that would get a re-release.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on January 01, 2013, 09:58:56 PM
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
You need to say that one more time. Since there are five quest for glories.
Quote from: Neonivek on January 01, 2013, 01:13:19 PM
In the opening scene she beats up a swamp monster and she claims that the glass couldron was her starter set.
She is the second most powerful wizard in Kyrandia after Malcom was delt with.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that.
funny how the rest of game has her doing all sorts of menial spells, I forgot your spellbook was a child's spellbook :P
Quote from: KatieHal on January 01, 2013, 09:48:53 PM
GrahamRocks: really? Aww, yay!
Paw's King's Quest Retrospective gave me the stone, and TSL set it rolling downhill.
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on January 01, 2013, 09:58:56 PM
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
Well, what are you waiting for? (http://www.gog.com/gamecard/quest_for_glory) :P
Quote from: Jafar on January 02, 2013, 12:00:44 PM
Quote from: GrahamRocks! on January 01, 2013, 09:58:56 PM
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
I must play QFG.
Well, what are you waiting for? (http://www.gog.com/gamecard/quest_for_glory) :P
Jafar stole my post.
I was gonna do that.
You're a monster, Jafar. A monster.
But you're right.
Better a monster than a slowpoke. :B
MEANIEH!
Quiet, both of you, or my octopus will hear of this! :evil:
Back on topic, I'd probably say for me it was playing through The Last Express, which is in my opinion the best adventure game in existence to this point. Grim Fandango, The Curse of Monkey Island, and Gabriel Knight I and II had some moments which were up there, but no game puts it all together like The Last Express.
I have The Last Express but never got more than 15 minutes into it. I MUST go back to it some time.