King´s Quest Review
 CHEATfactor Game Review by:  Joe Sinicki Reviewed on: PC 
 

Welcome to our CHEATfactor Game Review of King's Quest. We review the game and then factor in how the available cheats affect the overall game experience. For better or worse, our reviews will help you decide whether or not to use cheats when playing the game.

I'm sure I wasn't alone when I was a bit apprehensive about The Odd Gentelmen's reboot of the classic King's Quest franchise. After all, King's Quest is one of those few franchises that somehow seems holy, that harkens back to the earliest days of our hobby and didn't really need to be updated.

 
...determined to carve out it's own legacy.
King's Quest Review Screenshot
 

Turns out it did. Not only does the new version of King's Quest do well by it's now ancient ancestor, it's also a refreshing adventure game determined to carve out it's own legacy. Thanks to a cast of memorable characters it's a complete blast to experience and even more fun to play through with it's challenging and rewarding mechanics. King's Quest may be the reboot we didn't know we needed, but I still can't wait for the next episode.

This version of King's Quest is told in flashback as an elderly King Graham recalls his steps to assuming the throne to his thrill seeking granddaughter. “A Knight to Remember” tells the tale of Graham's first day in the kingdom of Daventry and how he entered the knight tournament and if it's any indication of how the rest of the series is going to be told, we're in for a one hell of a tale. It's a story that echoes some of the best fantasy narratives of our time thanks to a great group of supporting characters and lore. Most games like this you end up kind of snoring through at least a few sections and going through the motions, but not with King's Quest. I wanted to explore every inch of Daventry, talk to everyone I could. The developers at The Odd Gentleman have done a great job bringing the kingdom to life and I can't wait to see what else comes from it. It also doesn't hurt that the game features a remarkably fun modern day fairy tale visual style.

The new King's Quest feels like a great cross between what made the series so great to begin with and new ideas. At it's heart, King's Quest is still the point and click adventure it always was but this time there's no pointing and clicking. The Odd Gentelmen clearly designed the game with a controller in mind and you'llhave a far better time using one than not. That's not to say that the studio completely ignored their history with PC games; they just redefined the control scheme. You won't be using the mouse at all, instead you'll really on the WASD keys to move and the space bar to interact. It's an admittedly limited control scheme and one that you'll have to get used to. I found myself reaching for the mouse a lot and finally just ended up plugging a controller in.

 
...it didn't take much to figure it out.
King's Quest Review Screenshot
 

Something else that's missing from this new version of King's Quest? The absurd difficulty level, but that might not be a bad thing.  Now mind you I haven't went back and played the original game for a few years back but these puzzles all feel  remarkably easier than that of their predecessor. I was able to finish most on the first try with little taxation on my brain and even when I wasn't, the game is very gracious with hints, so much so that you could end up relying on them if you're not careful. There's still that rewarding feeling when you finish one, even if it didn't take much to figure it out. That's mainly because this new version of King's Quest seems to firmly believe that the journey is worth far more than the destination - and it's a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with.

If I had one complaint about King's Quest it would be a simple one, an it's also one that haunts a lot of modern day adventure games. There are a few action sequences here, mainly quick time events that are pretty well put together but failing at any of them means having to do it all over again and these moments lose their impact greatly when they're done on repeat. It's a issue that haunts Telltale's games as well (who the game frequently takes shots at) but given the limited difficulty it shouldn't happen to much, even if you're brand new to the genre.

I can't recommend King's Quest enough. Regardless of if you have fond memories of the original or brand new to the series, it's a complete blast to play and once you finish it you won't be able to wait for the next chapter. This modern King's Quest is everything a great adventure game should be and then some - it's fun, it's charming and it's accessible to nearly everyone who shows an interest. Play King's Quest.

 
Overall:  9/10 Presentation: 9 Gameplay: 8 
Lasting Appeal: 8 CHEATfactor: 0 
 
 
CHEATfactor
 

As of this writing there are no known cheats or trainers available for King's Quest. Stick with Cheat Happens for more as they become available!