KING'S QUEST 1: QUEST FOR THE CROWN
AGD INTERACTIVE REVIEW
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YEAR: 2010
SIZE: 101 MB
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+ Remake of the first King’s Quest game.
+ Beautiful VGA artwork
+ Can choose not to have dead-ends
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- Getting the timing right for the condor to pick you up is SO tricky
- Easy to die
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STORY
You are Sir Graham - bravest knight in all of Daventry. Your king, King
Edward, has summoned you for reasons unknown.
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As you kneel before King Edward, he tells you of the 3 lost treasures of
Daventry - a Magic Mirror, a Magic Shield, and a Magic Chest. The
treasures were lost many years ago, and Daventry has fallen into
disrepair since then.
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King Edward is old, and he doesn’t have much time left. He worries
what will happen to his beloved Daventry after he has gone. Which is
why he summoned you, Sir Graham. If you can recover the 3 lost
treasures, the kingdom of Daventry will be restored to it’s former
glory… and you will inherit the crown.
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As a loyal knight of Daventry, you don’t hesitate to do what you can
for your king. But will you succeed in your quest? Only time will tell.
　
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GAMEPLAY
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This is a remake of the original Sierra game, and it is fantastic!
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While Sierra’s original game used a text parser in which you typed in
commends, AGD had added a point & click interface, which matches
the later King’s Quest games.
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One of the main features AGD have added, which I love, is the ability
to disable dead-ends. The King’s Quest games are known for their
dead-ends, in which you find yourself unable to complete the game
because you didn’t pick up an item several hours ago. Thanks to AGD,
you can eliminate that frustration if you want. Of course, you can also
choose to have the game exactly like the original, dead-ends included.
It’s entirely up to you.
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You interact with Sir Graham’s world via a menu bar at top of the
screen - simply move your mouse up there to see it. Icons along the
bar allow you to Walk, Look, Pick Up\Interact, and Talk. The next box
will show the last Inventory Item used (so it will be empty as you begin
the game). The bag icon holds all your inventory items - just click on it
to see what you are carrying. The Scroll Bar is the Game Menu, and
from here, you can Save, Restore, Restart, or Quit the game. You can
also adjust the Volume and Game Speed, to suit your preference.
Another nice feature AGD have added, is the ability to play the game
with Voice & Text, Voice only, or Text only.
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Just like the original, there is one part in the game where you have to
catch the giant condor, and make him carry you to an otherwise
inaccessible area. This part is VERY tricky - it’s so easy to mis-time it,
and miss the condor’s feet. You get 4 attempts at this, before the
condor flies away. If this happens, simply leave the screen, then
return, and the condor is back.
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As I said earlier, you have the choice whether you want to disable
dead-ends or not. However, this does not make you immune to
death - there are still many ways to die in King’s Quest. So as the
saying goes… ‘Save Early, and Save Often’.
　
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GRAPHICS
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This remake uses VGA graphics, and is just fantastic! Everything has
so much detail! Patches of grass has different shades as the light hits
it. Smoke billows out from the Woodcutter’s cottage chimney. Water
in the moat flows wonderfully, with Graham‘s reflection looking up at
him. And I love the fierce serpents guarding the moat! The Witch’s
cottage looks so tasty, with it’s chocolate roof and icing-framed door
and windows. Yum! I especially like how the tips of the elf‘s ears
twitch as he talks - that is such a lovely touch. Graham sparkling as
the Fairy Godmother sprinkles fairy dust over him is another lovely touch.
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When characters talk, a mini-portrait is shown, along with a nicely-
framed text box. Inventory items are shown as icons, so you can
easily see at a glance what you are carrying. You can also Look or
Interact with your items, to get a better description of them.
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As you continue exploring Daventry, you’ll find more and more things
to love about the game.
　
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SOUND AND MUSIC
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Music is used sparingly, but effectively. You can hear music when the
Fairy Godmother casts her Protective Spell. Flute music is heard as
you climb the beanstalk. And sad violin music is heard in the
Woodcutter’s cottage. Bold, ‘triumphant’ music is heard when you try
and cross the troll’s bridge.
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Sound effects are also used wonderfully. The game is fully voiced, and
the characters sound just like they did in my head, when I played the
original. The witch is especially well-voiced, with her high-pitched
shriek. And who can fail to love the troll’s growl?
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A ‘tinkle’ is heard whenever Graham picks up an item, and a very pain-
ful THUD is heard when he falls from a height (poor Graham). Birds
chirping, and water gushing in the various lakes and streams help
bring the game to life. The witch’s cauldren bubbling away is
particularly effective. But I especially love the giant’s snoring.
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