KING'S QUEST IV: THE PERILS OF ROSELLA
REMAKE DEMO (UNICORN TALES)
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YEAR: 2013
SIZE: 80 MB
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PLATFORMS: Windows
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+ Stunning graphics
+ Funny comments from Rosella
+ Smooth anmation
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- Nothing
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STORY
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In King’s Quest IV, you play as Rosella, who has recently returned to the
kingdom of Daventry after being rescued from an evil dragon by her brother, Alexander. However, Rosella’s joy at being with her family
again is short-lived, as her father, King Graham, suffers a major heart
attack, and lies on the brink of death.
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A kindly fairy, known at Genesta reaches out to Rosella, through the
Magic Mirror. Genesta’s homeland of Tamir bears a magical fruit that
can heal Rosella’s father. Genesta can bring Rosella to Tamir, if she
wishes. Naturally, Rosella agrees. She will do anything to save her
father.
This demo focuses on the part of the story where Rosella escapes
from the whale that swallowed her, and finds herself on a tiny island.
Can she find her way back to Tamir, and continue the quest to save
her father? Not without your help!
　
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GAMEPLAY
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This demo is a remake of the original Sierra game. However, it is not
just a straight remake. Unicorn Tales, who created the demo, have
taken the time to add their own improvements. While the original
King’s Quest IV used a text parser, meaning you had to type in
commands on the keyboard, this demo has added a point & click
interface, which matches the later King’s Quest games.
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You interact with Rosella’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 her inventory items - just click on it to
see what she is carrying. The Spanner icon gives you access to the
Game Menu, and from there, you can Save, Restore, or Quit the game.
There are responses to everything you interact with, so have fun
exploring and trying out different things.
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I have nothing but good things to say about this demo! Unicorn Tales
have done an absolutely fantastic job! At this point, it’s unclear if the
full game will be completed, but I live in hope.
　
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GRAPHICS
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Wow! The graphics are simply stunning! Right from the moment the
demo begins, with Rosella in the ocean, I was so impressed with the
way the water rippled!
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Animation is incredibly smooth, and I love how Rosella walks around.
Palm trees and plants swaying in the breeze is just gorgeous. And
seeing her climb up those palm trees really put a smile on my face.
The pelican was cute, and loved the way he flew off when Rosella
tried to grab him.
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A thumbnail portrait of Rosella pops up when she is talking. Again,
the character art is so impressive. Item names are shown as text at
bottom of the screen, and inventory items are shown as picture icons,
so it’s easy to see what you are carrying. The death scene, when
Rosella is eaten by the shark, made me chuckle!
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A wonderful job, Unicorn Tales!
　
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SOUND AND MUSIC
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Sound effects are also effective. Background swish of the ocean is
strangely hypnotic. You can hear a seagull calling out in the
background every so often, and you can just imagine it flying around,
watching poor Rosella. The loud ‘tweeeeet’ as Rosella blows the
whistle made me jump, hehe.
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A fanfare is heard when you pick up an item, or combine 2 items
correctly. There are no voices, but that’s to be expected in a demo.
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