King's Quest Chapter 1

It would seem like we are currently in the second great age for adventure games after a pretty long dry spell, and it’s thanks to games like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us and Life is Strange. In the past, the genre was defined by series like Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle and King’s Quest, some of which have made a comeback in the last couple of years as well.

King's Quest Chapter 1 is part of an episodic series that aims to revive the classic adventure franchise and entertain a new generation of gamers. Except for the graphics and the shift in gameplay mechanics, the experience should be as exciting as the old fans remember it, especially when it comes to the story, the puzzles, and the way everything is presented.

The main character’s name is Graham, and he is retelling a couple of his stories about the great deeds he achieved in his youth. He tells this tales to his granddaughter Gwendolyn, who eagerly and somewhat skeptically listens to the whole ordeal, intervening every now and again with questions and interjections. Probably the most engaging thing about the story is the way it is narrated, because it truly feels like an epic tale of dragons and various other perils.

As for the gameplay, you control Graham directly most of the time, and you can interact with objects once you are near them. This eliminates some of the challenge, but it’s worth mentioning that the actual puzzles can still be very tricky. In fact, some situations can cause an instant death, at least if you make the wrong choice. Granted, the game quickly reloads from a previous checkpoint, so it’s not a big deal at all.

Lastly, the game world looks magnificent, especially when it comes to the locations you get to visit along the way. Even the dungeons look quite magnificent, and they don’t feel repetitive and cramped like they do in most RPGs out there. A lot of work went into the animations and the cutscenes you watch over the course of the story, not to mention the voice acting and the sound effects in general.

In the end, King's Quest Chapter 1 may not be as unforgiving as the old classic, but it’s very polished and a ton of fun if you enjoy fantasy tales. Thus, everyone should have a great time with it, regardless of any previous experience with the series.