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ozzie · 05-30-2007, 04:48 PM

Well, I just finished KQVI today and I am still amazed how good it is.
It's probably the only game which I forgive mostly the dead ends.
The reason for this is that it is clear when you're stuck, when you need an item that you don't have, except maybe for one occasion.
In these cases you are trapped in one place and if you didn't take preparations then you're out of luck.
But it's nice how some things were handled.

Spoiler:
For example, when you threw the skull into the gears of the death trap, the ceiling immediately fell down instead that you could go on and got stuck later on when you took the main path.
Or, when you forgot hole-in-the-wall, then you get the appropiate hint that it would be good if you had a way to peer through this wall. And then the mynotaur comes along...

I think this part in the series was mainly so good because of Jane Jensen. The game is so well planned, the islands and inhabitants so well portrayed, it's not something you find in other games with Roberta, but the Gabriel Knight games are equally detailed.

I also loved the possibility of taking two different paths. The longer one feels like it was planned for hardcore adventure gamers who would want some really tough puzzles while the short path feels like a bit over medium, so more for the average player.

I just wished that the other King's Quest games could have brought the same excitement of adventure to me. But mostly, they felt empty.
They just referenced fairy tales and had a very simple story line, had puzzles that made no real sense for your task and many dead ends which weren't obvious.
The syndrom of having to read the designer's mind had also befallen many of these games.

But in KQVI it is also nice how your decisions in the game affect the end.

Spoiler:
When you went to the underworld then you brought cassimas parents along; when you found the stolen treasures from the islands then the leaders of those will attend the wedding. Also, when you send Cassima the ring then she will have it. If not, you have it, except if you didn't trade it back for the pearl.
I don't know what then happens...

It's just great to see how your actions get recognized by the game, you don't feel ignored. And often enough, the game will also give you an appropiate response when you try different things.

If there's sth. to critisize then it would be the many pointless walking.
Since the map only works at the beach it won't be a rare occurence...
....also, some dead ends weren't nice.

Spoiler:
For example, it wasn't clear to me that you needed the tin nightingale in the castle on the short path.
At least Alexander or the narrator could have warned the player...
One puzzle was also totally absurd (that the skeleton key opens the chest in the castle, could also be a stupid dead end, but I didn't trap in it).
And another one was really far-fetched (the one with the riddle from the skeleton door: the riddle itself is in no way a hint, only a piece of paper which you see much earlier on in the game...)

Nevertheless, I rarely felt frustrated, and more felt joy.
But it was a tough game. I needed the walkthrough a few times...

05-30-2007, 04:48 PM	#10
ozzie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 726	Well, I just finished KQVI today and I am still amazed how good it is. It's probably the only game which I forgive mostly the dead ends. The reason for this is that it is clear when you're stuck, when you need an item that you don't have, except maybe for one occasion. In these cases you are trapped in one place and if you didn't take preparations then you're out of luck. But it's nice how some things were handled. Spoiler: For example, when you threw the skull into the gears of the death trap, the ceiling immediately fell down instead that you could go on and got stuck later on when you took the main path. Or, when you forgot hole-in-the-wall, then you get the appropiate hint that it would be good if you had a way to peer through this wall. And then the mynotaur comes along... I think this part in the series was mainly so good because of Jane Jensen. The game is so well planned, the islands and inhabitants so well portrayed, it's not something you find in other games with Roberta, but the Gabriel Knight games are equally detailed. I also loved the possibility of taking two different paths. The longer one feels like it was planned for hardcore adventure gamers who would want some really tough puzzles while the short path feels like a bit over medium, so more for the average player. I just wished that the other King's Quest games could have brought the same excitement of adventure to me. But mostly, they felt empty. They just referenced fairy tales and had a very simple story line, had puzzles that made no real sense for your task and many dead ends which weren't obvious. The syndrom of having to read the designer's mind had also befallen many of these games. But in KQVI it is also nice how your decisions in the game affect the end. Spoiler: When you went to the underworld then you brought cassimas parents along; when you found the stolen treasures from the islands then the leaders of those will attend the wedding. Also, when you send Cassima the ring then she will have it. If not, you have it, except if you didn't trade it back for the pearl. I don't know what then happens... It's just great to see how your actions get recognized by the game, you don't feel ignored. And often enough, the game will also give you an appropiate response when you try different things. If there's sth. to critisize then it would be the many pointless walking. Since the map only works at the beach it won't be a rare occurence... ....also, some dead ends weren't nice. Spoiler: For example, it wasn't clear to me that you needed the tin nightingale in the castle on the short path. At least Alexander or the narrator could have warned the player... One puzzle was also totally absurd (that the skeleton key opens the chest in the castle, could also be a stupid dead end, but I didn't trap in it). And another one was really far-fetched (the one with the riddle from the skeleton door: the riddle itself is in no way a hint, only a piece of paper which you see much earlier on in the game...) Nevertheless, I rarely felt frustrated, and more felt joy. But it was a tough game. I needed the walkthrough a few times... Last edited by Kurufinwe; 05-30-2007 at 09:07 PM. Reason: Spoiler tags...