Lagomorph Plays Sierra Games
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl1b-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...s/SQ1vga-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ4b-1.jpg For many, many years I have been hearing of the legendary Sierra adventure games. Having grown up on LucasArts, the similarities between the games of the two companies have attracted me to Sierra, while at the same time, the differences that Sierra offers in their many deaths and infamous dead ends have only made me strangely more intrigued. I searched for these games for many years but was never able to find them at affordable prices. Now I have begun to acquire them and am finally ready to start on what will surely be a long and challenging quest. In reviewing the games, I will be paying special attention to their context and their relation to each other. I will make comparisons in such areas as quality, difficulty, and perceived length. Which game will I like most? Which series will I like most? Which game will be the hardest? Can Sierra games live up to the LucasArts games I grew up with and love? Stay tuned to find out the answers to these questions and more. |
King's Quest (1984)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ1a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ1b-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ1c-1.jpg King's Quest (1984) Perhaps King’s Quest’s primitiveness is its major downfall, but for me it is also the game’s redeeming joy. Through the simple aesthetics and often frustrating gameplay, I find myself transported back to the era in which graphic adventures were born. Stripped of the cinematic elements that dominate new games, it is pure game. Admittedly, the gameplay and puzzles don’t provide much satisfaction in terms of problem solving. But there is a satisfaction, at times ironic, in discovering how the genre’s first designers decided to craft a puzzle. I would find the difficulty of climbing stairs annoying in a game now, but here I can’t help but be amused. It’s as if watching a child take her first steps. The writing of course is sparse and shallow. Yet it is interesting to see how an old narrative form such as the fairytale is merged with a new one such as the graphic adventure game. We see such parallels in film, where the first films often tried to adapt the narrative techniques of plays and novels. These early prototypes help us see what it is that separates new forms from old forms. One new thing that becomes apparent is the nonlinearity that adventure games offer. The game contains allusions to multiple fairytales, and those fairytales can arise in the game’s narrative in an order determined by the player. They can be interrupted and revisited and even be completed or left uncompleted to varying extents. The graphics and music also promise new aesthetic possibilities. Some may shun the pixilation in old games, but I say it should be celebrated in the same way black and white photography and mosaics are. None perhaps offers the most “realistic” representation, but each offers us new ways to explore more personal and idiomatic representations of reality. Similarly, whenever the sounds of that PC speaker kick in, I fall instantly into a world like none other. When I play games I want to experience the unique things that they offer. However, all of these things—these good things—still need refinement. Hopefully, future Sierra titles will offer me just that. Additional Notes It took me a long time to complete the game, but I did not find it overly difficult. Most of the difficulty comes through the finding of objects in the low-res environment and in the exactness that the parser demands. I did get some hints somewhat inadvertently. I found the layout of the world to be problematic. The fact that everything wraps around makes the world seem small and confining. It also makes it even harder to navigate. Hardest puzzles: Spoiler: Dead ends: None encountered. Best part: Spoiler: My final score (in the game): 112/158 |
Hi Lagomorph
You should be able to acquire most sierra games quite readily as they have been remade to work on xp. The only ones you may have difficulty getting are the gabriel knight series (the best ones incidentally) but you could still get them on ebay. The first few kq games drove me crazy cos of the low res and how easy it was to die but I really enjoyed 5,6 and what I could play of 7 (there is a bug where it's impossible not to explode). I can't remember what number kq it was I think either 2 or 3 that I found quite tough especially as it starts off on a time limit. I hope you enjoy your Sierra gaming adventures as they do have some really great games! Try the Leisure Suit Larry ones if you are craving a bit of humour. Good luck! |
Thanks for the reply, needlefeast. I currently own the collections for King's Quest, Space Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry. I've so far played at least one game from each and will be having the reviews up soon. I also picked up Gabriel Knight 3 at a thrift store, but I still need to get the first two.
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I like your approach to games from another era, Lagomorph. I think you could also create a blog version of this thread. Your "journey" through Sierra titles has a very promising start.
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What are you playing at the moment? I think ascovel's idea is great as it's a trip down memory lane for seasoned sierraheads. |
Very promising thread !
I´m really looking forward to reading all your game reviews :9~ |
A blog might be a good idea. I'm just not sure of the best way to go about it (like getting people to read it).
I'm currently playing KQ4, actually. I'll try to get the second review up tomorrow. So far I have been able to get the games running with Dosbox. Many of the Sierra games are also now supported in ScummVM. Hopefully, I should be able to run them all between the two. |
Hi Lagomorph,
I totally enjoyed seeing those three screenshots at the top of this thread. I am a really *old* Sierra fan having been there at the very beginning. So I recognize Lefty's from Leisure Suit Larry In the Land of the Lounge Lizard. The second screenshot is from Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter, I think, with Roger Wilco, Space Janitor standing by the spaceship. The third is the forest from King's Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella, which just happens to be one of my 3 all-time favorite adventure games. The other 2 are Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (played 6 times) and Syberia 1 and 2, which I played one after the other so it is like one big, terrific game to me. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane! |
Wow, it must have been something to play the Sierra games when they were new.
I still have to get to the Syberia games (own the first one). I agree that Fate of Atlantis is a great game. |
King’s Quest II: Romancing the Throne (1985)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ2b-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ames/KQ2-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ2c-1.jpg King’s Quest II: Romancing the Throne (1985) Well, here it is—the first Sierra sequel, and I suppose the first sequel in graphic adventure game history. Following the basic formula of the first game, King’s Quest II was an instant hit when it was released. Gradually, however, the game has earned the reputation among fans as the worst game in the series. It is criticized for not fixing any of the annoyances of the first game, and also for including too many disparate fantasy elements (Dracula, Neptune, and Little Red Riding Hood in the same game?). Yet despite this status, I enjoyed King’s Quest II immensely. This game is like a camp classic. All the diverse references collide to create a pastiche that’s impossible to take seriously. The story is framed by a typical fantasy premise and filled-in almost entirely with other recognizable allusions. Musical clichés abound as well with Chopin’s funeral march returning from the first game (I love the inappropriate upbeat ending tacked onto the end) and Tchaikovsky’s “Love Theme” from Romeo and Juliet. One Easter egg even has the Batmobile roll out of a cave with music and everything. In entertainment value, it’s a definite improvement over the original. A slight improvement is also made in the construction of the world. While the north and south directions still wrap around, the east and west are blocked off. This makes it a bit easier to navigate and also gives a bit more of a shape to the world, a world that seems a little more varied and interesting. However, the increased linearity removes a dimension of interactivity. On the other hand, the story has a marginally stronger thrust. The puzzles continue to mostly consist of retrieving objects. It is not a very hard game, and despite what Robert Williams says, it’s not much longer than the first one. While aiming to be unoriginal by constantly alluding to preexisting material, King’s Quest II manages a spark of originality when its collage is seen as a whole. The juxtaposition brings new meanings to the material, adding some pleasantly absurd humor though perhaps lacking in substantial depth. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: Spoiler: Best part: Spoiler: My final score (in the game): 161/185 |
I love your reviews of the games... really takes me back :)
King's Quest 2 was the first adventure game I ever played (back when I was 6 years old) so it has a really warm place in my heart. I didn't know it was considered the worst in the series... I think it was an improvement over King's Quest 1, and a bit more fun than King's Quest 3. I actually felt the added linearity was for the better (since, as you said, it helped give the game a more interesting story). But I generally prefer games that are more linear (and my two favorite Sierra games are SQ3 and SQ5 which are both very linear). |
Yes, linearity can be a mixed bag. I enjoy having greater freedom in exploring the world and accomplishing tasks. But once you've explored everything and get stuck, things can get boring fast. Like everything, it depends on how well it's done.
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Great review !
Have you played the VGA remake by AGDInteractive ? It´s awesome, and that´s coming from a non-KQ-fan |
I have not played the AGDI remakes. I have been interested in them for awhile now, but have wanted to play the originals first. I'll probably review them here when I get to them.
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King’s Quest III: To Heir Is Human (1986)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/kq3c-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/kq3a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/kq3d-1.jpg King’s Quest III: To Heir Is Human (1986) There’s a famous anecdote that when King's Quest III was released, Sierra initially received many complaints of how the game departed from the story of King Graham. What has always struck me about this anecdote is the revelation that fans cared so deeply about a one-dimensional character from something as simplistic as the first two King’s Quest games. Ironically, King’s Quest III offers a significant step in the direction of creating a more multi-dimensional world and doesn’t in fact make as serious a transgression as fans had initially presumed. Though the plot remains pretty basic, for the first time something with originality is attempted. Gwydion’s struggle is more personal and unique than the more generic ones of Graham. What’s perhaps more important is how the gameplay and story become more closely intertwined. The addition of a time element represents an attempt to anchor interactivity to the linear nature of story. There are events that occur without the player’s doing. Mannanan’s unpredictable reappearances frustrate the player’s efforts, and not only add an element of realism, but also an element of tension and plot conflict. The player must battle an antagonist that acts (in some ways) like the player himself does. While this is more common in other genres, it is still rather rare for adventures. Unfortunately, the real time element becomes less important as the game progresses. The game makes a somewhat awkward and underexplained transition and returns to the more traditional structure of its predecessors. I would have liked to see the end section fleshed out more, with perhaps the conflict tying back in some way to Mannanan and Gwydion’s origins. I think adding a real time element at the end would also have helped to create tension where it is needed most. King’s Quest III takes major steps in shaping the King’s Quest universe into a unique one. Apart from the odd inclusion of the three bears, the game steers away from the direct adaptation of fairytales and instead contains characters that feel more at home with each other. The music this time is also mostly original. Graphically, the game is a major step up. The artwork is actually quite nice to look at in all its pixilated glory. Navigation is also drastically improved by the addition of the magic map that removes most of the tediousness of walking back and forth. We are also introduced to one of the best incorporations of copy protection that I’ve seen. The spells seamlessly fit in with the rest of the puzzles. The spells are also fun in how they allow the player to manipulate the game world in unusual ways. King’s Quest III is a milestone of the genre and the best of the series thus far. Though it remains primitive in many ways, it holds up pretty well after 25 years. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: None encountered. Best part: Spoiler: My final score (in the game): 195/210 |
Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter (1986)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq1b-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq1a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq1d-1.jpg Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter (1986) With Space Quest, the second quest series, Sierra began to develop a new sense of self-awareness. The numerous deaths start to become part of the humor. References across games become more common. One death even involves pushing a button that sends you to the castle in King’s Quest I. Perhaps the best comparison point for Space Quest is its contemporary King’s Quest III. Both games use the AGI engine and are comparable in graphics and other qualities. On one hand, Space Quest can be seen as “King’s Quest in space.” But on the other, Space Quest takes the genre in new directions with its humor and parody. However, I don’t really think Space Quest is that much funnier than the early King’s Quests. Space Quest certainly aims for more humor, but I must admit to finding the antiquated idiosyncrasies of the King’s Quest series to be equally, if not more, humorous. Nonetheless, the spirit of parody is a welcome addition to the genre. Another point of departure is the structure of the world. Exploration wise, Space Quest is a more linear game. Once you leave a main area, you don’t return. This provides for more variety in the locales and also eliminates much of the dead space found in the King’s Quest games, where there are “dead” screens that offer limited interactivity but which must be crossed again and again. The side effect is that it develops one of Sierra’s most controversial characteristics: an abundance of dead ends. Space Quest I has a number of dead ends that are easy to get into. However, you generally realize it once you get in one. Personally, I kind of just brushed them off as an amusing quirk. Graphically, Space Quest doesn’t quite rise to the artistic level of King’s Quest III. Frankly, many of screens in Space Quest are a bit drab and ugly. There also seems to be less music (with the exception of the wonderful bar scene). The atmosphere overall is a little lacking. Space Quest I is the easiest game up to this point, though there is one object that is very hard to find. The necessity of playing the slot machine is also rather annoying. I believe this is also the first Sierra adventure to incorporate an arcade sequence (the skimmer). I found the sequence to be a welcome diversion, but I understand that many consider it frustrating. The game is around the same length as King’s Quest III, which is short by later standards but which I think is fine for what it is. Space Quest I isn’t the most compelling start, but there is enough potential there to make me eager to see what the rest of the series can do. Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: Spoiler: Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Spoiler: My final score: 193/202 |
I remember that KQ3 when you leave the castle there is a cliff you have to walk down, I had so much trouble doing that I always fell off :(
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Yeah, there's one part on the cliff where you have to walk behind some rocks, and you can't see where you're going. And you can't skip the cliffs with the magic map going up (you can going down).
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Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl1d-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl1a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl1c-1.jpg Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987) Despite all of their technical and design innovations, Sierra games up until this point all met a certain limitation. They all took place in some far off fantasy world and involved epic quests in pursuit of some grand objective. That’s when Sierra got an inspired idea. Remake the game Softporn into a humorous graphic adventure set in the real world with a fairly ordinary objective—to get laid. Leisure Suit Larry is a rather brilliant game for its time and may have been one of the key games in bringing about the golden age of adventure games (which is roughly 1987-1994 in my mind). Compared to the earlier King’s Quest and Space Quest protagonists, Larry Laffer is a much more fleshed out character who we can sympathize with. Larry also helps make the game funnier than any of its Sierra predecessors. The graphics of Larry 1 generally aren’t anything special, perhaps even a step down from its contemporaries. However, it does contain some wonderful close-ups, a first for Sierra, I believe. These are important to conveying the beauty of the women that Larry pursues. Without them, much of the motivation would be lost. The sound, though minimal, is very good. The main musical theme is among the most iconic in adventure history. The game is pretty short and easy, but that only plays into the game’s less ambitious appeal. I understand that Larry 1 was the first adventure game many people played (it was my first Sierra game when I played it a year ago). It probably would make the best entry point into Sierra’s AGI period. The puzzle’s are pretty straightforward and the dead ends less numerous than in other games. There is one major annoyance that returns from Space Quest I: gambling. You need to make money at a casino which requires constant saving and restoring. Leisure Suit Larry is the most original idea Sierra has had yet. I can’t wait to how this series evolves. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: None that I can remember. Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Gambling. My final score: 197/222 |
Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge (1987)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq2b-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq2a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq2c-1.jpg Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge (1987) The entire existence of Space Quest II almost seems like an apology for not including a real villain in Space Quest I. In fact, Vohaul’s existence isn’t even hinted at, nor is his brother shown to be anything other than a name in the first game. Space Quest II certainly does add some needed expository scenes to the series, but what is exposited is fairly generic plotting that also lacks in effective parody. We are left with the unseasoned meat and potatoes of the genre. Space Quest II is the last entry of a major Sierra series to use the AGI engine, and as much as it shows the engine at its most refined, it also shows its limitation. The graphics are among the most pleasant of any AGI game (well except for the boring corridors of the asteroid). The Labion jungle scenes are particularly good looking. The game contains some nice Larry-style close-ups as well. The other major advantage the sequel has over the original is in puzzle design. The few puzzles that take advantage of the parser are among the best of the AGI era (see spoilers in Additional Notes for examples). There are perhaps even more deaths here than in the previous game, but dead ends are mostly eliminated. Space Quest II was the hardest Sierra game up to this point for me. Length is about the same as its predecessor. I felt like there should have been more locations. Despite its improvements, Space Quest II seems a little bland, as was the first one. I’m not sure which I really prefer. The second one has better atmosphere and puzzle design, but the first one has a bit more character. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: Spoiler: Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Spoiler: My final score: 212/250 |
King’s Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (1988)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...s/KQ4a-1-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ4d-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/KQ4c-1.jpg King’s Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (1988) King’s Quest IV marks the next evolution in Sierra adventures. The pixel count has been upped and, for the first time, sound cards are supported. The game is also significantly longer than its predecessors. These enhancements offer new possibilities for the genre. However, King’s Quest IV fails to use them to their full potential. The game takes an intriguing twist in allowing the player to take on the role of a female. The story starts with a long cut scene, quite different from the previous games. I found the scene overly sentimental, however, and other missteps follow. The game takes quite an odd structure. You are given these little tasks without much of a clue as to how they are to be solved. You have to do things for people with no indication as to what it might accomplish. And then they give you something which you have to give to someone else for no apparent reason other than that this new person could have something that you might need. The game abounds with such absurd adventureisms that are ripe for parody. I’ve forgiven the series for the stairs of death up to this point, but now it’s getting rather bothersome. In fact, climbing steps is harder in King’s Quest IV than it was with its predecessors. One puzzle in particular takes this idea to new extremes of tedium. The enhanced sound does lend something to the atmosphere of the game. There are several parts that are pretty creepy, which is helped even more when the game switches from day to night. One annoying thing, though, is that the sound stops every time you start to type something. The game also pauses, which took some getting used to after learning to type-in commands before you finished walking in previous games. I also preferred having the command line at the bottom rather than blocking the middle of the screen. It's interesting to see all of the technical improvements that King's Quest IV brings. But with increased ability comes increased responsibility. It is with this game that all of the charming flaws of the series start becoming just flaws. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends: Spoiler: Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Spoiler: My final score (in the game): 226/230 |
Ahhhhhhh the memories.
Has anyone tried "Laura Bow's - The Colonel's Bequest" Thats another early sierra adventure which I vaguely remember it being set in a big old mansion... |
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I personally liked them. Especially the first has a very dense atmosphere (at least back in the early 90´s when I played them) |
Great thread! I'm really hoping it will be continued, really looking forwards to reading more reviews of Sierra classics.
Very interesting and entertaining to read, and I find that I agree with a lot of is said (I do seem to like both the first SQ games quite a bit better than the reviewer here, though). |
Keep 'em coming...
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Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places) (1988)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl2d-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl2c-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...es/lsl2b-1.jpg Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places) (1988) Though the second SCI game, Larry 2 deserves the credit for taking Sierra games to the next level. Whereas King’s Quest IV hesitantly carried with it all of its antiquated baggage, Larry 2 leaps to new terrain with confidence. While Larry 2 departs from the series-defining goals of the first game and adopts a more conventional and tamed-down plot, the sophistication of the writing elevates it above the original. Dropping Larry into a more standard adventure is really a rather clever approach. The game plays up the difference between the player and the player character in an intriguing manner. You are privileged to knowledge that Larry doesn’t have. The conflict derives from the disparity between these two perspectives. While having to die to figure out a puzzle is generally frowned upon in adventure game theory, here it brings humor to the relation between the player and the character. The game also plays with aspects of the first game and with Sierra conventions in general. For example, in the first game money was a big concern. You had to constantly work the casino to maintain funds. Here, however, the concern is reversed to a ridiculous extreme. Early on, Larry wins a million dollars without hardly having to do anything. The challenge becomes how to get less money, as Larry’s bills are too large. The negative consequence of sleeping with girls also presents a reversal from the previous game. In another scene, the classic Sierra cliff walk is encountered, except you can’t actually fall off (anticipating the later parody in The Secret of Monkey Island). However, it subjects you to another typical Sierra challenge: Spoiler: The artwork is a step up from King’s Quest IV, with a lot of detail and variety of locations. The music is also quite good (I particularly like the love theme). The sections of the game are arranged in a linear manner, resulting in many dead ends (the most I’ve seen in a Sierra game thus far). It is one of the longer and harder Sierra games I’ve played. It also feels like it has more depth in regards to various responses given and the overall large number of text. Larry 2 really is a step forward for Sierra. For the first time, a Sierra game begins to match the depth and humor offered by the LucasArts games I grew up with. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends encountered: Six, at least. Spoiler: Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Spoiler: My final score: 496/500 |
EDIT - sprry for writing such a long and rambling post, I tend to do that sometimes... so if you read it before I removed it, sorry about that.
All I really wanted to say is - thanks for continuing this awesome thread, your reviews are a joy to read! :) |
I'm glad you've enjoyed the reviews. I'd welcome any thoughts by others, even if rambling.
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Somehow I lost track of this thread after posting in November, never even read your reply until now. Enjoyed reading your take on KQ4: The Perils of Rosella even if you didn't enjoy it as much as I did.
One thing about playing this game for me was that it was the first time I had a choice to use keyboard or mouse and I recall thinking when I tried the mouse, "This will never catch on!" Of course, I was totally wrong about that, wasn't I? I'll try to stay tuned in this time to see the rest of your reviews. They are really great and revive so many fond memories of the those early days. It was a hectic time back then when new changes were coming along almost faster than one could keep up, almost. Considering adventure games began with text only: "You are standing in front of a house with a mailbox!" Even that was considered amazing back then when my husband bought our first computer. |
I found it easier just to stick with the keyboard for KQIV and Larry 2. It will be interesting to see what Sierra does with a true point-and-click interface as that's the way I first played adventure games.
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Hi, Lagomorph:
Great thread (I have bookmarked it) and reviews. I grew up with adventures from both companies, Lucas and Sierra (I played Larry 1 and Maniac Mansion at the same time), so I don't have a preference for any one of them. I rather think they both have great games, ok games and bad games (well, maybe Lucas Arts doesn't have any bad games, but that's because -I think- they don't experiment as much with the genre as Sierra). What I value the most about your comments is they attempt to be fair about the games without indulging in a nostalgic point of view, which would imply an exaggeration of the positive side, or criticizing them from a "Lucas games fan" point of view, that is, demanding the games to be just as Lucas´ ones (without deaths and dead ends). In general, I share your opinions. For example, just as you, I find King's Quest 2 to be better than 1 and 3 better than 2, but I felt 4 to be not that good as 3. Regarding Larry games, if you liked the relation established between the player and Larry, you´ll find Larry 6 and 7 are specially great in this respect. I can´t wait for the new reviews (I hope in the future you can comment Police Quest and Quest for Glory games; this last series is specially good, leaving aside the fifth game). |
On your "hardest puzzle" for LSL2:
Spoiler: Very inspiring thread. I might have to start one for games that are new to me as well. |
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I definitely plan on getting to Police Quest and Quest for Glory sooner or later. Quote:
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I love little jabs at competing companies in games, like the rubber tree situation from MI1 you brought up... developers seemed to have more fun while developing games back then, not taking themselves too seriously to have a little fun like that. One of the things I miss. |
v.cool thread
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Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq3a-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq3c-1.jpghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...mes/sq3b-1.jpg Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989) The first thing one notices upon starting Space Quest III is the new theme music. Gone is the heroic PC speaker anthem of the first two. In its place, we find an upbeat melody that oddly carries with it a melancholic nostalgia for the 80’s. Beginning the game is like opening a time capsule and realizing that the essence of its contents could never be replicated again. It seems appropriate to begin in a mode of time travel on the meta-game level, for the game is both sci-fi and self-referential. Space Quest III immerses you in a canvas of vibrant, detailed visuals. From the first scene, the graphics top any Sierra game that came before it. The numerous sci-fi references among the junk form an interesting metaphor—Roger must escape the remains of his inspirations to form his own unique destiny. He must write his own game (a theme revisited in the game’s conclusion). The world is laid out in a spatially interesting way. Not only do you exit screens by going left and right, but also up and down—aboard such unusual landscapes as conveyor belts and giant robot necks. Gone are the two-dimensional side-scrolling screens of the first two games. For the first time, we are also given the opportunity for nonlinear interplanetary travel. This helps heighten the games sense of exploration—it’s a true space adventure now. However, the puzzles and plot often do not respond as well to this newfound sense of freedom. On board the junk freighter, I ended up solving the puzzles in reverse order. I had all of the parts to fix the ship before I was able to get into to the ship to know that it was broken. You’re not required to play Astro Chicken, but if you don’t, the plot won’t make sense. This happened to me just because I decided to explore the locations in a different order than the game expected me to (I soon realized I was missing something and went back to play it before proceeding further). The plot is pretty fun though. This might be the first adventure game where the designers put themselves into the game. I like reading stories about the old Sierra development team and find it fascinating how they had their headquarters out in a small town among the California wilderness. It was neat to see the mythology of the game meet the mythology of the game makers. I believe Space Quest III is also the first Sierra game to reference LucasArts. It’s interesting to note that LucasArts had achieved archrival status after having released only two games. In its structure and self-aware humor, Space Quest III even resembles LucasArts’s later Monkey Island 2. They both also feature gutsy endings capable of alienating fans. But such a comparison serves to highlight The Pirates of Pestulon’s flaws as much as anything. In addition to the structural flaws mentioned earlier, Space Quest III feels much too short. The junk freighter seems to be only an intro sequence at first, but then you find out it’s almost half the game (and the harder half too!). Ironically, the game tries to trick you into thinking it is going to end even earlier than it does. Nevertheless, Space Quest III shines in its atmosphere and is probably the best of the series thus far. But word on the street is that the next game tops all other Space Quests. We shall see. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Dead ends encountered: None Best part: Spoiler: Worst part: Spoiler: My final score: 718/738 |
Cool review, keep em coming :)
I disagree about the "word on the street" though. In my opinion the best Space Quests are 3 and 5. 4 is okay, but not as good. |
Actually, a poll on this site has the fifth game as the best by a wide margin, so maybe I'm wrong. I was under the impression that Space Quest IV was the fan favorite though. It is the last to have been designed by both of the Two Guys.
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Interesting thread, I'm not sure how I missed it up to now. It is always fun to see new people discovering the games that many of us have cherished for years, even decades in some cases, now. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned about the speed bug in KQ7. This is easily avoided by playing the DOS version in DOSBox. The problem is that most of the releases did not come with a DOS interpreter. Most of the he stand alone releases were version 1.4 and 1.56, which included no DOS interpreter. The first collection only came with a demo of KQ7. The 2nd collection, The King's Quest Collection Series, came with KQ7 v2.00b, which had the DOS interpreter. The 2006 VU collection used v 1.4, which as stated earlier, had no DOS interpreter.
I have a number of modern installers and patches for most of the Sierra games, including the KQ series that can upgrade versions 1.4 and 1.56 to 2.00b and automatically set it up to run in DOSBox. http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Update...allers.html#KQ For the 2006 VU collections and the Steam version, I have patches to fix the many problems with these releases, including upgrading KQ71.4 to 2.00b http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Update...xUpdaters.html I hope these will help you in your quest. |
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