In this very first chapter of King’s Quest, The Odd Gentlemen have delivered an old school adventure that works well as a single episode, but also sets the scene for the rest of the series very nicely indeed.
The game centres around an aging King Graham, as he recounts the various tales of his youth to his eager granddaughter Gwendolyn, who longs to hear stories of adventure and knightly valour. To a certain extent, she does, as the prologue to our tale features a one-eyed dragon, a number of daring stunts (including an enjoyable escape through a flooded tunnel) and the liberation of a long lost treasure.
From this lofty starting point, the game settles into a more familiar pace for adventure games of the sort when Graham recounts the events leading up to his encounter with the dragon, relaying the tale of how he became a knight in the first place. This involves the player using wit, cunning and skill to first gain access to, and then ultimately win a tournament granting Graham the privilege of joining the Royal Guard.
Compared to the majority of modern adventure games, King’s Quest is a real breath of fresh air. The inventory and memory puzzles it employs are more forgiving than those which were a staple in iterations of this franchise from age passed, yet they are still much more involving and taxing than those we often see today. The dialogue is often amusing, and the voice cast is excellent, offering enthusiasm and whimsy in equal measure.
With its high production values, mildly taxing, yet rewarding gameplay and compelling narrative, A Knight to Remember is a super first chapter in what looks set to be an enthralling series.
To find reviews of other episodes (as they become available), check out the King’s Quest review hub.
King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember was developed on Xbox One and Xbox 360 by The Odd Gentlemen and published by Sierra. It was released July 29, 2015 for $9.99 on Xbox One. A copy was provided by Sierra for review purposes.
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