Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confused by other reviews..., September 19, 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I normally don't post reviews but for some reason, a lot of reviewers are giving this collection a one-star based on some fan-based game and are angry at the company. I thought I'd chime in with an, I guess, less biased view.
The Kings Quest series was basically the worlds first adventure game. The beginning by today's standards has a simple story. You're a knight, find three treasures. But in the telling lies some of the most creative ideas ever found in any game. Period. All the games are based on fairy tales or mythologies... the first game has a giant in the clouds, an endless stair, the witch in a gingerbread house, a troll under the bridge, and the land of the leprechauns just to name a few. Eventually you're running fromt the abonimable snow man, brewing a storm to slay a dragon and even descending into the minotaur's labrynth.
Gameplay wise, the four games are text driven, but the fifth on out uses an icon "point and click" system which makes things much easier for non-typers like me. All of the games are almost entirely nonlinear. Go anywhere, do anything at any time provided you have the proper equiptment. Now, its the norm, but at the time, it was revolutionary.
For the negatives... There are a few unalterable design flaws about the first few games. For example, in KQ2 there is a bridge that can only be crossed 7 times, and you HAVE to cross it seven times. If you cross it an extra time at any point, and have it saved... prepare to replay the first half of the game. A warning for those who hate typing though, KQ3 in particular has a very complex spell casting system where you have to type very precisely, very quickly at times. But really all these complaints are very minor and nothing an online FAQ won't help with.
Check the series out, you won't regret it.
-B-
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40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Vivendi cashes in on the classics..., May 20, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Fans of the classic King's Quest series have been clamoring for a re-release compatible on today's computers for a long time. Enter Sierra (Vivendi), who's ears clearly perked at the prospect of cashing in on a zero-effort package that their loyal fans would eat up anyway.
There's not a lot of good I can say for this package, except that it's exactly what you expected, and little else. You get King's Quest 1-7, complete with a launcher that allows you to play these ancient gems in Windows XP, and you won't have to insert their respective CDs again. That's all well and good.
What you don't get is a manual, which would have been nice seeing as they didn't bother to take the copy protection out of King's Quest IV. You instead have to sift through PDF copies of all the games' literature.
Seeing as this is a relatively new release, it's ironic that it's just now Windows XP compatible, just as Vista is becoming the standard. To get it to work on XP, they used amateur 3rd-party software, which you can get for free on the internet. I experienced some annoying speech stuttering with King's Quest 5-7. If you've got the games, don't buy them again expecting something different.
For a 'compilation,' it's sorely lacking one major thing: the last game in the series. Many series vets probably don't care, but there's really no other context Vivendi could still rightfully sell this game in today, and many fans still would have been appreciative. Also, the original King's Quest has been completely replaced by the 1990 remake -- not a phenomenal loss, but far from the 'complete series.'
There's no jewel case or liner notes or anything; just two cds in paper sleeves with a little piece of paper with installation instructions, made even more ironic by the fact that the install program doesn't work and you'll have to open the setup manually.
Instead of forking over 20 bucks with shipping, consider some alternatives: the previous edition, King's Quest: Collection 2, although hard to come by, is a fantastic product, featuring KQ 1-7, Laura Bow 1 & 2, Mixed Up Mother Goose, the old apple games that led up to KQ, including Mystery House, some trivia and arcade games, and some other nice bonus features.
If you're looking to breathe new life into the series, play through AGD Interactive's phenomenal remakes of King's Quest 1 & 2, as well as Infamous Adventures' similarly great remake of King's Quest 3, and wait until the fan-made KQIX is released. It's clear that their development have way more reverence for this classic series than Sierra does.
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Still so much to be desired, December 9, 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
KQ2 through KQ6 are nearly exact replicas of the originals, which is what I was looking for. KQ1, sadly, is the VGA remake. I was looking forward to hearing the original sounds from the pc junior era, i.e., the rushing rivers and the fake bird sounds. That was very disappointing for me (not to mention, graphically, the original was more heartfelt than the vga remake by a long shot). I have searched far and wide for a true version online and none of them ever have the origial music. Damn.
KQVII was among my favorites in the series. I think it just hit me at the right moment in my life. Anyway, The music on the very first stage is what did it for me. There was this amazing organ with a horn (all synth of course) playing intermittently. (It reminds me of Tori Amos's Playboy Mommy at the beginning) Well, it's not there anymore. Whoever choose the MIDI sounds for the remake..., well they should have found someone else.
Otherwise everything works fine. It's just that my two favorites in the series are not originals and I am beginning to think they never will be again.
Anyway, for those of you who were "kind of" into KQ like your best friend had it and you sort of remember it, then it will probably be fun. However if your memories are stronger of the game than your own first kiss, than buy it but beware. It will be a sad initial shock.
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