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Sierra King's Quest V

Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
920
As flawed as this game is from a design perspective, I can't help but say that it remains my favorite game of all time. Maybe it's just nostalgia. But King's Quest V was the first PC game I was ever introduced to, and the first adventure game as such. I had already been a console gamer with my Sega Genesis, but King's Quest V didn't compare to any Sega game I had played. I was only five years old. Playing KQV represented a big bonding experience between my dad and I - it was his first computer and thus his first real experience with a computer game too. The game taught me the meaning of some words. I remember sitting with my dad while we were in the Toy Store in the game and the German toymaker made reference to children as 'kinder', and my father related to me how the word kinder meant child, like as in, kindergarten, which I was then in.

Beyond these memories, I find that unlike all but a few games (Space Quest 3, Myst, and Baldur's Gate) King's Quest V really feels like an adventure. It isn't a big game, nor is it that expansive, but something about the game makes it feel like a journey - makes it feel larger than it is. You get to visit all these different locales - from the town of Serenia, to the woods, the Dark Forest, the desert, the Bandit Camp, the snowy mountains, the Harpie Island and finally Mordack's Island - by the end of the game you feel like you've traversed over a wide and diverse magical world.

The game has to it a certain innocent cheesy charm that really is only found in this particular game - not even as much in the other King's Quest games. It has a certain storybook feel to it that flows naturally, a certain tongue-in-cheek tone that doesn't come across as well in either the earlier or later games. It doesn't take itself totally seriously, but also doesn't fall into farce or self-parody.

The NPCs are simple archetypes but interesting; Graham is a great avatar type of protagonist; and Cedric is lovable in his own unique way. The ending battle is almost cinematic and the last part of the game is filled with tension. The soundtrack to this game is one of the best video game scores ever in my opinion, each piece being memorable and breathing life into 2.5D scenes.

It gets a bum rap because of its design flaws, but I honestly feel it is a true classic and in some ways, better than the often heralded KQVI.

I am curious to hear your opinions.
 

oldmanpaco

Master of Siestas
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
13,609
Location
Winter
KQ:V is my favorite KQ as well. I played and finished II and III but IV never did it for me. I got KQ:V as a Christmas gift and played the hell out of it. This was the period where everything was moving into VGA graphics and some of my all time favorite games (KQ:V, Ultima IV VI , Wing Commander, Gunship 2000, Civilization, Red Baron, SWotL to name a few) were all released in 1990/91. It felt like a revolution in PC gaming.
 
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jfrisby

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
491
Grab the Codex by the pussy Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong
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