Sierra's Worse Adventure Game?

[Tawmis]

So Rudy is working on Codename: Iceman for the Sierra Chest and posted it on FB. Most tend to agree, this was Sierra's worse Adventure game (for several reasons).

What is Sierra's Worse Adventure game to you and why?

[Expack3]

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't argue if CODENAME: Iceman was picked as the worst Sierra adventure game ever. However, my personal "worst adventure game" is, believe it or not, Torrin's Passage. It's not flawed gameplay-wise, the graphics are gorgeous, the story is decent (if not outright great in parts), and the humor is distinctly Al Lowe. The last point is where I draw the 'worst' part from. Normally, I'd be fine with Al Lowe's humor, especially his more adult-oriented humor, but this isn't a Leisure Suit Larry game or Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist - it's a game meant for kids to play with their parents. Torrin's Passage manages to slip in a swear word or two, and it even has, for a kid's game, some rather...questionable puzzles (the majority of which seem to take place in the Escarpa chapter).

However, I would postulate, on a more objective basis, that King's Quest 5 is the worst adventure game Sierra ever made. Quite a few of the puzzles, such as the custard pie puzzle and the desert maze, seem quite convoluted - with some having specific solutions which are vague and require you to restart from a much earlier point in the game if you don't have the right item.

[DeadPoolX]

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't argue if CODENAME: Iceman was picked as the worst Sierra adventure game ever.

I think C:I's problems stem from a forgettable character and the horrendous submarine scenes. If Sierra still existed, they could probably create a good version today, but back in 1989, action sequences weren't well done in non-action games.

However, my personal "worst adventure game" is, believe it or not, Torrin's Passage. It's not flawed gameplay-wise, the graphics are gorgeous, the story is decent (if not outright great in parts), and the humor is distinctly Al Lowe. The last point is where I draw the 'worst' part from.

Wait'll Tawmis reads this!

However, I would postulate, on a more objective basis, that King's Quest 5 is the worst adventure game Sierra ever made. Quite a few of the puzzles, such as the custard pie puzzle and the desert maze, seem quite convoluted - with some having specific solutions which are vague and require you to restart from a much earlier point in the game if you don't have the right item.

I think my wife would agree with you on the pie-in-the-yetti's-face puzzle. That one in particular drove her nuts and she still hates it today.

[BBP]

Of the ones I've played and finished, I'd put Phantas 2 at the bottom: everything except Trevor is bad about it: no good puzzle, stupid story, gigantic plotholes, bad music, bad cursor design, bad interface design etc etc etc...
I also have a strong dislike for LSL3 although it's popular here. Measly story that broke the character of Larry I'd come to love, addition of a ghastly lead female, a maze, the log ride, bra slinging, the weight machines, overuse of a poor running gag, and the many timed sequences that have made playing it on a Win98 a complete drag.
Of the games I never even bothered to finish, that's a bit tougher since I also quit games if they're too scary for me or if I can't find the time to play it anymore, like KQ1, SQ1, Shivers II or Urban Runner: perhaps Willy Beamish is the most tedious of the lot. Although Urban Runner started out poorly: so a fish hook doesn't do the job at removing the bricks, but a nail file does?

[Tawmis]

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't argue if CODENAME: Iceman was picked as the worst Sierra adventure game ever. However, my personal "worst adventure game" is, believe it or not, Torrin's Passage.

Look who just got themselves banned! I kid. I kid. Well... it was close.

This I have got to hear...

It's not flawed gameplay-wise, the graphics are gorgeous, the story is decent (if not outright great in parts), and the humor is distinctly Al Lowe. The last point is where I draw the 'worst' part from. Normally, I'd be fine with Al Lowe's humor, especially his more adult-oriented humor, but this isn't a Leisure Suit Larry game or Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist - it's a game meant for kids to play with their parents. Torrin's Passage manages to slip in a swear word or two, and it even has, for a kid's game, some rather...questionable puzzles (the majority of which seem to take place in the Escarpa chapter).

You may be right - and I may be immune to bad words these days - but remind me what they were?

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't argue if CODENAME: Iceman was picked as the worst Sierra adventure game ever.

I think C:I's problems stem from a forgettable character and the horrendous submarine scenes. If Sierra still existed, they could probably create a good version today, but back in 1989, action sequences weren't well done in non-action games.

His character was pretty one dimensional - very mission oriented. But then he only got one game. (Although Freddy Pharkas only got one game, and he got some good character development). I think the lack of a real "supporting cast" to play off of didn't give us as players a chance to learn what the character was like. Of course, the same could be said about King's Quest 1 and 2 at the time they were released. It wasn't till later that we got to "know" King Graham.

However, my personal "worst adventure game" is, believe it or not, Torrin's Passage. It's not flawed gameplay-wise, the graphics are gorgeous, the story is decent (if not outright great in parts), and the humor is distinctly Al Lowe. The last point is where I draw the 'worst' part from.

Wait'll Tawmis reads this!

Of the ones I've played and finished, I'd put Phantas 2 at the bottom: everything except Trevor is bad about it: no good puzzle, stupid story, gigantic plotholes, bad music, bad cursor design, bad interface design etc etc etc...
I also have a strong dislike for LSL3 although it's popular here. Measly story that broke the character of Larry I'd come to love, addition of a ghastly lead female, a maze, the log ride, bra slinging, the weight machines, overuse of a poor running gag, and the many timed sequences that have made playing it on a Win98 a complete drag.
Of the games I never even bothered to finish, that's a bit tougher since I also quit games if they're too scary for me or if I can't find the time to play it anymore, like KQ1, SQ1, Shivers II or Urban Runner: perhaps Willy Beamish is the most tedious of the lot. Although Urban Runner started out poorly: so a fish hook doesn't do the job at removing the bricks, but a nail file does?

I can definitely agree with Phant2. To me, it feel for the typical movie sequel. Like when a movie does good, and there's no sequel planned - but the movie studio wants to capitalize - they make a sequel that goes way over the top and does everything wrong. This happened with Phant2 in my view. However, LSL3...? Really? I like the character Patti from LSL3 (even before she got more development in LSL5). I thought the game was different - it forced players to stop thinking like men (which the majority of LSL players were, I'd wager if there was ever an official poll) - and suddenly try to figure out how to use womanly things (like the bra slinging). I thought it was great, inventive twist, to have it switch back and forth like that.

[Expack3]

You may be right - and I may be immune to bad words these days - but remind me what they were?

As far as I can remember (I think there were more), when the old guard talks with Torrin about a departure meal, he mentions he wants freshly-squeezed berry juice, not "that canned c*%p." (see this walkthrough video)

Also, an example of a, in my opinion, questionable puzzle is where you have to give an Al Lowe-style "coverage required" sign from the Escarpa spa to an Escarpan citizen (who seems to be wearing his/her birthday suit). The sign, thus, becomes sanitized and becomes a usable tile for another puzzle.

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't argue if CODENAME: Iceman was picked as the worst Sierra adventure game ever. However, my personal "worst adventure game" is, believe it or not, Torrin's Passage.

Look who just got themselves banned! I kid. I kid. Well... it was close.

I know you were, at least, half-kidding, but I'd still like to apologize for insulting your tastes, Tawmis. If I had known about your strong opinion before, I would have determined a more appropriate way of expressing my opinion - or, in lieu of that, simply chosen another terrible (subjectively and/or objectively) Sierra game to lay the hate on!

[AndreaDraco]

I can agree with Phantasmagoria II, even if I quite like the soundtrack. Perhaps, though, my least favorite Sierra adventure - which isn't, necessarily, the worst - is Space Quest III. DOn't mistake me: the game has a nice enough story, the lead character is always amusing and the finale is quite amazing, but the game itself was pretty boring for me and, as you guys already know, I loathe Astro Chicken. In general, the Space Quest series - but, mind you: I have yet to play SQV and SQVI - is my least favorite of the Sierra roster.

[BBP]

Trust me, Tawm: I'm a woman, and "thinking like a woman" doesn't mean you'd fidget for an hour to take off your bra to use it as a weapon in case of emergency, rely on a pantyhose that rips as soon as your fingernail strikes past it to hold your weight, or find that stripper from the bar even remotely attractive.

[Tawmis]

I know you were, at least, half-kidding, but I'd still like to apologize for insulting your tastes, Tawmis. If I had known about your strong opinion before, I would have determined a more appropriate way of expressing my opinion - or, in lieu of that, simply chosen another terrible (subjectively and/or objectively) Sierra game to lay the hate on!

OMG! No! Do not apologize! I was VERY much 101% kidding! (I have a very silly sense of humor!) Your reasoning is VERY solid! Everyone is VERY much entitled to their own reasons! Trust me, I enjoyed reading your take on it! So I am the one who should apologize if you thought I was even remotely serious! (You need to be on the forums more and see my oddball sense of humor!) Trust me!

[Tawmis]

Trust me, Tawm: I'm a woman, and "thinking like a woman" doesn't mean you'd fidget for an hour to take off your bra to use it as a weapon in case of emergency, rely on a pantyhose that rips as soon as your fingernail strikes past it to hold your weight, or find that stripper from the bar even remotely attractive.

Well, I didn't mean thinking like a real woman! (After all, nothing Larry does is thinking like a real man - well, other than making sure to use a condom before engaging with the hooker in LSL1! Every man should think that way!) But what I mean is - suddenly the player is confronted with having to think about what a woman has (bra, pantyhose, etc) for some of the puzzles, rather than just what a male might have (say, like condoms). I totally respect you don't like LSL3, I was just saying I thought it was a fun twist (going from Larry to Patti).

I can agree with Phantasmagoria II, even if I quite like the soundtrack. Perhaps, though, my least favorite Sierra adventure - which isn't, necessarily, the worst - is Space Quest III. DOn't mistake me: the game has a nice enough story, the lead character is always amusing and the finale is quite amazing, but the game itself was pretty boring for me and, as you guys already know, I loathe Astro Chicken. In general, the Space Quest series - but, mind you: I have yet to play SQV and SQVI - is my least favorite of the Sierra roster.

Man! What is going on here? SQIII was my favorite SQ game, followed closely by SQIV then SQV!

How is it you people are not joining in on the dislike of Codename: Iceman?!

[Collector]

I guess it is pile on Tawm time. Everyone is dissing his favorites. Don't worry, Tawm. You are not the only one to like them.

I could never get into Iceman, so it is on the forgettable list for me.

[Tawmis]

I guess it is pile on Tawm time. Everyone is dissing his favorites. Don't worry, Tawm. You are not the only one to like them.
I could never get into Iceman, so it is on the forgettable list for me.

I am waiting for someone to mention KQ4 and LSL2, my two favorites from each of those!

[Collector]

I am waiting for someone to mention KQ4 and LSL2, my two favorites from each of those!

Setting yourself for another kick in the shin?

[Tawmis]

I am waiting for someone to mention KQ4 and LSL2, my two favorites from each of those!

Setting yourself for another kick in the shin?

Or higher.

[Maxor127]

I don't think Codename Iceman is the worst. Of the games I played, I'd probably say King's Quest 7.