MoE, KQ or Not?

[Collector]

All KQ boards in the past have this argument, so here it goes again; "Is The Mask of Eternity a real KQ game?"

[Tawmis]

By Definition - Yes, it is. Because they slapped the label on there that says King's Quest. But MOE is about as much as King's Quest as MCL is an LSL game to me. They may have the label - but I feel they were put on there to make sales. They were trying to nitch into the market since they (Sierra) were being left behind. So they make a hack and slash game (for MOE) - advertise it as such (since that seemed to be the market) - and then slap the KQ name on it to trick all of us loyal Sierra fans - blam! - they get sales on both sides.

Wizardry did this - when they made Wizardry: Nemesis. Wizardry was always about having a party of adventurers (six of them) and having classes like Fighter, Valkyrie, Bishop, Bard, etc etc - and races like human, elf, dwarf, lizard man, etc. In Wizardry: Nemesis, like they did with MOE - Wizardry changed their format. W:N was a first person hack and slash that reminded me of the game Heretic. I do not consider W:N a part of the Wizardry series either.

Sorry went off on a tanget.

[AndreaDraco]

I'll be quick on my response: No, it isn't.

[Tawmis]

I'll be quick on my response: No, it isn't.

Okay after your wonderful write up of GK2, I need to read more - why don't you think MOE is a part of KQ? (Mind you, I agree - but I'd love to read your reasoning!)

[AndreaDraco]

When I play King's Quest games, I'm amazed even today by the sense of wonder that even the first installments can inspire: bright landscapes, colorful environments, amusing characters, brilliant dialogues (OK, these ones only in the later chapters).

Mask of Eternity relies heavily on exploration, and this is always a good thing, in my opinion. The problem, here, is that I don't care about exploring those opaque locations. I haven't even cheerful characters to interact with, and I don't like adventures that put the player up to a solitary experience (à la Myst, for example).

It's the atmosphere, that was gone. The mood.

In King's Quest VI, when you visit the Land of Death, it manages to be both frightening and touching (not to mention, the rendez-vous with the Death itself, which is perhaps one of the highest moments of my adventurer's career): it retains the sense of wonder and adds it a good macabre atmosphere.

This is a perfect example of how I ever imagined a more darker, adult KQ game, something like that segment in the sixth game. I found nothing similar, in MoE, and I was hugely disappointed - it felt unpolished and flat, and its lack of charisma is perhaps the most severe flaw.

[Collector]

Wow! Andrea, you've managed to succinctly encapsulate what makes the KQ series so enjoyable to play, even as an adult. You are right, that feel was completely missing from MoE. The first couple of realms were very oppressive to play. There was a real sense of relief when you made it to the Swamp and to the Frozen Reaches. I did enjoy the game, but it was a completely different beast.

[AndreaDraco]

Thanks, Collector

Currently I'm replaying the whole series, and I'm near the end of KQVII. Then I plan to replay also MoE, and see if - the second time around - my opinion about it will change or not!

[Tawmis]

Thanks, Collector

Currently I'm replaying the whole series, and I'm near the end of KQVII. Then I plan to replay also MoE, and see if - the second time around - my opinion about it will change or not!

I doubt if it will. I have tried to replay MOE a number of times. And it usually gets uninstalled.

[Akril]

I haven't played MoE so I suppose I can't give a fair judgment of it, but from what I've heard and seen of it, it seems more like a spinoff of the KQ series than a true sequel (it's not called KQ8, after all).

An interesting side note: the only other games that feature KQ characters speaking in Olde English accents are Hoyle 1 and Hoyle Classic Card Games.

[AndreaDraco]

I doubt if it will.

Me too. But never say never, no?

[Tawmis]

I doubt if it will.

Me too. But never say never, no?

I live by those words... never say never.

[Fender_178]

I felt the same way Andrea about MOE thats why I never finished it the whole way through the first time and I was an 8th grader at the time but 10 years later Im giving it another chance since Im much older and more open minded. I saw the ending of MOE thanks to a saved game I found and I thought that they could have added more to the ending like Graham thanking Connor for what he did. Now on to LSL MCL after watching a review of this game im considering that this game isnt a vaild LSL game its just game with a bunch of mini games in it. At least with MOE they kept the game portion true with the story plot etc. But currently I feel that MOE isnt a KQ8 or a continuation of KQ7 but I am considering that MOE is a New style KQ game with all the elements of the 1st 7 games but with QFG elements added to it. But Im starting to respect MOE for what it is as a game.

[Taryn]

I don't consider it a KQ game...it seems like more of a fighting game, and I think that with "Connor", it strays too far from the Royal Family of Daventry. I would have preferred a game with Cassima as the lead, myself.

I remember as a kid daydreaming "King's Quest X", which took place in Llewdor.

[Tawmis]

Now on to LSL MCL after watching a review of this game im considering that this game isnt a vaild LSL game its just game with a bunch of mini games in it. At least with MOE they kept the game portion true with the story plot etc. But currently I feel that MOE isnt a KQ8 or a continuation of KQ7 but I am considering that MOE is a New style KQ game with all the elements of the 1st 7 games but with QFG elements added to it. But Im starting to respect MOE for what it is as a game.

Now I'm just playing the devil's advocate here - generate some more convo about this - but MOE didn't really do much with King's Quest - (as in wasn't even a member of the family or anything) - it took away all the puzzles that KQ was known for - took away from the whole gaming aspect that had made KQ. Now it has the Graham at the end and such - but there isn't any other real tie to KQ. So by the same argument - while MCL wasn't Larry - at least he's supposed to be Larry's nephew - so at least he's related to Larry. And while it is a bunch of mini games (and really, little else in my opinion - and horrible mini games at that!) - he is at least related to Larry, and in the beginning (my memory is vague, as I tried to forget MCL) - there's even a picture of Larry and you can click on it or something and it's Larry talking to him.

So it would seem they both have vague ties to the game which they steal their titles...

I don't consider it a KQ game...it seems like more of a fighting game, and I think that with "Connor", it strays too far from the Royal Family of Daventry. I would have preferred a game with Cassima as the lead, myself.

I remember as a kid daydreaming "King's Quest X", which took place in Llewdor.

I would have loved a game with Cassima as the lead.

I remember actually writing a fanfic that was very game like (so it could literally be used as a plan for a future KQ game) - where it was about Edgar trying to win Rosella's heart (before KQ7 came out). Because once again, it would have been about a King - and had to do with Graham's family. I wish I knew were that was.

[Datadog]

So by the same argument - while MCL wasn't Larry - at least he's supposed to be Larry's nephew - so at least he's related to Larry. And while it is a bunch of mini games (and really, little else in my opinion - and horrible mini games at that!) - he is at least related to Larry, and in the beginning (my memory is vague, as I tried to forget MCL) - there's even a picture of Larry and you can click on it or something and it's Larry talking to him.

Actually, Larry Laffer makes an appearance later on in the game. You'll find him sitting in Lefty's Bar only he's much older with gray hair. Whenever you talk to him, he reminisces about his past adventures.

I consider MoE to just be an add-on to the games, not a direct sequel. Kind of like the hundreds of differently-themed Mario games out there. The only tie-in is the brief appearance of an extremely nasal King Graham, and wandering around Daventry during the first level. I think it's fine if they want to call it "King's Quest," but they knew what they were doing when they left the "VIII" out of it.