King's Quest: Chapter 3 - Once Upon a Climb (PlayStation 4) Review

By David Lovato 06.10.2016

Review for King

Over three decades ago, the King's Quest series launched, and would eventually come to define point-and-click adventure titles. In 2015, Sierra Entertainment and developer The Odd Gentlemen released the first episode of King's Quest, a re-imagining of the series as an episodic exploration game. Chapter 3: Once Upon a Climb brings the story to about its mid-point.

Chapter 2 received some criticism for its lack of variety in playable locations, something Chapter 3 remedies. Sceneries are sprawling and gorgeous, with gameplay often shifting playable character King Graham to one side to let players take in some of the well-crafted, at times breath-taking, backdrops and environments. As far as gameplay goes, not much is different; The Odd Gentlemen have been polishing the controls as the series goes, but most of the kinks were worked out after the first episode.

Screenshot for King's Quest: Chapter 3 - Once Upon a Climb on PlayStation 4

Once Upon a Climb features a change of pace, with a strong focus on Graham building relationships with other characters via the game's many dialogue and puzzle sequences. This is an area where King's Quest shines; the characters are strong, likeable, and well-acted throughout. The episode culminates in a fast-paced, emotional climax powered by strong visuals and an epic score, and the ending depends on the player's choices, something the game has been weaker on in past episodes.

Screenshot for King's Quest: Chapter 3 - Once Upon a Climb on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

King's Quest is shaping up to be one of the stronger examples of storytelling in modern gaming, and gives episodic titles a good name. Criticisms are taken into account and polished with each episode, but the writing and presentation aren't suffering at all. Characters are memorable and fun, brought to life by a strong cast and solid writing. The wait between episodes feels long, but The Odd Gentlemen and Sierra have shown that it's well worth it, with each episode improving in quality over the last.

Developer

The Odd Gentlemen

Publisher

Sierra

Genre

Adventure

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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