King's Quest: Chapter 5 - The Good Knight (PlayStation 4) Review

By David Lovato 07.04.2017

Review for King

After a few episodes of incredible storytelling blemished by the occasional glitch or repetitive puzzle or environment, 2015's King's Quest reaches its conclusion with Episode V: The Good Knight. Developer The Odd Gentleman has carefully rebooted the beloved franchise, with the first four episodes making up an unforgettable journey, and one last episode tops the whole thing off.

For all its wit, humour, and charm, Episode V begins on a darker tone, raising topics like the death of loved ones and human mortality. The game never loses its charming, family-friendly tone, however, and remains consistent in its delivery. Animations and controls shift slightly to reflect a much older King Graham. Visuals remain steady, and while the game has never been photorealistic or particularly stunning overall, the unique art style works well and will likely stand the test of time in its own right.

Screenshot for King's Quest: Chapter 5 - The Good Knight on PlayStation 4

The episode focuses attention on some of the changes to Graham's kingdom over the years, both providing some refreshment to the environments and tugging at players' heartstrings. The king's narration does the same, with Graham forgetting some details of his adventures, leaving a clearly saddened Gwendolyn to correct him.

As with previous chapters, the game is more about storytelling than gameplay, so those looking for a fine-tuned, interactive experience might be disappointed. King's Quest remains somewhat of a visual novel, with puzzles serving as a means for players to advance the story—and given that it's one of the best stories gaming has to offer, the fact that it isn't overly challenging works in its favour. That aside, a segment toward the end of the episode remains one of the most clever fourth-wall breaking moments in memory, a surprise players will have to reach for themselves.

Screenshot for King's Quest: Chapter 5 - The Good Knight on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

King's Quest isn't a graphical powerhouse, it's not a bastion of good gameplay, and it isn't even a particularly excellent puzzler. What it is is one of the best stories found in gaming; the amount of charm and love put into the game, and subsequently poured out of the game, makes it a unique experience just about anyone can get behind. Here is a story that would put most award-winning animated films to shame, and cleverly binding it to puzzles and gameplay segments helps invest players even more into this unforgettable, emotional journey.

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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