Are Kings Quest and Quest for Glory on equal ground for you?

Kinoko · Sat 25/02/2006 08:31:12

This may seem like a stupid question to ask, but I have my reasons. Namely, I want to know.

Like many people, Kings Quest 1 was one of the first Sierra/adventure games I ever played and I loved it. I love the series, I've played them all many times.

However, I -really- got into Hero's Quest (Quest for Glory). I remember being completely thrilled when I went to my boyfriends place and he had, *shock horror* Quest for Glory 2! It was a mile-stone in my life, I think. I consider that series a true personal favourite.

Anyway, I'm not interested in talking about why one is better than the other, but what I have found curious these past couple of years on this forum, is that people don't seem to hold the two on equal ground as I do.

So, is the Quest for Glory series a level or two down from King's Quest for you? I tend to think of them both as two of the greats, but I get the feeling most people only see KQ that way. Same as Space Quest.

Admittedly, I don't think of Police Quest as the same because I never played those games (but I know that's just me).

If you do think of them differently, is it because you plyed Kings Quest first?

esper · Sat 25/02/2006 09:02:13

I hated Police Quest from the second I found out, after several weeks of trying, that a friend of mine had accidentally found out how to progress when he walked all the way around his police cruiser. I couldn't bring myself to play it ever again.

But, yeah, about KG and QFG... I love anything that brings back memories of a better time and place, but despite the total nostalgiagasm I get from playing the King's Quest series, I have to admit that QFG was the better game, with a more detailed plot, more likeable characters, and more intriguing... well, more intriguing everything. QFG all the way.

Especially the Rusalka in QFGIV.

Kinoko · Sat 25/02/2006 09:04:01

Wow, shatter my theory why don't you, esper

Good man, though. QFG rocks.

esper · Sat 25/02/2006 09:09:54

Well, be honest with yourself... Like I said, most people who like KQ like it solely on the merit that it was A) the first adventure game they ever played, and B) it brings back good memories. However, you can't dispute the fact that while KQ was mostly just rehashes of old fairy tales with "rubber" characters (the dashing hero, the maiden in distress, the evil wizard, the wicked witch, Batman) all tied together with some higher quest in mind ("go get my stuff so you can be the new king of Daventry"), QFG was an original storyline with realistic characters, excellent dialogue and writing ("you pry open the sphincter with the knife...") original humor that wasn'tÃ,Â based on pop-culture references, and a hero that wasn't 100% perfect.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Sat 25/02/2006 14:37:20

No. Quest For Glory was a superior blend of action/rpg and puzzle solving elements which really did not get the kind of success it deserved. I still think a graphic adventure made in this vein would be commercially viable today due to the roleplaying elements, provided combat was tweaked to be more free-form and such.

Helm · Sat 25/02/2006 15:34:06

Haha, what? Kings Quest games aren't even good on their own, much less in contest with QFG, of which 1,2 and 4 remain some of the best adventure games (in the full sense of the word. Exploration, discovery, plot, characterization, excitement, humour) ever developed.

DGMacphee · Sat 25/02/2006 15:48:04

Quote from: Helm on Sat 25/02/2006 15:34:06QFG, of which 1,2 and 4 remain some of the best adventure games (blah blah blah) ever developed.

their not adventures games.. their rpgs, fag!

Helm · Sat 25/02/2006 16:55:13

Here's your slippery treat.

Erenan · Sun 26/02/2006 07:36:53

Quest for Glory was exactly one trillion times better than King's Quest.

modgeulator · Sun 26/02/2006 14:06:12

I've never really liked the King's Quest games all that much. But QFG was like gaming nirvana. The RPG elements just made it deeper and more replayable then any other adventure game. I still replay these games.

I agree with ProgZmax. A game inspired by the RPG/Adventure hybrid of QFG could have excellent commercial potential today. Especially with all the current obsession with free-roaming and non-linear gameplay.
I've read so many articles that talk about where the future of the adventure genre could go, how it could be expanded and made relevant again. I wonder if these people have all forgotten QFG. The blueprints are sitting right under everyone's noses.

Disco · Sun 26/02/2006 14:20:19

I'm going with popular opinion on this. Quest for Glory's exploration value, not to mention it's replayability several times over even as the same character class puts King's Quest to sleep.

I never knew this was in dispute

.

Kaelem Gaen · Sun 26/02/2006 15:23:29

First of all, I must admit, the only QFG game I've played is the Parody one... Quest For Glory 4 and 1/2... though my first Actual Adventure game was Loom, then went on to KQ 5 and 6... then found the VGA Remakes of KQ 1 and 2... BUt needless to say from what I'm reading here, QFG sounds to be the better game. ANd I wish Serria would be back selling them or Release them into Public domain so that I can try them.

DragonRose · Sun 26/02/2006 18:29:33

TerricMoonborn: Amazon.com

TheYak · Mon 27/02/2006 04:20:55

Interesting question; more interesting answers. I expected that the nostalgia crew would be backing KQ as a majority. Among my first adventure-gaming experiences (perhaps 5th or 6th played) were KQ. I'd never even heard of QFG until I bought a Space Quest game and it had a brochure about the newly-remade QFG VGA. It was my first mail-order game and is one I've replayed many times.

I have to admit that it's got far less story to it than KQ, albeit stretched out over a long gameplay period, but the freedom of character development, multiple endings and puzzle solutions made QFG number one in my book.

Every time I play a PC RPG, I long for the character "leveling" style of QFG. It's amazing how many new gamers think Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (and to a lesser extent Morrowind) is breaking new ground with a learn-by-doing approach.

While QFG 4 1/2 was amusing, you're doing yourself a grave diservice not having played the earlier ones. Acquire them, play them, love them.

Afflict · Mon 27/02/2006 13:29:12

What came first the chicken or the egg?

Just kidding

QFG is a superior game hands down to the Kings Quest games, I played Kings Quest and well it never really grabbed me like any of the other Sierra titles I finished all of them BTW. I must say Police quest is my favourite by far!

QFG1-4 is great... Five lost me a little.

However the Kings quest did grab my attention at number 5 and thats where it stopped... I couldnt get my hands on to 6 or 7 and well I bought 8 and it was alas a waste of my time! BTW KQ8 was also a blend of RPG?

Something about the Kings quest series just never could keep me playing for longer than the title was/is.
I did not experience this with any of the other Sierra titles not even Willy Beamish.

Regardless of all of this Quest for glory started loosing me at QFG5 it reminded me of kings quest for some or other strange reason and I never finished it either... I tried again and again after that but my attention could not be kept.

Anybody else expereince this?