King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

The Good
There were 2 years separating this game and its predecessor, King's Quest 5, a game which was criticized by many, even though it was one of the first to introduce a mouse-driven interface. Because of all that criticism, it's no wonder Sierra decided to go "back" to what had been successful in the past - somewhat anyway.

The graphics, as others pointed out, are stunning. I found the music lovely and so very romantic. (We females tend to like mushy love stories, ya know.) I simply adore plots about heroes saving damsels in distress. This hero is handsome and the princess is beautiful. What good looking children they will make! And ... oooh ... the ending - you must see the ~kiss~. I remember getting goosebumps watching it. I was satisfied knowing they would live "happily ever after."

The Bad
I played KQ6 when it was new, so it is hard to remember. I don't recall anything about it I didn't like.

The Bottom Line
If you long for a classic tale of love and honor, this game's for you! This is the last game in the series that retained the original look and feel of the originals. Recommended for adults and children alike, it would make a fine addition to any collection.

The Good
The good points

The Graphics are highly detailed for their time and are filled with lush color.

The voice acting on the cd version is actually VERY well done compared to other voice acted games of the time. Kudos for sierra for giving a good cast!

Some puzzles are particularly devious. The cliffs of logic were rather tough and took time since you had to actually use that manual for something!

Alexander is a great main character and has quite a bit of intellect by him. You gotta admire the courage he has to meet a princess in a basically unknown land.

The Interface is great and easy to use. Out of all the interfaces sierra has this is my favorite.

The land of the green isles is varied and quite big for a adventure.

The game has TWO different endings!

The Bad
The game once beaten is very short and can be beat in about 20-30 minutes once you memorize all the puzzles and use the fastest route to beat the game.

the game does not have much replay value after you beat it and get both endings though you may want to replay it every few years to forget the puzzles and get the gameplay through again.

The Catacombs maze is rather annoying.

The Bottom Line
First a little backstory on how I came across this game

It was a beautiful day in 1996 when I was out getting the first family computer! Back in those days before I could get a computer of my own I was out in a computer expo and there I saw it! The cd version of Kings Quest VI Heir Today gone Tomorrow in a box brand new for four dollars! This being my first computer game I was completely awe struck at the colorful graphics and the great voice acting.

Now that the past is gone I still have this game and manual and pull it out every once in a while to relive the land of the green isles. The game as you know is a Sierra adventure game and goes with every other click game sierra made. You know Gabriel Knight, Eco Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Police Quest, Quest for Glory and so forth. Great stuff.

If you love adventure games get this game which is a pinnacle of Sierra gaming! The best in my opinion of the kings quest series!

The Good
Finally, a King's Quest game that is less linear than the previous titles. There are multiple ways to solve some of the puzzles, and different paths and endings. It's also one of the last of the great breed of graphic adventures that allows the player to become stuck in dead ends and die in many different ways. In this respect, and because some of the puzzles are quite involved, the gameplay and difficulty are on par with most other challenging Sierra games of the day.

The graphics and sound are top-notch. At times I thought the otherwise beautiful hand painted artwork was too disjointed from location to location, though. I thought the art for the previous title -- King's Quest 5 -- was more suitable.

The opening scene was totally amazing in its day, especially on faster 386 or 486 PCs. Additionally, nicely integrated animations help bring out the artwork that serves as the backgrounds throughout the game. The sound is atmospheric, but sometimes a little too quiet, and carries one fatal flaw...the closing theme!

The Bad
GIRL IN THE TOWER. This has to be one of the most solid examples of a game company overextending that I can think of. (short of the FMV nightmare which came a little bit later). Although there are countless worse examples of music, "Girl In the Tower" was as excruciating for me to listen to then as it is for me to remember now, 8 or 9 years later. Go ahead and have a listen, I dare you.

"Girl in the tower, i'm reaching out, please tell me what to do....." Bad. Very bad indeed.

Aside from than that one song, there is not much that is wrong with KQ6. Unfortunately, it also doesn't stand out as being great. KQ6 is one of those games lost in history that few people, other than King's Quest and Roberta Williams fans, will likely want to go back and play. Put simply, there are many better graphic adventures.

The Bottom Line
King's Quest 6 carries this adventure series' storyline off on another tangent, this time as Alexander in the land of the Green Isles. The uninspired story is along the boring lines of 'rescue the princess' and helps put this game squarely on the "Good Games" pile instead of with the memorable classics.