King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

The Good
King's Quest 6 plays as a classic fairy tale might. The plot is unusually complex and rich for the series, thanks to contributions by Gabriel Knight writer/designer Jane Jensen, who's design methods complemented Roberta Williams' perfectly in this installment.

The plot itself has been done before, even in the series (Prince Alexander sets out to rescue his love after seeing her trapped in a tower through an enchanted mirror), but the flair and atmosphere with which the game executed is phenomenal. Charmingly quirky at times and dark and mysterious at others, the game provides brain-teasing puzzles set against a vibrant environment that ranges in influence from Arabian Knights to Alice in Wonderland.

Beauty and the Beast's Robbie Benson does a solid job as the protagonist, and its ironically funny to hear him interact with the game's own equivalent of Beast. This was also the first entry in the series to offer multiple solutions to solve the game, one of which permitted you to skip a good 1/3rd of the game (this component was half-heartedly featured in the series' next installment as well).

The Windows version features newly-detailed character portraits that are a nice, if unnecessary, addition.

The Bad
Despite the multiple paths, the game's replayability factor is somewhat limited. Some of the puzzles are unnecessarily frustrating (this is during a time when Sierra cruelly worked anti-piracy techniques into the game's structure, frustrating those who owned legitimate copies), requiring you to save often and reattempt all-too-often. It's also very easy to miss something or make a mistake that will have fantastically bad and unforeseen consequences for the future. One such puzzle involves descending to the underworld to save the love interest's parents, only to discover that if when you get back, you forgot to pick up water from the River Styx, you are stuck without recourse and must load from a previous save. There are several instances like this where even people who have played the game multiple times before (myself included) can easily get stuck.

The Bottom Line
If you're an adventure gamer, you've already played this, and I don't have to say anything. If you're just getting into the series or the genre, this is an essential. A true classic.

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
This game is part of the great Kings Quest series, all great adventures. In my opinion, this game is the best one of all. It has many puzzles that can be solved in different ways, one way easier than the other. But choosing the hard way over the easy will give you the best ending. Meet a lot of cool people in a fantasy world divided into several islands. Overall, this game is very cool and it will keep you playing, and you won't be stuck too long because of the multiple puzzle solutions.

The Bad
The story was a little unoriginal. A prince looking for his great love who is locked up in a tower by the evil wizard who wants to marry her to gain control over the land. But the way it is brought in this game, it doesn't matter much. Another thing that is a little anoying is the unexpected deaths. Example : You walk in a maze, you enter a passage (You cannot see where it will lead) and at the end of this passage, there's a hole in the ground, you fall in and are dead.

The Bottom Line
A very good adventure game with nice puzzles and riddles. A must for lovers of adventure games!