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By "similar," do you mean "equally old," or "intelligently-designed adventure games with graphics?"
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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And Then There Was None is a very good adventure game that was recently released. Unfortunately, it is one of the few.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Well, how many adventure games have you already played, and what did you like about King's Quest? There's actually a backlog of a couple hundred great adventure games out there. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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If you haven't played Grim Fandango, it is an adventure game must. One of the best ever, but it didn't sell at all and pretty much signaled the death knell for adventure games being produced by major game companies.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I haven't actually played that many. Really King's Quest and Myst (is that classified adventure?) would be about it.
Oh, and a very old one about police. I can't even remember the title.
What did I like about King's Quest ? I liked the story line. I liked the way that when things worked, you knew why they did, because of an earlier clue, or conversation or something. I liked the way it all fit together.
That was one of the things I didn't like about Myst - sometimes the solutions to the puzzles seemed too random. I know they were going for the whole "discover the story as you play" thing, but for me I would have liked a bit more story provided/a few more things made clear.
One other thing - I have an issue with games I can't navigate my way around. If I can't move the character/pov easily, I get frustrated. I've found some games which focus on the graphics neglect the ease of actually navigating the game, and it irritates me.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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If you have a computer that can still run it, the Pandora Directive is a great game that stresses story and discovery. It has some puzzles that do not flow from the story (ala Myst) but is much more interactive and has a much better storyline than Myst does. It has branching storylines with multiple paths and, depending on the choices you make, around seven different endings. Great game.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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The game you're referring to about cops was almost certainly titled Police Quest. Sierra really loved that word for awhile There were four games in the series, I believe. The first three were very similar in style to King's Quest and followed one police officer from beat cop to detective. The fourth was quite different, but also about a police officer. There was a Police Quest: SWAT, I think, but that was much more a tactical-style shooter.
However if you're looking for a game that's similar to King's Quest but not actually King's Quest, I'd recommend the Quest for Glory series by the same people. That series is probably my favorite ever. There is a bit of fighting, but it's very easy, and depending on the class you choose sometimes completely avoidable. But I'm a bit biased, I recommend that game to everyone.
As to availability...well, that's a bit of a problem. I've actually bought all of those games off the shelf (and a at least one of them more than once, in fact), or had them bought for me when I was a kid. A few years ago I felt like playing them again, though, and was able to find them on kazaa. Didn't feel especially guilty about that because I'd bought them all before, just lost them. They can also be found on EBay, but the prices they charge are worth it only to fanboys like me-and not even to me, really, since I've not bought them on Ebay.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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If graphics are a must -- and it sounds like they are, although that eliminates some of the greatest adventure games of all time -- you should seek out:
Maniac Mansion (and its sequel) Sam and Max Quest for Glory (the entire series) Loom Monkey Island (the entire series) Grim Fandango Goblins (and its sequel, Gobliins)
Heck, pretty much anything made by Sierra or LucasArts in the late '80s and early '90s.
Sadly, a lot of these games are rather hard to find nowadays, and don't run well on modern hardware. And some of what passed for "graphics" is cringe-worthy today.
Most modern "adventure games" have been ruined by Myst, I'm afraid, and don't deserve the title.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Just to be up front, I don't really know what I'm talking about but maybe someone can help me?
I have a 9 yo daughter that LOVES building/creating. I can't remember the titles of the game I *thought* would be good (there was a roller coaster version, and now it's about creating a society but has far too much *worldly* information for a 9 yo IMO). I'm not necessarily looking for this series but am looking for any recommendations that would be appropriate. I just don't know where to even look but I know she would love something creative like that and it doesn't have to be "girly".
Any suggestions? Thanks.
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Are you thinking of Roller Coaster Tycoon? That's a great game, but I don't know if it would be too complicated for a 9 year old. There are a few indepth things that might be a little complicated.
Posts: 879 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Yes, that was it. Too complicated huh? Do you know of any other games out there that would be appropriate? Even an adventure/solve the problem/story game (like Myst but at an appropriate level) I think she would enjoy.
Thanks for your help.
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I'll have to chime in with Under a Killing Moon , Pandora Directive, and Overseer (I didn't play overseer.)
I got to test these a little before release, and I've played almost all of Access Software titles. I may be able to hook you up with some of these old Access games because I know people that worked there throughout the incorporation into the Microsoft entity.
On the list over at about.com they have Beyond Good and Evil, which I have heard is simply amazing, but I have yet to pick it up and play it. The new Prince of Persia games are interesting, I've only played Sands of time, and it was quite enjoyable, but had fighting.
Tom covered most everything I'd say about adventure at this point. Adventure simply hasn't been what it used to be. I still play Nethack, and I think I'd be interested in playing Zork sometime too.
Posts: 189 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Beyond Good and Evil is a good game, but it has a pretty fair amount of combat/fighting in it as well. Overseer is a good game, but nowhere near as great as Pandora because it was designed over a very short period of time and, therefore, is much more linear than Pandora. Of course, Overseer ended with a cliffhanger that has never been truly resolved (though the makers produced a fairly short internet radio show which picked up after Overseer) which is disappointing.
If you want to play Zork, both Zork:Nemesis and Zork:Grand Inquisitor are good games, but very different in tone and content. Nemesis is a dark game with little to no humor. GI's tone is more in line with the wonderful text adventures from yesteryear, with a lot of humor. (Plus, it has Dirk Benedict in it.)
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Well, what would be some good adventure games without graphics? How do they work?
I'm fairly clueless, but willing to expand my horizons.
Sweetbaboo, I'd try Zoo Tycoon (1, not 2). No worldy information that I can recall, and you actually learn some stuff about endangered species, habitats and so on. My 9 year old sister played it last time she visted and really liked it.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Anyone remember playing Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy text adventure? There were some frustrating puzzles in that thing but I loved that game.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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The most obnoxious, frustrating puzzle in the history of adventure games. I just went back and tried to play the game and I still couldn't figure out what to do without cheating. And I've played the game multiple times, though not for years.
Posts: 102 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote: I just went back and tried to play the game and I still couldn't figure out what to do without cheating.
Seriously? Back in the day, when "cheats" were available for a ridiculous expense and not freely downloadable from the Internet, we actually had to figure the puzzles out. And the babelfish puzzle, while one of the most amusing and most famous, is certainly not the hardest Infocom puzzle ever. Some of the ones from "Sorceror" and "Spellbreaker" spring to mind, actually, as FAR more agonizing. "Spellbreaker" has a few that are outright diabolical, although they all wind up making sense in context -- and Sorceror's "send yourself back in time to perform some vital tasks in a completely separate section of the dungeon, timed perfectly to avoid creating a paradox" took me two months to get right.
I also remember the horrible "how do I cut the Gordian knot" puzzle from "Enchanter," made harder because I frotzed myself early on and thus never found the glowing painting, thus making it impossible for me to get the sacrificial knife. And of course if you dispelled the magic on the rope, you wouldn't have the scroll for when you REALLY needed it.
But we got that a LOT in early Infocom games. Remember in "Suspended," where if you picked the wrong robot to respond to a crisis you'd have to start all over? Or how you'd have to get to the very end of "Starcross" to discover that shooting the gun at ANYTHING, at any earlier point, made it impossible to win the game -- so you'd have to start all over?
Games are LOT less nasty nowadays. I blame Sierra, actually.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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I thought I would update this thread rather than start a whole new thread about it:
Amazon.com is showing that on my birthday March 30th, Vivendi (who owns Sierra) is rereleasing all of the old classics in compilations of each game: King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry. Each of these compilations are priced at $20.
I personally can't wait, I played bits of King's Quest I, all through II, all through III, bits of IV and very little of the others. I didn't play any Police Quest, but I played most of the Space Quest series.
There seemed to be some interest in this thread about these games: Hence the update.
Posts: 189 | Registered: Jun 2005
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For adventure games, I'm surprised no one's mentioned the new one, Indigo Prophecy. It's on Xbox, PS2, and PC, and it's won a plethora of awards ; it's really good. I recommend giving it a shot with a rental if you own a console.
Posts: 208 | Registered: Jun 2005
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There were four games in the series, I believe. The first three were very similar in style to King's Quest and followed one police officer from beat cop to detective. The fourth was quite different, but also about a police officer. There was a Police Quest: SWAT, I think, but that was much more a tactical-style shooter.![[Confused]](confused.gif)
