Will Mask of Eternity be Canon?
I try not to be the guy crying "This game sucks! It shouldn't be canon!" I only bring this up because Roberta Williams left Sierra in frustration after she made this game, so she might not consider it canon, and if anyone could say "This didn't happen" and have it stick on an official level, it's her.
I tried playing the game when it came out, and I never made it through. It's not a King's Quest game at all, but rather a First Person Shooter, and, IMO, not a good one.
I'm playing through the games again in preparation for TTG's new entry, and I'm curious to know if I should force myself through Mask of Eternity, just to get the full story.
I tried playing the game when it came out, and I never made it through. It's not a King's Quest game at all, but rather a First Person Shooter, and, IMO, not a good one.
I'm playing through the games again in preparation for TTG's new entry, and I'm curious to know if I should force myself through Mask of Eternity, just to get the full story.
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The description First-Person Shooter confuses me, because unless one specifically switches to first-person view, the action is depicted from a third-person view with a roving camera and point-and-click manipulation of the environment.
And you're right, it was a third-person, over the shoulder shooter. It's an important distinction, but it doesn't change my point here.
Ultimately, I'm not trying to say "It shouldn't be canon!" I'm just wondering if it is, because if there was any game in the series that would be struck from canon, it would be MoE. In short, I care less about what the answer is and more about simply getting an answer, regardless of what it is.
However, Im more curious to know if Silver Lining will be accepted as canon.
Cesar Bittar (TSL director) has come forward and said that it shouldn't be considered canon, and I think the large majority agree. It is fan fiction, nothing more.
Lol at this terribly inaccurate description. Haven't you ever heard of a video game genre called action adventure?? You know, those games that typically are played from a third person view and have the player character navigating a 3D environment killing enemies and solving rudimentary puzzles, often with light platforming elements thrown in? They predate the "third-person, over the shoulder shooter" genre by at least a decade.
And as for Roberta considering MOE canon--do a little research. She's publicly defended the game on numerous occasions, including defending the controversial development choices to push it more towards the action adventure genre. She considers it canon, period.
I apologize for mis-categorizing a game I haven't played in 12 years.
I think last time she commented on KQ, MOE or earlier games was 2001/2 and she pretty much stopped public interviews after that (she has only recently commented on the fan games).
An it's not a shooter it's a hack and slash action adventure. Though you can use a projectile weapon. Gameplay has more in common with diablo than doom.
Over half the enemies are impervious to projectile weapons anyways, requiring the hacking and slashing.
Yes, I would personally recommend playing through it if you can, although the bugs make that a chore. There are alot of great ideas in the game, and the story is cool (personally I'd say one of Roberta's best). But unless you know how to get past the glitches the game can become annoying.
Save often.
I apparently am over-remembering the ranged combat in the game, although my biggest problem was the simplicity of the "puzzles." I seem to recall them amounting to little more than fetch quests. That and when my brother used some cheat codes to try to just get the story, he found even with the codes, some of the jumps were immensely frustrating.
I think one of my problems with KQ7: TPB was a similar issue, were puzzles that felt like simplified fetch quests (you are given requests to find something by another character). MOE may have drawn on that (it also has a similar single icon interface). For example the spells, where you have to find three ingredients in order cast the spell.
My least favorite were the box and box jumping puzzles.
I like some of the physics based puzzles though, where you literally got to interact with the environment like cutting a tree down, or freeze water with ice arrows to make a rod/switch.
But he'd just be another hero, to be cycled around around 'every other game', like Alexander, Rosella, and Graham were used. According to Roberta, in one interview, Connor kinda became the replacement for Alexander, since his story had essentially been told (he got his girl, and moved to another country). Graham had already received quite a few stories already. Rosella (and Valanice) had a story in the previous game.
Future games wouldn't have been reference heavy, much in the same as previous games weren't reference heavy. Except for the occasional nod to a previous adventures. But 'current' adventure would probably have been stand alone.
And when it comes to action elements, also the first 4 games have those. Although in first 4 you can't defeat your opponents, but you must run to the nearest edge of the screen. Very annoying if you happen to be at the middle of the screen when monster appears.
Personally I thought that some of those puzzles, like the one with ice arrows, were much better than puzzles of KQ7, which IMO was way too easy compared to rest of the series. My biggest issue with MoE wasn't fighting, but that it had too few puzzles compared to time which you spend running around. But then again it's a rather common problem with early 3D adventures, the maps are simply too big and too empty.
Reminds me of this;
-Mark Seibert, Talkspot part 2, December 1998.
Why not? KQ7 is a point-and-click adventure game, which stars characters from the royal family. The animation style may be different, and the cursor interface may be simplified, but it's still undeniably an adventure game.
MoE is a 3D-action-platformer with RPG-style upgrades and some adventure-game-style puzzles. It has a totally different interface with a totally different camera perspective, real-time combat, and stars an obscure character who was not a member of the royal family.
I'm DEFINITELY against that. Both because Telltale's "cinematic adventures" suck and on the principle that "cinematic adventure" is a made up buzz term to try and dupe today's gamer into thinking 30 year old laser disc gameplay mechanics are "innovative."