King's Quest - Episode 2: Rubble without a Cause
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Critic Reviews for King's Quest - Episode 2: Rubble without a Cause
Shorter and far less focused on exploration than its preceding episode, King's Quest: Rubble Without a Cause still usually manages to deliver smaller doses of the art style and writing that made the series premiere so appealing. There are plenty of fun puzzles in store along with a timer mechanic, but the cramped, dark setting and lack of visual variety tends to rob these elements of the charm they could have.
Not as rewarding as the preceding chapter, but still worth playing for fans
The revived King's Quest takes a step back in Rubble Without a Cause, the oddly depressing second chapter in this modern take on the legendary Sierra adventures from the 1980s.
Overall, Rubble Without A Cause is a disappointment. The first chapter was great, but the tonal shift and structure found here just doesn't hit the right notes. Continuing Graham's story is still a worthwhile use of time, but one can't help but feel a tad… let down. In the end, the series has not soured, though. The closing scene sets up future events that should be intriguing. It just tripped on the rubble.
Rubble Without a Cause takes King's Quest down a much darker path and is very enjoyable for it. With having to solve puzzles against the clock it really feels as if your decisions matter, due to gut punching consequences.
Second parts tend to be troublesome for episodic series, as they often feel like transitional stories that merely set the table for what's to come. But with King's Quest: Rubble Without a Cause, characters are growing right before our eyes with a subtle and effective tonal shift. The Odd Gentlemen also nailed the script, as it feels like a standalone episode that's also connected to the episodic format as a whole. We still have three tales to go, but for now, I'm feeling pretty good about King's Quest.
It's easy to see the flaws in Rubble Without a Cause if it's compared to its predecessor. Chapter 2 simply shines half as bright as A Knight to Remember. By itself, it's still a fun adventure with entertaining puzzles, dialog, and of course, that beautiful visual style that they've created for this King's Quest. As a whole, Chapter 2 is definitely the lesser of the two out thus far, and given the premium price point on the episodes, and the claim that this game will be bigger than most episodic releases (such as Telltale Games' titles), I expected a bit more than the mundane and quick filler episode we got. Given a strong start from Chapter 1, I'm hoping that The Odd Gentlemen can dust themselves off after faltering with Chapter 2 and give us a third chapter to be proud of.
