King's Quest - Episode 2: Rubble without a Cause Reviews
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.
'Rubble Without a Cause' is a step backward for King's Quest
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.
The Odd Gentlemen have pitched an ambitious curveball and although it's easy to appreciate what they've done when that ball hits its mark, the arc it follows is a confusing one to watch in motion. Although the experiment ultimately pays off, it will have rattled players in the process, but I'm more than confident the series will be steered back on track.
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.
The quality of King's Quest is top-notch, and despite some drawbacks in this chapter, we continue to look forward to what Graham has in store next.
I had high hopes for this entire episodic series and I still do, but let's hope chapter 2 is the worst out of them all because, it's a fall from grace in almost every way.
Instead of feeling like a clever rogue, I felt like an errand boy moving from A to B just to complete the next task.
Rubble Without a Cause is both a solid entry in this new game series and a unique gameplay experience in its own right.
It's nice to see King's Quest: Chapter 2 – Rubble Without a Cause provide an interesting twist on adventure game mechanics, but a limited amount of mostly dreary environments leads to hours of repetition that, along with awkward mechanics, burns a lot of good will.
The second chapter of King's Quest is still as charming as it's ever been, the writing is sublime, the art-style is still magnificent and its orchestral soundtrack is wonderful - but it's hard not to feel a bit disappointed given the lengthy wait.
It sounds like I'm being fairly hard on Chapter 2 of the King's Quest reboot, and to some degree I am. The first chapter was a triumphant return for the series, setting the bar fairly high for anything following. While Rubble Without a Cause can be a little obtuse and less intuitive than A Knight to Remember, it is still a worthy installment. Let's hope that Chapter 3, which is rumored to focus on Graham meeting his future queen Valanice, takes a few more risks when it comes in Q1 2016.
While Rubble Without A Case is still a good time, it lacks the variety and excellent pacing of King's Quest's first chapter.
Although King's Quest Chapter 2 – Rubble Without A Cause is lacking the wonder of the first episode, it did have some nice moments such as old King Graham and his grandchildren plus some very nice graphics as he explores the labyrinth of the Goblins. I'm really looking forward to see how the next episode pans out, particularly with the character development of Graham.
The story's dark undertones are never fully realized, but despite a fairytale ending, King Graham embarks on another worthy adventure filled with clever puzzles and endearing characters.
King's Quest: Chapter 2 - Rubble Without a Cause is ultimately a good experience, but for a game with only two chapters so far, the drop in length is a concern. The writing is still good when dialogue sequences take place, and the humour is excellent for the most part, although the length and atmosphere really bring this chapter down.