King's Quest - Episode 5: The Good Knight Reviews
This final chapter is bittersweet, wrapping up King Graham’s story while pointing toward something new
While Chapter 3: Once Upon a Climb is my personal favorite out of this bunch, the closer might actually be the objective best, wrapping everything up in a bittersweet fashion.
Naturally, being the last episode in the series, The Good Knight is poised around this theme. Since the start of the series many months ago, Gram has been bedridden, recounting his marvellous adventures in the presence of Gwendolyn, his granddaughter. It’s only when we snap back to the king’s bedchamber that we’re reminded he doesn’t have much time left.
King's Quest: The Good Knight is a satisfying narrative conclusion to Graham's saga and is a unique approach to storytelling that we don't see often. It's not a return to the first chapter's exploratory focus, which many of you have been pining for since last July, but if you enjoy the narrative stylings of the previous two tales, you'll be sure to crack a smile (or shed a tear) in turn.
The Good Knight is a satisfying conclusion to a story a year and a half in the making. Some of the puzzle mechanics may not be quite as intuitive or engaging as previous episodes, but the finale puts some heavy subjects on the table to analyze, most notably mortality and the culmination of our own life’s work and moments, and what we’ll leave behind at the end. It gives a wistful look back at the adventures and critical junctures that made Graham the man he was over the course of the king’s life — a king’s quest, if you will.
King’s Quest has come to an end, and the series was mostly a positive experience, if not slightly flawed. As I mentioned earlier, Episode 5 really brings the series full circle, not only with this game but even with the series past. It definitely felt like one of the more difficult episodes, and the backtracking and changing elements led to some irritating moments which really racked my brain at times, but the last chapter in Graham’s story left me with laughs, brain busters, and a sense of sadness, but also hope.
There may be a few bumps in the road along the way, but each chapter is solid in its own right and worthy of your time.
Despite the fragmented narrative, the end result is still discreet, in line with the average of the series. Excluding some inevitable flaws, we continue to consider King's Quest one of the most successful episodic series of recent times.
Review in Italian | Read full review
King’s Quest: Chapter 5 – The Good Knight makes some notable stumbles, but old-school adventure game lovers will find a lot to like, and the later portions provide a satisfying end to Graham's journey.
An amazing ending to what has been a successful reimagining of an old classic. This chapter is so heartfelt and simultaneously heart wrenching; it is unlikely to be forgotten by those who played the whole season. This episode is great to play through, with its interesting puzzles, neat environmental touches and original King's Quest references and humour. It has some odd moments, but ultimately it is an amazing and fitting send-off for the series. It is thoroughly recommended to have some tissues ready for those harder hitting moments.
Animation and artwork are all great, the story is engaging and touching and the voice acting is seriously some of the best I’ve heard in gaming. Fans of the original King’s Quest games will find so much to love here, and those new to the franchise will still be treated to an excellent game, even if they don’t catch all of the small references.
King's Quest isn't a graphical powerhouse, it's not a bastion of good gameplay, and it isn't even a particularly excellent puzzler. What it is is one of the best stories found in gaming; the amount of charm and love put into the game, and subsequently poured out of the game, makes it a unique experience just about anyone can get behind. Here is a story that would put most award-winning animated films to shame, and cleverly binding it to puzzles and gameplay segments helps invest players even more into this unforgettable, emotional journey.
King's Quest ends on a high note with "The Good Knight" bringing a satisfying conclusion to this brave knight's adventures.
The Good Knight serves as a respectable close to The Odd Gentlemen's King's Quest series, and while some of the puzzles are very vague, others shine as does the narrative.
With the final chapter of this charming tale in the books, I can safely say that while King's Quest Chapter 5: The Good Knight is not the best episode in the series, it does provide a satisfying conclusion to Graham's adventures.