Why We Loved Sierra Games: 1984 Sierra fan reviews King's Quest 2015, Part 1

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1. Flaws? They usually aren't flaws. . . OK, "Ifnkovhgroghprm" is definitely a flaw. . . but gamers had wildly different expectations and game playing habits back in the 1980s, and I'm just not talking about how there wasn't an internet (for most of us) back in the '80s. When I played my first King's Quest game (KQ3) I had a grand total of three games on my computer. 2 of the 3 games were clones of arcade games like Space Invaders. Having a narrative game was radically different and completely drew me in for a couple years (as well as my siblings). King's quest III had a lot of content for it's day, but if you played through without making a life ending mistake, it would take you about an hour give or take 20 minutes. If the game were designed according to modern principles you could expect the first time player to beat that game in about 2 or 3 hours (given the limitation of the computers at the time. That would have been a pretty big disappointment considering computer games were expensive even then and compartively few in number. Even if it were much cheaper a few hours of diversion would not have had much of a lasting impact on me. Instead the wizard, Mannanan, that awful cat that was always tripping me on the basement staircase, Llewdor (the game in general) all live on in the back of my mind 30 years later. . . I was basically an inhabitant of that world for the two, perhaps two and half years it took me as a kid to finally get through it, all because the game was unapologetically difficult. A game with all the modern conveniences and today would be nothing but a vague memory in the back of my mind. Today it seems like everyone is busier (adults and children alike) and we have thousands upon thousands of entertainment options competing for our limited time so anything that becomes even the slightest bit inconvenient is going to be gathering dust for most people, in the '80s designed the same way as a modern game would very likely be the one gathering dust.
2. I'm 41 and have been gaming since '83/'82 and started with KQ3, my favorite and by far the hardest of the series. I share your perspective and Sierra cred :) - SQ, PQ, Q4G/HQ, LSL, LB & GK. The only point I'd have to say I differ in opinion would be that the adventure game genre (the original RPGs) had died in the 90s. I think there have been many entertaining, engrossing and somewhat challenging narrative driven games that have been released up to 2012/13. I say up to then because I've noticed that since 2012/13 narrative games that fall under the catch-all "adventure" genre have become absurdly easy. There's too much handling, exposition, tutorials and hand-holding that is, unfortunately, becoming rather routinely implemented. I think it may be due to an attempt to appeal to younger audiences/demographic - which production and development companies believe are the ones who comprise their consumer base.
   
   Long time gamers/old gamers are not looked upon as viable future consumers, which isn't true. We're very much still here, alive and still gaming and should be taken into consideration. My perspective isn't a popular one either but as the gamer base continues to expand or appeal to younger people, this trend will bleed into other gaming platforms and genres as well. Games are becoming aesthetically pleasing but there's no substance and an abandonment of gamer immersion.
   
   Examples of great/good adventure games: TLJ series (DFC was way too easy and plothole intensive), Still Life 1, Syberia series, BladeRunner, Black Mirror series, Broken Sword (entertaining, exception -5), TBoUT series, The Raven (entertaining -not challenging), Tex Murphy series, Sherlock Holmes series (exception Crimes and Punishments -way too easy which is the opposite of all other releases), Overclocked...just to name a few.
3. Hey man - enjoying watching this!
   
   Have you tried The Book of Unwritten Tales 2? Best story based adventure I've seen in years.
4. So, the crate was a bit like "Wilson" from Cast Away.
5. 6:04
   
   WHAT?!?!?!??!?!!?!?!? you mean you used the jockstrap to throw the rock at the guard and knock him out?!!??!!?!?
   
   I WISH I KNEW THAT 30 YEARS AGO!!!!!
   
   All this time I'd been doing the "throw rock" which would then land in the bushes causing the guard to come down and look for the source of the noise. Then I'd have to hide and ultimately sneak past him to get on the platform.
   
   I love how there was multiple solutions to puzzles....
   
   lol
6. My favourite is King's Quest 3. Also liked Space Quest 3.
7. My love for Sierra made me buy an MT-32, CM-32L and SC-55 to hear the music the way it was meant to be heard. I successfully got my old Sierra favourites running on my Core i7 system with the Roland . Gotta love DosBox.
   
   Seriously, great video, and hats off for all the work you done.
   
   R.I.P. Sierra On-Line 1979 - 1999.
8. So good. It scratched an itch I didn't know I had! Great production value and valuable resource, should be required viewing for game designers.
9. Excellent video! I actually enjoyed the Chivalry Test in King's Quest 2015, I thought it was a good way to introduce the characters and find about them, but I agree that the adventure with Achaka was glorious, one of the best in my life!
10. For me it's the art. These games are BEAUTIFUL to look at, even after 20 years.
11. Dude, whaaaat, I said literally the same thing, "play, don't show or tell" in this giant thing I wrote about Braid ages ago: http://www.listentome.net/games96.php
    
    Also, I haven't watched the other parts of this yet so I don't know if you brought this up but, as you're a Sierra guy more than a Lucasarts guy (I played lots of both), I feel like it's worth nothing that Day of the Tentacle is basically the best-designed adventure game ever in my book specifically because it is SO geared around puzzles and the narrative is created by your actions and by your solving of the puzzles.
    
    Very little in the way of non-interactivity happens (though some of the dialogue can drag) and the few times cutscenes do pop up it's such a rarity it actually feels like a reward. I'm writing about all this for the upcoming remastered version. I'll shoot you a link when it's done, if you're interested.
    
    Anyway, your analysis is interesting so far, I'll be sure to check out the rest soon!
12. From another old Sierra fan, really great video.
13. Great video series. Subscribed and liked and shared and all the things.
14. Gabriel Knight and Monkey Island were my best
15. I think the reason these games were so good is that basically you were given a world and there wasn't much direct instruction on how to do things or where to go. You were free to adventure that world but the progression of the game was left up to the player. Doing this allowed you to use your imagination therefore enhancing immersion and create a greater feeling of success when progressing.
16. I am so on the same page as everything you are saying here. From Sierra Quest games to Jonathan Blow talks.
17. Wow you had a (friend who had a) Roland MT-32! I had the demo tape and wore it out!
18. Really enjoyed this - summed up just why so many of us are still obsessed with Sierra to this day. Out of curiosity - what's the track playing at around the 8 minute mark? It's haunting but can't quite place it. Thanks for making this!
19. <33333333333333333333333333333
20. omg.. some of those scenes from old sierra games bring back such memories and one thing you hit on the "playing the games with friends" that is soooooo true, i don't do that now in the "lets all put our heads together and figure this part out" it is more "hey wanna co-op this game?" but back when i was 7-14 or so years old a friend and i used to sit there and take turns playing space quest, or kings quest, or space quest.. omg space quest I.. it took us DAYS to get fast enough to get past the section where you had to move over to the counter "pick up grenade" and then move back before the little robot seller guy returned.. we just couldn't TYPE fast enough at that time.. or at the end of police quest, trying to dive and take the hidden gun off the cane etc etc..
    
    sometimes i did feel totally lost in sierra games however when it was a pixel hunt type quest/puzzle... and i loved that pic of the old sierra hint books with the red filter to expose the text.. you should of also shown the ones that used the special marker you had to use to expose the text in the hint books! :)