Ranking the King's Quest Series

[@BrandonBlume]

Great video! I enjoyed your presentation and the ranking itself. You really paid these games their proper due and represented them authentically. Well done.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

A belated thank you Brandon. This series is certainly worth it!

[@wannabe353]

2. Having to turn Manannan into a cat with a special magic spell is, in my opinion, the most bad-ass thing one has to do out of all the games while also being the most important / necessary as well as the most satisfying and rewarding in terms of getting revenge for Manannan (1) stealing you away from your family, (2) treating you like dirt for close to 18 years, and (3) ruling you with a constant feeling of fear, nervous tension, anxiety, despair, and frustration at not being able to do anything about your situation - where you feel incredibly lonely, sad, vulnerable, isolated, and secretly angry and bitter.

[@paulchapman8023]

I don't know... Sneaking up to the dragon and zapping it to death to rescue your sister is pretty far up there too in my book.

[@JohnnyFromVirginia]

King’s Quest VI was the first one I ever played and I must admit, the labyrinth with the Minotaur in it scared the pants off me. No internet, no way of knowing what you’re doing is right or wrong. Hearing the sounds as if it’s always in the next room, it was just all done so well! I agree in the long term, turning Manannan into a cat is SUPER satisfying, as much as as having an epic magical battle (consisting of dragons and rings of fire) against his vengeful brother that ultimately saves his castle and family. Just as a series as a whole they really did a great job giving us little moments of pure awesome!

[@Eazy-ERyder]

Great list and narration but You didn't show the remade version. King's Quest V was fantastic but King's Quest VI is not only the best of the series but still my favorite EVER old CD-ROM style computer game. What an epic and nostalgic classic. The soundtrack was just amazing.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Completely agree! And Girl in the Tower could've been a Disney hit in the 90's, as well.

[@jasonleetaiwan]

King’s Quest 3 EGA version was the best one. It was the most challenging and scary game because of the wizard killing you for any mistake you made. Turning him into a cat was a huge accomplishment. Then the rest of the game was pretty cool too.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I loved the live timer when the wizard was around; created a serious layer of ongoing tension.

[@wannabe353]

3. It gave me the greatest sense of ownership and responsibility over puzzle-solving, maybe because of the atmosphere of the game, all the tension, and also playing as a character who has never, ever had a real, true sense of independence, freedom, autonomy, or connection with anyone other than Manannan and the horrible, nasty cat. He is the only character out of all the games who is in such a dire situation, so playing as him to get out of that situation, "turning the tables" on Manannan, and achieving so many things as a terribly unknown, underestimated character gave KQIII an incredible, unique emotional depth and feel that I could truly connect with and relate to. Having to type everything perfectly for the magic spells makes perfect sense to me, as you know that nothing less than absolute perfection can get you out of your current predicament. If you truly invest in the character of Gwydion / Prince Alexander, you will find all the motivation and desire you need to get every spell done perfectly, will feel a level of excitement, tension and anticipation that you could only ever feel if having to get them done with absolute perfection, and will have a level of resilience that is second-to-none for the times when you get it wrong with any of the spells.

[@justnature1900]

Man I love these games they bring back memories #6 will always be my fav so hard!

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

You and me both, John!

[@BenMalter]

Big fan of Sierra games but didn’t play 7 and 8 🤮 . Number 5 and 6 were fantastic!

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah you can stop at 6 and not miss much if you ask me, though I know 7 has its fans.

[@Eazy-ERyder]

The best!

[@DudeWatIsThis]

21:45 OH SHIT!!! I only saw that "Death" guy on the back of the game's box (never made it that far as a kid). Until now, as a grown-ass man in his mid 30's, I had assumed that the chain around the neck was the teeth, and the dark part of the cheeks were the eyes, crowned by an intricate samurai-like helm. LMAO

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah that animation is wild, like he's molded into the throne.

[@AdriftForWeeks]

Good video! I must say I absolutely adore the KQ2 and KQ3 reimagings by AGD Interactive, I think they did an amazing job. Love this whole franchise tho.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I did KQ3 a few years ago and just recently did KQ2. I completely agree they did great jobs on both!

[@JohnnyFromVirginia]

I really wish that group had remade #4 - it’s one of my favorites but imagine it in prestige VGA glory with voice acting, updated musical scores and a point and click interface. I truly wish they’d give us that!

[@Johnrl21]

Crazy how you mentioned the unwinnable state in the kq6 section but didn’t harp on them for 5…..they were far worse in 5.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

It's a fair point. Having the meat and plenty of other things later in the game you "should have" gotten in the early area isn't the best.

[@miguelbranquinho7235]

Way worse in 5, it's a downright awful game because of them.

[@revcounselor]

KQ3 was my very first as that was what Radio Shack had when I bought my very first Tandy computer. This has kept KQ3 as my sentimental favorite. As a result, I have even downloaded the redux version so I can play today, some 30 years later. You're right, the exact typing for the spells was particularly arduous, especially if you were fighting the clock before the wizard returned. Thanks for doing these as they brought back some great, college class skipping memories.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Haha I know what you mean with the college class skipping memories (great ones).

[@Miakel]

King's Quest 5 was not the first to be ported to a console King's Quest 1 - 1989 Master System.

[@willieloaf]

Your list is spot on, Tony! Couldn't agree more.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Much thanks, Willie. I never know if I'm off base with everyone else on these things so I'm glad you agree!

[@flexonswole]

One of your best videos, Brigs

[@dylankun28]

The KQ3 remake from AGD addresses the main issue raised in this review without losing any of its strength. Maybe its not fair to include the remakes in a comparison, but for those looking at this list trying to figure out which ones to play, the AGD version of KQ3 is amazing. The second half is not as good, though so KQ6 is still the best for me.

[@faithparker6]

6 may be the best, but 4 will always have a special place in my heart.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Completely agree, 4 was maybe the first one I remember playing with my brother and dad so I just felt immersed in that relatively creepy universe of Tamir.

[@khronos142]

DUDE your ranking of sierra series is UNMATCHED

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Ha thank you, yeah it all comes down to personal taste but it's nice to see some with like minded tastes.

[@xRocketzFighterx]

Back to chilling to this series again. Btw recently playing Dragon Quest 3 new remake. I recommend it to you when you get the chance. I love all versions of DQ3 for the massive adventure and custom team building similar to Final Fantasy 1, 3,5, 10-2, 12 zodiac age. Job based Jrpgs are my jam regardless if story is good or bad. I’ve also been playing Mario Luigi Dream Team Bruhs and doing another NG+ on Shin Megami Tensei Vengeance I recommend shin megami tensei 3, 4, Apocalypse, strange journey (remake ver is alright), smt5. The great alternative to Pokémon for pro players. I just buy Pokémon plushies or smash bros or pokken. The Pokémon rpgs are tooo easy for me to get into.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Good call, RF. I don't have much experience with the DQ series in general but I like that style of the FF games.

[@bud389]

Technically, there's technically 9 King's Quest games, if you count the Wizard and the Princess...And even then, there's still TECHNICALLY TECHNICALLY 10, if you count the SCI remake of the first one from 1990.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I really need to play Wizard and the Princess, good reminder actually.

[@treybell4498]

mask of eternity is an excellent adventure. it doesn't feel like a KQ game but damn it's fun and evocative.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

As well put as I've heard, Trey. Good call.

[@MrPk266]

Mask of Eternity was the one that I played the most, alongside KQ 6, 5 and 7. I've played and completed MOE 5 times between being 15 years old and last year when I was 36 years old.

[@childofthe80s1981]

Hmm this reminds me I really need to do an LP of King's Quest VI my favorite of the series.

[@wannabe353]

You made some interesting points to justify your choice of ranking of the king's quest games. However, I personally feel that KQIII is the best one. There are a few reasons I have for saying that, as follows: 1. It is by far the most logical game in terms of puzzle-solving and knowing / guessing where to go next. Hardly any of the puzzles seem contrived, and they all make sense in the context of what you need to do at any given stage of the game. The Medusa puzzle may be an exception to that, as she doesn't seem to be in any way related to your quest in the original version of the game (though that got resolved a bit in the redux / remake version). Having to wait for ages on the ship with nothing else to do to further your progress in the game is also an exception, but at least that too got resolved in the redux version.

[@darryk4154]

Kings Quest VI was the best by some distance; I remember me and my cousin would spend every weekend trying figure out our way through it. Its the only Sierra game I'd put on the same level as the QFG series. I'd put AGD Interactive's KQ 2 remake at no. 2 if it was featured.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah we're of similar minds when you put it like that, Darryk. I think I preferred the KQ3 remake from AGD; but that was maybe just because we got to hear Alexander singing and I didn't have to type anything in that frustrating magic lab.

[@darryk4154]

@@LetsPlayWithBrigands Haven't played AGD's Kings Quest 3 yet, need to get on that.

[@BenjaminWirtz]

This is my ranking and I will include the new remake, although count it as a single game. 1. KQ VI 2. KQ 2015 (it's fantastic, and I may only be ranking 6 higher out of nostalgia) 3. KQ V 4. KQ III 5. KQ I 6. KQ IV 7. KQ II then way down 8. KQ VII 9. KQ VIII

[@HerbalistGuybrush]

KQ 7 is the shit! for me at least since it was one of the first games i ever played and it sparked my imagination like nothing else.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah I give my personal reasons in the video, but still, I definitely had a good time playing it on here.

[@eddymadison9655]

King's Quest 4 is a great game, sad that a remake got cancelled

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I didn't know one was in the works at some point, yeah that's disappointing.

[@renewagain6956]

​@@LetsPlayWithBrigands There were 2 remakes in the works that got cancelled. One was simply due to lack of interest (IIRC) and the other was sadly more tragic,... One of the founders of the project passed away, and the team fell apart. Thankfully, there was actually a remake (or, more accurately, a remaster) was completed recently. It's called "King's Quest IV: Retold". Support for modern hardware was added, as was the ability to remove dead-end puzzles and the in-game timer. The largest improvement by far however, was the switch to the point & click interface. Graphics are the same as the original, although there are some bug fixes in the Retold version. I just started my playthrough last night. So far, ton of fun. Highly recommend.

[@MrPk266]

Thanks for the info. I'm downloading it right now.@@renewagain6956

[@chizzysmith9575]

KQ-5 was the only one I finished. I got really drawn into the story. The issue I had with it, I got to the snowy ledge and forgot or did not grab the peace of pie to make the snowman go over the ledge. Because of that, I had to restart the game to get the pie.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah I always thought it was kind of cheap when you can miss something much earlier in a game and have to go a ways back, that's assuming you even have a convenient saved game to call on ha.

[@Charles-hr7ku]

Great vid! Really enjoyed it.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Much thanks, CS!

[@dominichester]

Harry Potter Chamber of secrets basilisk scene looks very similar to basilisk fight in mask of eternity.....

[@donwald3436]

I mean Valanice seems pretty useless past KQ2 except as a baby maker lol.

[@moonstoneuniverse8516]

My personal ranking and that’s what this is personal. 7: kings quest 3… sorry I’m a millennial 6: Kings quest 7, just too goofy but I still love it 5: Kings quest 1 good start but man is it hard when you don’t know ish 4: Kings quest 2 good on expanding from the first 3: Kings quest 5 I actually didn’t really have any trouble playing this because I had grown up watching people be so mad at the puzzles I knew what I was in for 2: Kings quest 4 I love the world you explore, the creatures and the story 1: Kings quest 6… yeah

[@wannabe353]

Those are, of course, just my opinions. Feel free to let me know if you agree or if you disagree :-)

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I think the fact that most folks can't agree on a uniform best to worst just speaks to the quality of most of the series. I appreciate your perspective and it's part of why I do these.

[@skipmagnificent6284]

Spot-on ranks

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Glad you agree Skip!

[@cbriggs9]

KQ6 hands down 👍

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Every time.

[@brandonneverun1678]

Kings Quest 1-6 and......... those others.....

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Haha yeah.

[@JohnnyFromVirginia]

That’s pretty spot on for me as far as order goes friend!

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Much thanks, John!

[@Miakel]

First time I played King's Quest was on the Master System. Yep I kid you not Sega Master System has King's Quest 1

[@JStryker47]

Uhh... the ghosts in KQ4 weren't murdered. At least... the old miser and the weeping lady weren't, anyway. The miser died of sickness and the lady died of heartbreak when her boyfriend died. It says so on their headstones. The others, well... the game never says anything about how they died, so anything could've happened to them. Also, it wasn't a storm that wrecked Alexander's ship, it was the reefs and currents around the island.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Fair points!

[@dominamortis1111]

My order would be: 1: KQ6 2: KQ7 3: KQ4 4: KQ3 5: KQ2 6: KQ1 7: KQ8 8: KQ5

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Nice. I've never seen anyone rank 5 at the bottom actually.

[@dominamortis1111]

@@LetsPlayWithBrigands It's the owl and the implausible puzzle solutions that do it for me. In the other games there are at least hints or you can loiter around long enough to hear an NPC drop hits, there are no hints in that game.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

I completely understand when it comes to Cedric, ha.

[@RHannah78]

That's a good list. Here's mine. 1. KQVI 2. KQIII 3. KQV 4. KQIV 5. KQII 6. KQI 7. KQVII 8. KQVIII

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

So we're pretty much right there minus 3 which I addressed in the video. Good look.

[@RHannah78]

@@LetsPlayWithBrigands I also flip flopped II and I because I feel that KQI is too short that and I hated the Rumpelstiltskin puzzle.. As for KQIII, typing out the spells didn't bother me that much. Once I learned the proper phrasing through trial and error(and wrote it down), it wasn't bad. Just had to spell check your work before hitting enter. For me, the most difficult part of III was traversing the steep cliff from Manananns house to the countryside below and back up again all while using the directional arrows on the keyboard.

[@metalmat3651]

KQ 5 is overrated imo. It looks good but it still has too many fail states, some that will get you stuck really far into the game. Plus the owl is annoying. KQ 6 has to be the best for the vast majority of people. It is a masterpiece imo.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Ha I like making fun of Cedric so I don't mind him, but you're definitely right on the possible traps in KQ5.

[@Lobocyfer]

wow lucky me, 6 one was the only one i played during my childhood years.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yep I've done LPs on them all, including an in progress one on 8 at the moment, but definitely check out my let's plays of the rest of the series; it's one of the best!

[@AlbertBoris]

Honestly 3 was the best for me by a long shot. Not only the most beatifully drawn AGI game of all time in my opinion, but I felt it fixed a lot of problems the first two games had. The puzzles are more logical, the spells create such an interesting gameplay, and it has the most atmosphere. Surprisingly I also loved 2 with a passion! I had no idea what you meant by saying 2 was the blandest looking game..., if anything I think it's the second best looking behind 3. it utilized the AGI graphics well and it felt great..., KQ1 was the bland game in my opinion (although it's still good). I didn't like 4 or 5 all that much. 4 was in contrast to 3, very illogical when it came to puzzle solving, and 5 was just bland looking and kind of unimaginative. I never played 6, 7 or 8, although I'm so longing to play 6 as I haven't met one who doesn't like the game...

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah as you could tell I'm all about 6, give it a try AB!

[@SC-mp1lh]

I can't decide if I should play KQ7.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah like I think I said in this video, I don't know if it's because I didn't play this one growing up or what, but I found the solutions to the puzzles to be especially cryptic and contrived. Still, loads of people have a lot of love for it and it remains many folks' favorite.

[@theimprovisedmanfriends204]

I didn't get very far in King's Quest 3, but I loved it. Not sure if I was meant to know his true identity yet.. But, ah well. I kinda just hoped for a spoiler-free ranking. Oops.

[@paulchapman8023]

It was spoiled by the beginning of King’s Quest IV.

[@theimprovisedmanfriends204]

@@paulchapman8023 Ah no worries then, thanks for letting me know 👍

[@paulchapman8023]

You can call me a masochist, but I liked the spellcasting in King’s Quest III.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Ha there's no other explanation.

[@lostn65]

the series is renowned for dead ends. KQ6 is not unique or special there.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yep, one thing we don't miss anymore in today's games.

[@aquacamel]

1

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Ah I read that as you were saying 3 was the best. Agreed on 3, though outside of the spell portion (which admittedly is a big chunk) it think it's pretty solid.

[@WalrusFPGA]

crazy to think how bad this series became after such a high water mark in VI. I completely agree with this list/ranking.

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Much thanks, MW! Glad to hear you're of a similar mind.

[@Mythraen]

I'm not super familiar with the whole series. I have experienced most of them through videos of playthroughs, though. I know that some of them struck me as pretty decent. The only one I've personally played was KQV and I have to say... it was hot trash. Obviously, that's an opinion, just like any other, but the puzzles were obtuse, the owl was obnoxious, the voice-acting was terrible in general, and the town music tried to claw out your eardrums. On top of that, there was really nothing besides the pretty graphics to draw me in. I don't know if this will somehow put things into perspective, but I got QFGIV at the same time as KQV, and it remains one of my most cherished memories of games. Neither of these were my first adventure games, but they were the first of "this kind." (I think I mean where the player had an avatar.) I was honestly expecting it to be close to the bottom of the list, but as soon as I heard you give even number 8 on the list faint praise, I knew our opinions weren't going to align.

[@AlbertBoris]

As a fan of the series, I do have to say that I also think KQV was definitely one of the weaker installments, for the aforementioned reasons here on this list. I'd also like the mention that the backgrounds and overall setting weren't that beautiful to look at, compared to say KQVI, or heck, even the first three on the AGI. It all felt like of bland...

[@anthonybryan1961]

Wow i always thought Kq3 is by far the best maybe its the nostalgia I feel from it

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

That's a testament to how good the series is, that everyone can have a different favorite. I'll have to give the original a try again sometime soon.

[@anthonybryan1961]

@@LetsPlayWithBrigands I remember genuinely being scared doing the spells haha my brother and I loved kq3 as well as many other sierra games thanks for your videos brings back a lot of memories hi from newzealand

[@MTTT19]

This is tricky but here's how I would rank them from Worst to Best: 8. Mask of Eternity 7. Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder 6. Romancing the Throne 5. Quest for the Crown 4. To Heir is Human 3. The Perils of Rosella 2. The Princeless Bride 1. Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

[@BolasDaGrk]

Oh no you di'int! 1:20

[@donwald3436]

Cedric I'm making a stew could I invite you to join? lol

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Just flap a few feet over here...

[@joelbritton4067]

Kings quest 6, if you don't give her the dagger you can not finish the game or go back without saving haha

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Yeah it's pretty awful that it's in there, realistic tho it may be.

[@jasonpepper5228]

its about damn time

[@LetsPlayWithBrigands]

Finally!

[@meaningoftheunicorn]

KQ6 is almost transcendentally good with mystery and soul, even. It's strange how the production team jumped off a cliff with KQ7. But anyway, great assessment; much agreed.

[@bmardiney]

“My “”””friend”””” Jen”….Come on man. We know the score there :p