King’s Quest Chapter 5: The Good Knight Review – All’s Well That Ends Well

King’s Quest Chapter 5: The Good Knight Review

The final chapter has arrived, and old King Graham has one last tale to tell. It’s been an interesting ride playing the new edition of King’s Quest, and The Good Knight brings an endearing conclusion to this heart-warming game.

Adventure games are often full of logic puzzles and exploration, so it was a surprise to see hardly any of that in Chapter 4. Thankfully, The Good Knight is almost entirely the opposite. Things start out with you controlling a much older King Graham as he tells Gwen about his final showdown with Manannan. You’ll quickly notice though, that this time there are a bunch of small details missing or incorrectly remembered.

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“It’s foreboding considering Graham is now quite bedridden, and his mind is his last remaining asset.”

As you roam around the kingdom looking for clues and puzzles, areas are whited out and off-limits. Even the first puzzle involves some weird decision switching, with Gwen calling her grandfather out on his failing memory. It’s foreboding considering Graham is now quite bedridden, and his mind is his last remaining asset.

After a quick jaunt around town, it becomes apparent that Manannan is once again trying to muck up the kingdom. He goads Graham into a trial of wits, strength, and speed akin to the first chapter, but first you’ll need to unlock the door that leads to the old well. Roughly the first half is spent searching around the kingdom, taking one last look at your legacy.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but The Odd Gentlemen know how to finish a story. If you’re at all invested in any of the characters, prepare to have your heartstrings tugged along the way. It’s not hard to sort of guess at where the story is headed as you plod along the trails, but even guessing the ending beforehand doesn’t diminish it any less. Be warned: if you have ailing grandparents or parents, this could really hit you emotionally.

The art and audio are as solid as ever, but the voice-acting cast really shows off their talent. Wallace Shawn in particular has done a superb job playing Manny in each chapter, and this is no exception. Graham’s failing voice, Manny’s angry desperation, or Mordack’s resolved disdain all convey a sense of finality that feels all too real. It’s been quite the journey, but Graham’s tale has to finish at some point.

Mechanically, there’s a lot to do in The Good Knight and my only complaint is really about this series as a whole. The first and final chapters are easily my favorites, and while the middle three all have solid bits and pieces, they’re overshadowed by Chapter 5. It’s sort of like the developers really wanted to go out with a bang – and there’s nothing wrong with that – but you might look back on previous sessions and wonder why there wasn’t more of this or that when clearly the team knows how to do it.

The last part of any sort of episodic content is always the most difficult to review, because it’s hard to view it objectively by itself instead of as a whole since now you’ve seen it all. There’s no more wondering about the next episode. By itself, The Good Knight is a fantastic send-off to a classic hero that sets itself up nicely for future projects.

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“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.”

As a whole, King’s Quest is an imaginative journey that’s fun for all ages. 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. If you enjoy classic adventure games like Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, or of course the original King’s Quest, this is definitely worth your time and money. Just don’t forgot to make yourself a huge batch of chocolate chip pancakes before you start.

***A PS4 code was provided by the publisher***