Head back to Part 1 – Quest for the Crown
Stones? Isn’t this Romancing the Throne? The original was, but it is the AGD Interactive remake I will be looking at. King’s Quest 2 was originally released by Sierra On-Line in 1985 and largely, it’s the same game as the original with a slightly different story, a few added puzzles and some new rooms. The remake was released in 2002 and changed the engine, revamped the story, introduced much improved music and gave us voice acting. The familiar voice of King Graham is back, the interface is once again reminiscent of King’s Quest 5 and we have a game very much worth playing. Am I suggesting that the original isn’t worth playing? Well, I suggested in part 1 that you should set fire to any copy of the original King’s Quest 1 you own and play the remake instead. So make of that what you will. I stand by that statement. I have played the original releases of all the King’s Quest games. The modern alternative is better. And it’s still available for free, I might add. For anyone to suggest that the original versions are the better play today, in my opinion, is incredibly silly.
The story in Romancing the Stones has been reworked significantly. The changes they’ve implemented tie into the broader King’s Quest story far better than the original did. More importantly, it gives the Society of the Black Cloak a more credible and detailed backstory which has a flow on effect throughout the entire series. I thought the original Black Cloak story elements in King’s Quest 6, while good, were certainly lacking a decent backstory. The original idea didn’t come from Roberta Williams, it actually came from Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen who also worked on King’s Quest 6. I always felt like it deserved more attention and should have featured as a larger element to the greater King’s Quest story. This remake, along with AGD Interactive’s take on To Heir is Human, delivers exactly that: a proper backstory that ripples through the rest of the series. While there’s no reference to Abdul Alhazred, there are references to the Land of the Green Isles and a deeper exploration of the Black Cloak members who ravage multiple lands in the King’s Quest universe. Personally I just thought it was a really good idea that didn’t get the coverage it deserved, it enriches the lore in a way Sierra never did.
The original core story remains, even with the changes. We still have the magic mirror deliver our plot which has Graham setting sail to save on his future Queen who is trapped in a quartz tower in a faraway land called Kolyma. They’ve added elements to the story and existing elements have been re-vamped which are noticeable off the bat. Warning: there will be a few spoilers along the way here. We’re presented with an unknown figure who has taken on captain of the guard, minister of defense and next in line for the throne in Daventry, Gervain. His true identity is eventually revealed as a very shadowy figure whose history is tied back to the first King of Daventry and he needs the Crown to complete his evil deeds. With the prospect of having Graham murdered away from Daventry and seizing the throne, he jumps at the chance to prepare a ship and send him off with no security other than his own sword. The story of Kolyma is tweaked significantly and ends up being redemption arc for the Dracula character, tying in and wrapping up an overhauled version of the Little Red Riding Hood story. The backstory of The Society of the Black Cloak is featured prominently and provides us with some really nice plot elements that line up with the rest of the series. I think the writing comes off incredibly well, making it a game very much worth your time. While you’re still off searching for 3 magical keys, there is a little bit of a change to what they are, and where they go. The title should be a bit of a clue to what you’re looking for.
Yeah I know I banged on about it in Part 1 but here we go again. The environments in the remake simply look amazing. Hand-drawn artwork and the reworks over the years are more than I could have asked for. Just like the first remake, that King’s Quest 5 style has been retained and all backgrounds and environments have been fleshed out to the point that it is feels like an entirely different game to the original. New isn’t always better but in the case of these remakes, to risk sounding like Barney Stinson, new is ALWAYS better. The graphical style and much improved engine provides a level of depth to the game that just simply wasn’t available back in the ’80s. The power of Adventure Game Studio is on display and really shines here which gives us a fantastic example of what is possible when using it effectively. Huge kudos to the AGD Interactive for rescuing King’s Quest 2 out of that 1980s text-parsing hell and turning it into something that is genuinely special.
Romancing the Stones is a massively overhauled remake to the point that if you were to put it side-by-side with the original, they would be indistinguishable. AGD Interactive’s second entry into the series improves upon the first in many ways, although it does still feel like a lot of fetching and carrying. But, those tasks now feel like an actual part of the story instead of mindless busywork. The significant story expansion offers us a much deeper and cohesive narrative which ties into the overall King’s Quest story in a meaningful way. The writing provides enhanced relevance and importance to The Society of the Black Cloak and the group has been given a significant backstory which sends waves through the rest of the series. Provided you are playing the remakes in place of the originals, I recommend doing that. We’re given a much improved Kolyma story with memorable character arcs. Graphically and technically we have richly detailed, hand-drawn environments an together with an Adventure Game Studio powered engine that stands with the best in the series. The remake is unreal, I would pencil it in at third best in the series, narrowly edging out King’s Quest 5. It is that good.
Again, I stand by it. Set fire to any original versions of the game you may own. Play the remake instead. You won’t regret it.
Dad with a Deck 
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