Adventure Gamers - Forums

I do wonder how much of it was just oversight (bad game design) and how much was intentional to sell hintbooks.

Bt

Back in the day KQ5 always struck me as amazing graphically. I was in awe. However, I do think it the weakest of the first 6 games.

Blackthorne - 11 September 2014 04:45 PM

I do wonder how much of it was just oversight (bad game design) and how much was intentional to sell hintbooks.

Bt

I’m starting to think is was all intentional… It seems to be masterful design to allow the player to reach maximum levels of rage.
Example: I now discovered that I’ll have to start over… because of limit of saves I replaced any save that could be useful!

I do love KQ5; It’s gorgeous and the story is fun, but I will admit it has some frustrating puzzles.

Bt

It’s been so many years since I played KQ5 that I’ve forgotten a lot about it, but yeah, I do recall that the puzzles were quite uneven.

wilco - 11 September 2014 01:28 PM

Edit: I do like [...] the random Disney-style singing that sometimes shows up.

I guess that means you heard the ants singing.

Did you also hear the weeping willow’s song? It’s easier to miss.

I could never understand all of what those damn ants were saying. For a long time I thought it was “we’re the ants, the f—-ing ants, we’re coming to ruin your day” and that was how I felt about the little buggers. 

Got past the snowy mountains, it’s surprisingly fast to reach the same point and and after that I double checked the walkthrough before leaving Serenia… The snowy mountains is surprisingly straightforward if you have all objects you need to avoid a dead end…

Caliburn - 15 September 2014 12:13 AM

I guess that means you heard the ants singing.

Did you also hear the weeping willow’s song? It’s easier to miss.

Heard the nice melody, its trigger is talking to Cedric and I can’t leave a screen without hearing its “valuable” assessment of the situation

Zifnab - 15 September 2014 01:25 AM

I could never understand all of what those damn ants were saying. For a long time I thought it was “we’re the ants, the f—-ing ants, we’re coming to ruin your day” and that was how I felt about the little buggers. 

Can’t unhear it now! Does sound like the f… ants…

tomimt - 11 September 2014 02:18 PM

KQ5 has a lot of annoying stuff in it. And it also has even more annoying maze at the end part of the game than the desert is, as the desert at least is fairly quick to navigate after you’ve mapped it down.

You must be talking about Mordack’s maze, I arrived at that part, reminds of the Inherit the Earth maze but it’s even more disorientating. I was trying to map it out but the way the perspective keeps changing made it frustrating. I’m going to just look for a map. At this point I just want to finish it to start KQ6.

I have now finished the game (I abused the walkthrough). I have to say I found the last puzzles fascinating. I’ll not spoiler tag it because everybody has already played it, but a warning:
SPOILERS FOR ENDING OF KQ5:

- The final battle was fun, the fighting transforming animals was a cool concept and spectacle. The resolution was ok, it didn’t advance much of the family story but it did set up the plot for KQ6 already.

- The puzzle before the battle was the fascinating part. You had to use de cheese to start the wand swapping machine. Nothing wrong with that, adventure game logic but perfectly doable. But to get the cheese you had to get arrested by the castle guard (but only ONE time) and get the cheese from the tiny hole in the prison with a hook that you found or not on an harpies island ages ago.  To leave the prison you had to offer the locket (that had to get (or not)  in 2 seconds from a nest ages ago) to the scared prisoner princess before. Tangled web of dead-ends seeing you could still reach that very last moment without the cheese and any idea what you would need it. KQ5 also invented trolling!

Still, despite the flaws and being my least favorite so far, the game does look and sound good. I can see how much of a technical breakthrough in must have been and it has some fun moments. It allowed it to have more of a Disney tale atmosphere, which was probably always intended from the start.

Now off to everyones favorite: KQ6!

Woohoo! Have fun. One of my favorite games, ever.

Oh, you’re reminding me of many details about KQ5, wilco. The way the maze perspective is always over Graham’s shoulder; the fact that you need to get arrested (which is rather counter-intuitive) in order to get the cheese. I remember being confused in those places, too. I didn’t even remember that there is a harpy island in KQ5 until you mentioned it. I guess I should revisit this game someday and refresh my memory.

wilco - 15 September 2014 12:37 PM

Heard the nice melody, its trigger is talking to Cedric and I can’t leave a screen without hearing its “valuable” assessment of the situation

You are a brave man, talking to Cedric more than is necessary.

wilco - 15 September 2014 06:42 PM

Now off to everyones favorite: KQ6!

Cool, KQ6 is the only one in the series that you’ve played before, right? It will be interesting to see if you have any new thoughts about it within the context of the other games.