REVIEW

King’s Quest Episode 2: Rubble Without A Cause Review

by Rob Pritchard, February 2nd, 2016

After a few months away, The Odd Gentlemen have invited us to return to Daventry once again. With the strong start offered by A Knight to Remember, we are offered to join Graham in another tale of his past adventures, affectionately named Rubble Without A Cause. The second episode takes place a few years after the first, but the main storyline is still framed by the Elderly King Graham and Gwendolyn, with a surprising third participant taking narrator duties about halfway through the episode.

Graham is now the King of Daventry after retrieving the treasures of the kingdom, and is struggling to comprehend his new responsibilities and building a legacy that is not influenced by his predecessor. After a particularly stressful morning, he is kidnapped by a group of goblins and forced to perform tasks for their amusement. During his time in the goblin’s stronghold, Graham learns that some of his closest friends from the previous adventure have also been taken prisoner, and that they have been deprived of any nourishment. In order to escape, Graham must find a way to overpower the goblins, and keep his friends alive long enough to ensure their liberation.

When it comes to being the wearer of the crown, King’s Quest definitely succeeds where Fable III fell slightly short of the mark. The decisions that you have to make to save your subjects will inevitably lead to a fatal consequence, instead of just the loss of respect or monetary equivalents. For example, you learn that one subject is in dire need of sustenance, and if you do need feed them often, it will be more than one life that will be sacrificed because of your negligence.

Although many people remember King’s Quest for the adventure aspects of the series, Rubble Without A Cause actually pays tribute to King’s Quest III – To Heir is Human, in which the protagonist was also being held captive by a malevolent presence. While it is true that the goblins are not as as the borderline masochistic Manannan, whose fate is comically foreshadowed by Graham, the prospect of being caught out by someone who holds the keys of your existence definitely feels like a consistent threat. The puzzles that have become a staple of the series are still as taxing as ever, but most have a logical conclusion which can be solved relatively easily once you have the items to complete it.

If you were a fan of the hand painted textures in the first episode, then you will pleased to learn they have returned. While the graphics may not appear as colourful because of the subterranean location, several elements such as glowing mushrooms, elaborate theatres and a royal bedroom with pink wallpaper help to keep the locations looking unique, as well as providing a dose of positive ambience to the proceedings. For the next episode, I hope we can see some of the more varied locations that have become famous throughout the series, such as the group of islands known as the Land of the Green Isles from King’s Quest VI, or Kolyma from King’s Quest II.

Overall, Rubble Without A Cause takes the King’s Quest reboot into a new direction, whilst offering some of the same pun filled dialogue and brain bending puzzles we have come to expect from the franchise. While some may find the darker tone to be slightly unnerving, the results of your efforts to ensure your friends survival are definitely worth the effort.