King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human Redux is a remake of the original single-player role playing game King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human, made by AGD Interactive. This remake follows the original 1986 version of the game very closely, with only small changes here and there. This is the third remake of King’s Quest III and the graphics have taken it up and slight notch. While the second remake had improved graphics from the original, King’s Quest III Redux now has even better graphics and talented voice acting for each character, animals, and the ever present narrator. The Narrator explains everything you do and see, allowing for laughs along the way. The Narrator brings a lighter mood to this dark sad story and says some pretty comical things.

The story starts in an old house upon a mountain owned by the evil wizard Manannan. You are Gwydion, the servant boy to the wizard, who has owned you since you were an infant. You cook, clean, and work for Manannan while he is a home, but when he leaves or lays down for a rest, it’s your chance to see the world. Gwydion’s rising curiosity leads him to make his first steps off the mountain and explore the land of Llewdor. You will explore vibrant scenes that allow you to interact with everything. You also will find many treasures and items during your time exploring Llewdor,  which you will need later in the game to escape the evil grasps of Manannan. There are 210 items to be explored and uncovered in this search and find role  playing game. In order to locate all of these items, you must search high and low, and use your brain, making sure to check everything you see and more.  The options in this game are seemingly endless, every little item, blip on the screen, or bird in the sky, can be clicked on to interact in many different  ways.

You will use many tools in your travels including boots, the eye tool, the hand tool, and any item you pick up to interact with your environment. After a while trying every combination of interaction tools on everything you can in a scene, it tends to get somewhat tedious, but the challenge in itself of beating this game will drive you forward. Even though the game is a simple styled game in graphics and interface, it lacks nothing in content and game play time. You can spend hours and hours searching ever deep dark hole in Llewdor, and come back with pockets full of new things that you must hide from watchful eye of Manannan. Be sure to never have your special items on your, because Manannan’s temper runs hotter than the sun. If you are caught with anything other than basic house hold item you use for your chores, he will kill you on the spot.

Another great thing this game has going for it, is the intricate spellweaving. The spell book had many spells, and specific instructions to build each spell. Each spell must be done in the exact order of events with the exact ingredient to be successful. The spell incantations are done well, rhyming at the right parts while doing well to not sound corny or childish. This gave the spell weaving a very real sense magic, that helps immerse you in the fantasy world and entangle you in the story.Eventually you find out your time is ticking and the wizard has plans to kill you on your 18th birthday. Before then you must uncover all the mysteries in and outside of the house will keeping Mannanan in the dark and making sure he always has a full belly. You find out through an old journal that you weren’t the first servant to work for Manannan, and will not be the last… unless you have anything to say about it. But the story doesn’t stop there, there are many other plot twists to uncover and explore.

If you can get past the tediousness and the old school styled graphics, there is only one hurdle to clear before you’re hooked on this game. Every little thing you do is watched by Manannan unless he is on a journey or asleep, so you have to walk on thin ice. He can teleport in at any given time while he is at home, and will kill you on sight for having your items on you, being in the wrong room, feeding him too late, being outside the house, etc. so you get the point. It can be really exhausting to have to reload the game over and over because Manannan is grumpy. On a good note, you can save at any point in the game and have as many saves as you need. It takes less than 2 seconds to reload, so as long as you save often and stay on your best behaviour, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you.

King’s Quest III: Redux can be difficult at times if you have never played the two previous versions of the game, because it gives you no direction or path to follow. Everything you do you must figure out for yourself, and it’s not made easy for you. You must find ways to feed Manannan once you run out of the food items your given in the beginning or you’ll be turned into dust.In the end this game is a true challenge for only the masters of role playing games. It drops you straight into the fantasy world of wizards and magic, and puts you at the start of an epic journey that only you, Gwydion, can finish. King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human Redux is a charming blend of well done voice overs, classic styled graphics and a story that will keep on giving. Check it out here:

http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq3/about/overview.html

Game hard, play happy

Hayley Clements
Impulse Gamer
United States Team Writer