Back in the launch days of the Playstation, Agetec and From Software hit the scene with the medieval fantasy title, King’s Field, which was met with very mixed feelings. It was a game designed around an FPS style, with RPG elements, but moved too slow for fans of high speed hack and slash action like Doom and made it feel cumbersome to FPS veterans. Others latched onto this game and found it to be one of the most deep and enjoyable titles out, and it really collected quite a large following. Over the past X amount of years, King’s Field II was released, as well as some other copycat titles which played out similar to King’s Field like Shadow Tower and the more recent (and underrated) PS2 launch title, Eternal Ring. Now, Agetec and From Software have graced the PS2 with another King’s Field title, which is an excellent game and unfortunately may not be given the opportunity it deserves by past gamers who disliked previous titles.

The game’s story revolves around an item known as the “Idol of Sorrow”. The idol has been responsible for the downfall of cities and populations, and brings bad luck and death to whomever possesses it. As the main character, you are visited late one night by a mysterious cloaked stranger who hands you the idol and informs you it must be returned to it’s final resting place found deep within the heart of an ancient and ruined city. If not, a similar fate will fall opon the current kingdom and all who dwell in it. The game wouldn’t be much fun if you declined the offer, so of course you take the idol, grab some belongings, and head into the perilous and surreal world to get into the ruins and fulfill your destiny. The game plays out like other King’s Field titles, where you move around in a first person,  free moving perspective killing monsters, uncovering secret areas and items, and collecting a vast wealth of treasure beyond imagination … if you manage to avoid the fate of others who have ventured in before you and ultimately get through alive.

The first really big plus about this version of King’s Field is it’s non-linear gameplay. Most RPG’s or FPS titles have a set “Go to point A, get the item and go to B, then go to point C and kill the boss which will access point D”. In this game, you may start at A, wind up killing the boss at C, backtracking and finding the item at point B, then venturing to point E because you haven’t found point D yet. In short, you can go pretty much anywhere at any time, as long as you have the proper key or item to get you there, which may be found in the beginning of the game rather than after a boss battle. One thing the game relies on is clues that you may have missed something like enemies which seem unstoppable or a simple looking door sealed by a magic veil rather than the usual “You don’t have a key so you can’t get in” style. You will also encounter people or survivors scattered throughout the plains, forests, or dungeons which may give you some clues or information to help you obtain an item or access certain areas, so while character interactions tends to be minimal, clues or information need to be paid attention to and may wind up being the difference between getting stuck and forging ahead.

The control for King’s Field provides a well needed usage of the dual analog sticks rather than the previous control pad and press L2 or R2 to look up or down, making it feel a little more smooth and not quite as clunky as other titles in the series. The left stick controls movement, while the right stick is used to look up or down. The L2 and R2 buttons can still be used, if you so choose, or both can be hit at the same time to re-set your perspective after looking down to pick up and item or looking up to take out a flying enemy. Now, the first and biggest complaint of anyone who didn’t care for King’s Field is found in the control, which is extremely slow compared to other FPS titles out on the market. Walking has kind of an underwater movement effect, and swinging your weapons feels like slow motion as well. In addition, the bigger and heavier the weapon is … the longer it takes to swing and recharge for another attack, making timing extremely critical. Swing too early or too late, and you may wind up with a sword stuck through your midsection or having to backpedal while trying to reposition for another attack. Each weapon handles differently, and strategy will have to be adjusted based on what is being used. One nice feature about the weapons is a proficency system which has been implemented to increase damage or swinging speed the more it is used. For example, if you continuously use a one handed long sword, any other one handed long sword will inflict more damage and be easier to wield. Magic and swordplay can also work well hand in hand, since both have a separate charge meter which has to refill before a second strike can occur. So, you can fire off a fireball to deal damage and throw an enemy off balance which can allow you to circle around behind your foe and deal a wicked slash to the back of the head. Killing enemies earns experience points, and adds the RPG element into the gaming experience, making your character stronger, faster, and more deadly the more things you kill.

Enemies tend to move very slow as well, which actually is a good and a bad thing overall depending on how you look at it. While it sounds like this would make them easier to hit, it actually makes them a little more intimidating and makes you feel like you are being stalked rather than attacked. Also, since you can’t just zip in and start hacking, it forces you to stop and look at the situation to try and develop a strategy for circling or moving in for a strike. Most enemies will also circle in the same direction while you are trying to move in, creating more of a realistic scenario and feeling like it is also trying to look for an opening to swing at you. Overall, the enemy AI is pretty good, and you will rarely have the opportunity for a cheap shot during an encounter. On the flipside, most enemies seem like they are confined only to the room or passage they are in, and beating some particularly difficult enemies can rely less on strategy and timing and more on cheap shots like opening a door, waiting for it to turn around when it gets to the doorway because it can’t leave the room, then stepping in and whacking it in the back before moving back out of the room. Repeat this a few times, and the monster falls while you collect the rewards and experience. In addition, some areas will contain large amounts of monsters which seem to get confused and run into each other while coming at you, causing them to stop and wander in circles trying to find a way around one another. This mostly happens with slower things like undead though, and other living creatures can prove to be pretty deadly when in groups. 

The game overall moves in a very smooth fashion, and moving throughout the immense environments is a seamless experience with no delays or load times anywhere. Graphically, I would be hard pressed to find a title out there which makes use of the smoothness and lighting effects which are presented in this game, even though I have heard some people talking about how little detail is found throughout the enormous remains of the ruined city.  I feel it is important to say that while there are not a lot of extras thrown in like tables, pictures, carpets, etc., the amount of detail in the stone and rock walls is really impressive. The flickering of light on enemies and walls by torches found  in various areas around the halls and rooms is eerily realistic, and everything sets the exact tone for what the developers wanted to accomplish … creating a long deserted, run down,  and forgotten city which was recently inhabited by all sorts of nasty things. The music sets a creepy atmosphere, consisting mostly of medieval sounding tunes and piano chords which will change as you walk throughout the areas and can provide clues to a battle or making you feel as through you are walking into a run down and sad area which has not been inhabited for centuries.

Overall, I have to say that this game is a fantastic journey into a surreal fantasy world unlike anything else out there. Even though it dosen’t have run and gun action that other FPS titles are known for, it works well for what was trying to be done. The developers could have included a high speed frame rate due to the processing power of the PS2, but it would have been just another hack and slash first person title which may have gotten lost next to Half Life or Red Faction. If you have never played King’s Field or any of the other similar titles from Agetec, let me leave you with this … if this game is played for 15 minutes and then discarded due to the slow speed and pace of the game, you aren’t giving it the patience it deserves. Give it about 2 – 3 hours of solid play time, and you will probably find that you don’t notice the speed anymore because you are immersed in the story. Who knows … you just may find that you have become one of the newest members of the growing population of King’s Field fans out there.

Gameplay: 8.8
A first person shooter that can easily and unfortunately be passed off as too slow or cumbersome by the action based gaming crowd out there. The controls work well and feel very smooth, and you can really start seeing the difference in your character’s health, defense, and strength as you level up. This is also an epic journey which will take a while to beat. Due to the huge amounts of hidden panels, passages, and areas, you may find yourself going back through this game after beating it the first time looking for things you may have missed.  

Graphics: 9.1
Absolutely huge and detailed environments really set the tone for the deserted city and begin sucking you into a surreal environment fighting for survival. The lighting effects look great, the fog in places is thick and conceals opponents realistically, and the enemies show that a lot of attention was paid to their looks and placing into the various environments they inhabit. You can also see what your character looks like as you equip him with various weapons and armor, and adds to the feel of the game.

Sound: 7.9
Eerie medieval background music which randomly fades and changes depending on the environment you are progressing through. Sound effects consist of the “whooshing” noise of your weapon and growls or groans of enemies, and the sound of clashing steel or thud of blunt weapons would have added a lot more. Overall it does well for what it was meant to do.

Difficulty: 9.0
Game difficulty starts generally simple, but challenging, and the difficulty will increase as you keep progressing through the dungeons. Due to the non linear gameplay, moving to an area which is particularly difficult could be a sign that you missed something, and once you have returned after obtaining an item or weapon and leveling up, it gets challenging again rather than extremely hard.  

Concept: 8.1
While this is a different experience from other RPG or FPS titles, it dosen’t do much differently in gameplay from previous King’s Field titles which have been released. It’s not really a sequel, and can stand on it’s own without playing any other Agetec title, and the superior graphic facelift looks fantastic.

Overall: 8.2
If you haven’t liked previous King’s Field games, and don’t feel like devoting more than 15 minutes to this game, give it a rent first before buying. If you are a previous King’s Field fan, I’m sure you will agree that this is the best looking and best playing Agetec title since King’s Field 2, and you have probably already started dungeon romping by the time you read this. I’m giving this a definite “must buy” score based on my personal experience with this game … due largely in part to my confession that I am about to make. I have never been a fan of any King’s Field game in the past. I’ve played them, but haven’t thought much of them. This title has really made me a loyal fan, and I will be going back to play previous titles which were released.