King's Quest: Chapter Three - Once Upon a Climb

In addition to telling its own capsule story about how Graham got his groove on, Once Upon A Climb also continues to propel the narrative about Manny and his brother, which has been a continuing thread – along with old Graham’s failing health. Judging from Graham’s condition, it seems ever-so-likely that this tale will have a bittersweet ending. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the journey.

Even with a couple of glaring issues, declaring Once Upon a Climb the best series entry is a non-issue. The characters are likable, the writing is humorous and most of the puzzles are well done. This is a first for this reviewer: a romantic comedy game that actually pulls it off. Other titles might have attempted this type of dynamic in the past, but no one has actually managed to stick the landing the way that The Odd Gentlemen have.

There is so much I love about this reboot, it really shows how much the developers care about the old King's Quest. I found Episode 3 to be just as enjoyable as the first episode and made up for the faults of the last one. My only concern with the series thus far is those new players, ones who never saw the old King's Quest games might find this kind of slow and boring. They might only see the padding to the game and not the charm that it brings back.