An opinion you're probably all alone with?

[Rynjin]

They lost me somewhere in the middle of KH 2. I played it all the way through and I still couldn't tell you what the plot was.

I tried out 358/2 Days because the gameplay was still good in KH 2 and I was instantly lost plot-wise. I stuck it out for around 10 hours or so before putting it down and never returning to the series.

I think the only way you could get lost in KH2 and Days is if you didn't play Chain of Memories. Chain is plot critical to KH2, and it was always meant to be. It's the game that introduces Organization XIII, explains the concept of Nobodies, shows you what happened to Riku and why he looks like Ansem now, etc.

KH2 is really more like KH3, Chain of Memories is unskippable.

Dream Drop Distance is where things start to go off the rails, and that's just because time travel always makes things needlessly complicated. The core four games before that (1, Chain of Memories, 2, and Birth By Sleep) all have a coherent through plot that makes sense if you play them in release order. Even DDD makes sense in its own self-contained way.

The genuine issue is making Coded (a ****ing mobile game from BEFORE SMARTPHONES) and Union X (just...an awful game in general, and unsurprisingly another mobile title) possibly the two most important games needed to understand the plot of KH3. Just a completely asinine decision.

[Zevox]

Eh, as someone who only played KH1 and 2, Kingdom Hearts' story lost me after you beat Millificent in the first game and it stopped being a romp through Disney stuff and went off and did its own, totally bizarre thing from out of nowhere. KH2's story I barely remember at all at this point. Gameplay was fun, but writing was never the series' strong suite. Hell, by far the most memorable part of KH2 for me is the Sephiroth boss fight, which I loved - and that despite having never played Final Fantasy 7 at that time.

[LaZodiac]

The only non mainline KH I played was Birth by Sleep and I didn't even finish it, and the series still made perfect sense. I guess that's an opinion I'm all alone on, same with Metal Gear Solid making sense.

[Lord Raziere]

Look Zodi, those two series have two layers to them:
the game layer of the protagonist doing mostly small scale stuff to get to the point where they can stop a thing from changing the status quo.

the actual intergame plot layer where all the actual changes in status quo happen as a result of people doing a bunch of machinations in the background we don't see or know the specifics of.

the first layer is understandable, yes but also completely irrelevant to anything actually important, because all their efforts are there to stop anything from changing in both instances.

the second layer is incomprehensible because its only mentioned and exposited but not focused on, but is where all the important stuff takes places to explain what is happening now.

No one is complaining about the first layer, because everyone learns to disregard that layer for the second layer actually being what is changing the world as well as the explanations for how things got to be where it is. you can't understand Kingdom Hearts or Metal Gear without understanding the metaplot underneath, for your if your understanding of either is just "dude saves the day" sure it makes sense and is straightforward but it isn't all that is happening and therefore isn't fully understanding.

[LibraryOgre]

Sierra On-Line's Quest For Glory series remains a masterpiece.

[LaZodiac]

Look Zodi, those two series have two layers to them:
the game layer of the protagonist doing mostly small scale stuff to get to the point where they can stop a thing from changing the status quo.

the actual intergame plot layer where all the actual changes in status quo happen as a result of people doing a bunch of machinations in the background we don't see or know the specifics of.

the first layer is understandable, yes but also completely irrelevant to anything actually important, because all their efforts are there to stop anything from changing in both instances.

the second layer is incomprehensible because its only mentioned and exposited but not focused on, but is where all the important stuff takes places to explain what is happening now.

No one is complaining about the first layer, because everyone learns to disregard that layer for the second layer actually being what is changing the world as well as the explanations for how things got to be where it is. you can't understand Kingdom Hearts or Metal Gear without understanding the metaplot underneath, for your if your understanding of either is just "dude saves the day" sure it makes sense and is straightforward but it isn't all that is happening and therefore isn't fully understanding.

I should specify I meant both layers, and whenever I see people complaining about the series they mean the first layer.

[Rynjin]

The "second layer" of Kingdom Hearts' story is pretty simple too, though, so long as you play every game.

The big bad (Xehanort) wants the Magufffin (the X-blade) so he can remake the universe in his image. Boom.

Everything else is just details, but those details are pretty straightforward as well. The Chosen One (Ventus) is the key to getting the Maguffin, so Xehanort does some magic bull**** to put him in a position to create it so he can steal it. On the way he grooms a successor (Terra) so he can bodyswap with him and regain his youth. He failed to account for the fact that Terra is literally "LOCAL MAN TOO ANGRY TO DIE" and gets his ass beat into oblivion by his disembodied self.

Some time before the events of KH 1, he ****s around with forces man was not meant to control and gets split in half. Said halves ("Ansem" and Xemnas) sort of vaguely have the same goal of "remake the world in their image" but don't have the bigger context non-amnesiac Xehanort did, so go about it in kind of a half-assed way, not working together. They are defeated.

Their defeat is an "all according to keikaku" moment for Xehanort, as when both are destroyed his whole self reforms and he can resume the original plan (snatch the Maguffin, take over the universe, etc.) and reap the rewards of all the individual progress and allies his two halves made.

He eventually gets his ass beat by plucky spiky haired protagonist and it's hinted that he wasn't necessarily trying to remake the universe for selfish reasons, but because it might avert the effective heat death of the universe, but he was still an evil prick and needed to die so...oh well.

This is really not that complicated, especially as JRPG and anime plots go.

[Lord Raziere]

Nope.

If you dismiss things as "just details" and say things like "does some bull****" you don't truly understand it. because those are phrases for dismissing truly understanding things so can just get on with your life instead of doing it properly. as soon you say those things your going down the memelord path of "aaah, its all bull, therefore I don't need to understand it". therefore your not understanding it, your dismissing understanding so you can go with the version you want to because you don't care enough. this is the surest, most certain sign of the story being incoherent because people declare it to be bull because its too inconsistent and bizarre for them to handle and actually explain it. nonsense/bull is the opposite of sense and therefore understanding, therefore you don't understand Kingdom Hearts.

[tyckspoon]

Sierra On-Line's Quest For Glory series remains a masterpiece.

You can't just wander into this Unpopular Opinions thread and drop an objectively true statement like that.

[LibraryOgre]

You can't just wander into this Unpopular Opinions thread and drop an objectively true statement like that.

I'm old. I'm used to everyone looking at me like "Who On-line? Quest for WHAT? And it was a series?"

[WritersBlock]

I do not think Resident Evil 6 is that bad of a game. It is not the best Resident Evil game but I did enjoy the varied gameplay and the kaiju size bosses you fought. It gets a lot more fun when you unlock some of the powerups.

I do wish the camera was better in a couple of places (Some of the sections in the first level of Ada's scenario, and the very first part of where you are running from HAOS in the Chris/Piers scenario come to mind.

[Rynjin]

Nope.

If you dismiss things as "just details" and say things like "does some bull****" you don't truly understand it.

Yes, I do. I understand that Kingdom hearts (and Final Fantasy in general) uses a soft magic system that has no concrete rules. Magic A is Magic A does not apply. This is not the plot being complicated, it's that the magic system works by a character with sufficient power waving their hands and saying "I'm doing X!" and then X happens.

We know that Xehanort split Ventus into two people (Ventus and Vanitas) to cultivate his "light side" and "dark side" to their ultimate forms, then combine them to create the Maguffin.

How? Magic bull****. It's as simple as it gets.

[MetroAlien]

The "magic" in KH isn't really much different from "science" in Marvel/DC, and plenty of people are OK with those two.
How does the Venom symbiont actually, scientifically work? It just does, ok, don't worry about it and enjoy the ride.

Same with Kingdom Hearts.
The only thing necessary to understand it, is your willingness to accept the story on its own terms.

If you're not hooked by the game's premise and/or characters, then you probably won't let the story dictate its terms to you.
This is all "fair enough". It just wasn't your type of narrative to begin with...

---------------------------------------

I've known exactly one person who enjoys Rayman 3 as much as I do, and it's because I introduced it to him.
I may very well be alone in thinking that Rayman 3 was among the best 3d platformers when it came out, maybe even the best.
(considering how 3d platformers all but disappeared as a genre since then, it could very well be the best of all time)

The level design in Rayman 3 is something I hold up as a standard to compare other games to.
The art/character design has a unique "personality" to it.
And the soundtrack is just a masterfully produced example of art that stands tall on its own merits, as well as flawlessly complementing the gameplay.

[Lord Raziere]

How? Magic bull****. It's as simple as it gets.

Nope.

If that was true, there would only be one game in the series, Xehanhort would just say "ooga booga gagasham" or something the Ki-blade would appear and then get beaten anyways because I don't have to explain how he is beaten. if its so simple, it wouldn't have so many details that your ignoring.

[Rynjin]

Nope.

If that was true, there would only be one game in the series, Xehanhort would just say "ooga booga gagasham" or something the Ki-blade would appear and then get beaten anyways because I don't have to explain how he is beaten. if its so simple, it wouldn't have so many details that your ignoring.

Simple answer: he didn't have enough power.

The same nebulous not-answer to the question of why Zatanna doesn't just say "Sretsam on sdog on!" and gigakill Darkseid forever.

Soft magic systems aren't complex. They are the simplest things in the world. They are capable of whatever the plot demands they are capable of, and no more. And no less for that matter.

[Lord Raziere]

Simple answer: he didn't have enough power.

The same nebulous not-answer to the question of why Zatanna doesn't just say "Sretsam on sdog on!" and gigakill Darkseid forever.

Soft magic systems aren't complex. They are the simplest things in the world. They are capable of whatever the plot demands they are capable of, and no more. And no less for that matter.

Your argument isn't convincing me that Kingdom Hearts isn't incoherent.

Its reinforcing incoherency, because your so quick to say something "is just some bull****" then claim its capable of whatever "the plot says so" so thats another mark against coherency because your either dismissing any explanation or claiming that its capable of something without any supporting logic behind it.

no wonder people people find Kingdom Hearts incoherent if the best explanation someone has to "how does it work?" are "oh its all bull**** that doesn't matter because its soft magic plot stuff" which doesn't explain anything. you can use that explanation for any universe you pay sufficiently little attention to, and such explanations give the impression that they either weren't paying attention or that there is nothing to pay attention to. Therefore its not worth understanding, because the argument your saying its not worth examining, therefore Kingdom Hearts is incoherent because there is nothing more solid or detailed to make it coherent, because your basically admitting that isn't coherent by other means.

[Rynjin]

Your argument isn't convincing me that Kingdom Hearts isn't incoherent.

Its reinforcing incoherency, because your so quick to say something "is just some bull****" then claim its capable of whatever "the plot says so" so thats another mark against coherency because your either dismissing any explanation or claiming that its capable of something without any supporting logic behind it.

Do you only enjoy hard sci-fi and fantasy series with extremely hard magic systems? If so, that's fine, but it's not the majority of things out there.

You're basically claiming the equivalent of "Star Wars has plots that are hard to understand because we don't have the literal mathematic equations behind how the Force lets you lift weights".

It's not relevant to the plot. The actual mechanics of how the magic works are not the point of most pieces of fantasy fiction works. The only thing that's relevant is "he did some magic to accomplish the goal".

The goal (and results) are what matters to the plot. Not the mechanics behind the magic.

Why does Avada Kedavra just kill people in Harry potter? Magic.

Why can Dr. Strange open portals around the world? Magic.

Why can the starship Enterprise move at many multiple times the speed of light when they engage Warp? "Technology".

Why can Xehanort freeze a man by touching him, swap bodies with people, and split someone into two people? Magic.

The actual whys and hows are not relevant to the plots of any of these series. It's just magic. The plot is coherent. The magic system isn't. Not every single series needs to be some overwrought Brandon Sanderson-inspired hard magic multiverse. Sometimes magic works because magic is fun and we like to see people shoot pew pew kaboom from their hands.

[Lord Raziere]

Do you only enjoy hard sci-fi and fantasy series with extremely hard magic systems? If so, that's fine, but it's not the majority of things out there.

You're basically claiming the equivalent of "Star Wars has plots that are hard to understand because we don't have the literal mathematic equations behind how the Force lets you lift weights".

It's not relevant to the plot. The actual mechanics of how the magic works are not the point of most pieces of fantasy fiction works. The only thing that's relevant is "he did some magic to accomplish the goal".

The goal (and results) are what matters to the plot. Not the mechanics behind the magic.

Why does Avada Kedavra just kill people in Harry potter? Magic.

Why can Dr. Strange open portals around the world? Magic.

Why can the starship Enterprise move at many multiple times the speed of light when they engage Warp? "Technology".

Why can Xehanort freeze a man by touching him, swap bodies with people, and split someone into two people? Magic.

The actual whys and hows are not relevant to the plots of any of these series. It's just magic. The plot is coherent. The magic system isn't. Not every single series needs to be some overwrought Brandon Sanderson-inspired hard magic multiverse. Sometimes magic works because magic is fun and we like to see people shoot pew pew kaboom from their hands.

But avadra kedavra is a specific spell, that has a specific use thus and not just "magic" because it was just bull, any incantation could kill without the detail mattering.

the portal opens because of a specific application of magic recognizable by the hand motion, it isn't just a thing thats by done through any thing.

and Mm. No, you misunderstand, its not just magic, its the plot. magic by itself is not the only thing incoherent its the plans done with it, its details in general. your generalized explanation simply doesn't work because it doesn't address details.

and kingdom hearts is more overwrought than any Brandon Sanderson ever made BECAUSE its soft magic and thus makes up ridiculous convoluted things that lead to more ridiculous convoluted things that require ridiculous convoluted explanations to truly understand. Brandon Sanderson is actually pretty simple to understand because its so tightly written and thus doesn't veer off into things so ridiculous people just stop paying attention and call it soft magic or the writer doesn't provide any explanation because they can't understand it themselves, and thus incoherent.

[Rynjin]

But avadra kedavra is a specific spell, that has a specific use thus and not just "magic" because it was just bull, any incantation could kill without the detail mattering.

the portal opens because of a specific application of magic recognizable by the hand motion, it isn't just a thing thats by done through any thing.

and Mm. No, you misunderstand, its not just magic, its the plot. magic by itself is not the only thing incoherent its the plans done with it.

and kingdom hearts is more overwrought than any Brandon Sanderson ever made BECAUSE its soft magic and thus makes up ridiculous convoluted things that lead to more ridiculous convoluted things that require ridiculous convoluted explanations to truly understand. Brandon Sanderson is actually pretty simple to understand because its so tightly written and thus doesn't veer off into things so ridiculous people just stop paying attention and call it soft magic or the writer doesn't provide any explanation because they can't understand it themselves, and thus incoherent.

Sanderson's Cosmere novels have the actual EXACT same problem as Kingdom Hearts, except worse. They make a lot of sense if you read every single vaguely tangentially connected novel in multiple series, but not so much if you just pick one and read it.

At least the only games I have to play are the ones that say "Kingdom Hearts" on them. I don't need to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to understand a key plot element of Kingdom Hearts the same way I have to have read the Elantris novels (IIRC, maybe it was Warbreaker, but in any case I didn't) to understand the random bull**** happening at the end of the second Stormlight Archive novel.

[Lord Raziere]

Sanderson's Cosmere novels have the actual EXACT same problem as Kingdom Hearts, except worse. They make a lot of sense if you read every single vaguely tangentially connected novel in multiple series, but not so much if you just pick one and read it.

At least the only games I have to play are the ones that say "Kingdom Hearts" on them. I don't need to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to understand a key plot element of Kingdom Hearts the same way I have to have read the Elantris novels (IIRC, maybe it was Warbreaker, but in any case I didn't) to understand the random bull**** happening at the end of the second Stormlight Archive novel.

Hard disagree. I've watched all of Kingdom Hearts, they make no sense. especially when trying to connect them all together.

the Cosmere on the other hand, makes a lot of sense to me even though there is a book I haven't gotten around to reading that takes place between Rhythm of War and Oathbringer, Dawnshard I believe. all that happens at the end of Stormlight Archive book 2 is that Szeth gets a life-draining sword, its named Nightblood, its created to destroy evil, doesn't know what evil is, its from a world where people use magical breath to animate things and a really high amount of breath was used to animate Nightblood and due to its unique circumstances it possess properties that other swords do not. its not bull**** at all, you just don't care enough to understand it.

[Rynjin]

Hard disagree. I've watched all of Kingdom Hearts, they make no sense. especially when trying to connect them all together.

the Cosmere on the other hand, makes a lot of sense to me even though there is a book I haven't gotten around to reading that takes place between Rhythm of War and Oathbringer, Dawnshard I believe. all that happens at the end of Stormlight Archive book 2 is that Szeth gets a life-draining sword, its named Nightblood, its created to destroy evil, doesn't know what evil is, its from a world where people use magical breath to animate things and a really high amount of breath was used to animate Nightblood and due to its unique circumstances it possess properties that other swords do not. its not bull**** at all, you just don't care enough to understand it.

That's not what I remember happening at the end of that book. It was something about the natives opening a cosmic portal to who knows where and doing vague spirit bull**** to some unknown purpose that is very not clearly explained. I basically washed my hands of the series after that.

[Lord Raziere]

oh that?

Thats just them going to Urithiru through an Oathgate, then Dalinar making a pact with the Stormfather to become a Radiant, specifically a Bondsmith. thats all Roshar stuff, you don't need to understand anything about Warbreaker for that.

[Rynjin]

oh that?

Thats just them going to Urithiru through an Oathgate, then Dalinar making a pact with the Stormfather to become a Radiant, specifically a Bondsmith. thats all Roshar stuff, you don't need to understand anything about Warbreaker for that.

I think this might be another topic we're never gonna agree on. I don't think adding more random Proper Nouns to something makes it more "coherent" plot-wise.

Though I do wonder why people kept telling me to read the rest of the Cosmere if I wanted to understand that scene if I don't actually have to. Guess it doesn't make much sense in context either.

[Lord Raziere]

I think this might be another topic we're never gonna agree on. I don't think adding more random Proper Nouns to something makes it more "coherent" plot-wise.

Though I do wonder why people kept telling me to read the rest of the Cosmere if I wanted to understand that scene if I don't actually have to. Guess it doesn't make much sense in context either.

Urithiru is not even a thing outside of Roshar, its just a city in the mountains. the Oathgates are technology that the Radiants had since forever is just a portal network across the continent to other places with an Oathgate, and the bond with the spirit thing is how all the radiants work in some form or other. none of these require other Cosmere books but they are all explained in the third book of the archive, a lot of which takes in Urithiru and figuring out how Urithiru works- a lot of emphasis is placed on how Urithiru is a mystery even to Alethkar people investigating it because they just found the place.

because you said second book, I think thats where you mean, I checked and going through the Oathgate and Dalinar becoming a Radiant by making a pact with Stormfather sounds like what happens from that book. I don't see what else you could be describing.

[Rodin]

I must say, a debate on Brandon Sanderson magic systems and someone saying they're the only one who likes Quest For Glory is not what I expected when I came back to this thread.

My spicy take on Quest for Glory - the EGA version is superior to the VGA version. The graphics are more colourful and charming. Also, the text parser was superior to the dialogue choice tree (even if it did cause small frustrations now and then).

Going back to KH for a minute - Chain of Memories is a big part of the problem. It's a game in a different genre on a different console. Having a game like that be a direct plot-essential sequel is nigh unheard of. It's like if Darth Vader was revealed to be Luke's father in the Star Wars Holiday Special, and then starting Empire with the assumption everyone knows that. Or even worse, having that reveal in that Star Wars Famicom game with the shape-shifting fake Vaders.

[Rynjin]

Going back to KH for a minute - Chain of Memories is a big part of the problem. It's a game in a different genre on a different console. Having a game like that be a direct plot-essential sequel is nigh unheard of. It's like if Darth Vader was revealed to be Luke's father in the Star Wars Holiday Special, and then starting Empire with the assumption everyone knows that. Or even worse, having that reveal in that Star Wars Famicom game with the shape-shifting fake Vaders.

You're a classy guy for going to these hypothetical examples instead of hitting on the real one.

I really would LOVE to meet the guy who thought it was a great idea to put information plot critical to a blockbuster film in a Fortnite crossover that is never explained in the actual movie.

As for CoM itself, I think it's forgivable. It's the literal second game in the franchise, and they didn't really know what they were going to get to do with it. The future of Kingdom Hearts was pretty up in the air after the first game released because Disney is such a pain to work with.

Dream Drop is, again, the egregious one. The other handheld spinoffs after Chain were all optional (until 3, ugh), and then 3DS changed that.

[Lord Raziere]

I really would LOVE to meet the guy who thought it was a great idea to put information plot critical to a blockbuster film in a Fortnite crossover that is never explained in the actual movie.

To restate my opinion on fortnite again:
Fortnite is an advertising platform that has shooter elements.

all its nonsense, that crossover, it putting Naruto then Dragonball Super characters into it, Fortnite is just Advertising: the Game. the crossovers are just ads in the guise of giving you player skins and weapons.

I bet you anything the person who thought it was a good idea was someone in marketing. they wanted to get some of that fortnite player parent money. because children getting excited by things they see on TV and badgering their parents to buy it despite having no idea what it is, is a time honored method of selling stuff.

[MetroAlien]

The reason Kingdom Hearts takes takes a long time to explain is because there are 3 sets of protagonists.
A lot of the explanation has to do with how all the protagonists are related.
The story itself is simple.

---

The premise:
people can be split into "heartless" and "nobodies".

The villain: Xehanort.
His goal is to access Kingdom Hearts.
One way is to use 7 princesses.
Another way is by using the energy released in an epic battle between light and dark to summon the χ-blade, which can open Kingdom Hearts.

Group of protagonists 1:
Ventus, Terra and Aqua.
The old grouch Xehanort body-jacks Terra to gain a youthful body.
Xehanort also splits Ventus into "light" and "dark" to summon the χ-blade using the energy from the clash of light and dark.
The "light" half of Ventus seeks refuge in Sora's heart, foiling the plan.

10 year time skip.

Group of protagonists 2:
Sora, Kairi, Riku
Kairi is one of 7 princesses, whom Xehanort uses to open Kingdom Hearts after his plan with Ventus fails.
Sora, who hosts Ventus' light half, gets split into heartless and nobody, but Kairi, being a princess, cures the heartless, thus restoring Sora's true form.

Group of protagonists 3:
Roxas, Xion, Axel
Roxas is the nobody created when Sora was split in two.
Xion is Sora's transgender clone, created from his memories by a witch, Naminé.
Neither Roxas nor Xion know about Sora.

When Sora convinces Naminé to return his memories, Xion starts to disappear.
Roxas, in an attempt to stop Xion from disappearing, absorbs her into himself, stopping Sora's memory restoration.
Riku hunts down Roxas, and Roxas himself is absorbed into Sora, completing the restoration process.

However, the time Xion and Roxas spent together allowed them to develop "hearts" of their own, which now reside inside Sora.

Sora eventually learns of Roxas' and Xion's fate, and releases their hearts into homunculus bodies, so they can live as people in their own right.
Thus, they are happily reunited.

Xehanort first tries to use the clash between "light" and "dark" Ventus to summon the χ-blade, but fails.

Xehanort splits himself into heartless and nobody.

Heartless Xehanort tries to use the 7 princesses to open Kingdom Hearts, but the sheer light emitted from KH destroys his heartless form.

Nobody Xehanort tries to artificially create Kingdom Hearts, first by having Roxas and Xion defeat countless heartless.
When they are absorbed into Sora, Xehanort tries to manipulate Sora, but is defeated.

The two halves of Xehanort defeated, they are reconstituted into full Xehanort, and once again try to use 7 princesses to open Kingdom Hearts.
The heroes stop him.
However, Xehanort fights back and this new clash of light and dark summons the χ-blade, which Xehanort uses to open Kingdom Hearts anyway.
Being a full human now, he enters Kingdom Hearts, but the heroes defeat him for good this time.

Xehanort's ultimate defeat sets Terra free from the body-jacking.
Ventus comes out of hiding when his dark half is defeated.
They are happily reunited.

Fin.

---

"But what about Sora and Kairi? What happened to them?", you may ask.
Their story isn't finished.
Finding out what happened is the crucial hook of that story, so obviously there can't be an explanation yet.
It will be further developed in the upcoming KH 4, or whatever it will be called when released.

"But why do so many characters look alike?"
Ventus was split into Light and Dark halves, L and D respectively.
V = L + D
Therefore, if L was able to hide inside Sora, then Sora, logically speaking, must look like D in order to satisfy the equation.
(Yes, this is the canonical explanation.)
Conversely, in absence of Sora's own heart but with L present, Sora's nobody, Roxas, started to look like L.

"But what about the Master of Masters?"
This character is just a cameo from a game for mobile phones. It's not necessary to understand/know anything about him.
His story uses the same setting (with keyblades, heartless Disney, etc...), but is otherwise a separate story with different characters.

[WritersBlock]

I also greatly appreciate the Quest For Glory series. It would be even more epic win if the games were not infected with Ken William's "If someone completes your game, you as a game designer have lost"
philosophy. Thankfully its not QUITE as bad as some of Sierra's other work. (**** Police Quest 3 which I played not that long ago, and its EXTREMELY easily missable courthouse segment that softlocks you during the later game when missed.)

I was really happy to find Quest for Infamy. And to find out they finally revealed how to access the secret boss battle.

[Batcathat]

philosophy. Thankfully its not QUITE as bad as some of Sierra's other work. (**** Police Quest 3 which I played not that long ago, and its EXTREMELY easily missable courthouse segment that softlocks you during the later game when missed.)

It's kind of interesting to look at the different approaches of 80s adventure game giants LucasArts and Sierra. "You can't die and victory is always (eventually) possible" versus "You will die again and again and that thing you did two hours ago might keep you from ever completing the game".

That might've been harsh on Sierra. I do love a lot of their games, brutal as they may be.