One of the Playstation's rudimentary launch titles that grew into a loved and hated series.

Japanese Game Front

This Thing Looks So Awesome...I'm
Definitely Going To Buy This Soon.

King's Field Additional I For PSP Is
Not Like KFI For PS.

King's Field Additional II For PSP
Plays Similarly To KFAI.

Talk To NPCs For Occasional Info!

While 3D games were still being tested on home consoles back in 1994, From Software decided to do something that was revolutionary for the time. The company didn't want to make a game that was similar to many of the other 3D home console games out then, but instead, they wanted to create a large three dimensional universe that would make players feel as if they were within another world...a world that was as vast and unpredictable as the world we ourselves exist in. As you are probably aware, doing such a thing is no small feat by today's standards, but From Software was being truly ambitious. The Playstation was still fresh out of the oven and companies weren't really too sure of how to use the new abilities of the hardware the Playstation had. Thanks to From's effort, a series known as "King's Field" was born. While most westerners may remember playing a game called "King's Field" in 1995, the game was actually "King's Field II". Despite the game looking more like a western-style game (from the names of characters to the locations and settings), the interesting thing about King's Field is that it is made by a Japanese software company.

If you are looking for an upbeat storyline filled with love, peace, happiness, or anything like sunshine and rainbows, you ain't gonna find it with this one. The King's Field series is known for its brooding atmosphere, cryptic labyrinthine dungeons, and simple but dark plot. In the past, a great battle took place in Verdite (the small country in which the story takes place) and the country was saved by a person who disappeared into the forest. The citizens called that person the "Dragon of the Forest" and built a sanctuary and honored their savior there. Over time, only a legend remained and the sanctuary was changed into the Royal Graveyard. The legend says, "Someday the Dragon of the Forest shall return, bearing magical artifacts." However, the time has not yet come and the sanctuary sleeps deeply.

KF has you play as John Alfred Forrester who happens to be looking for his father, Hauser Forrester, who disappeared along with his soldiers while exploring a dead king's underground graveyard. You will mostly figure out the mystery behind the underground labyrinth on your own and NPCs (non-playable characters) don't have much interesting to say. This was intentional so you would try to explore the world in its entirety and the plot is very straightforward. While the plot of KF is simple in and of itself, the events that take place in KF help to make the stories of KFII and KFIII more interesting.

The vastness of KF's world is both marvelous and upsetting at the same time. I was awestruck as I traveled around the ominous dungeons and I easily got lost in the seemingly endless winding paths and corridors. The NPCs look good...with the exception that they have blank faces...no eyes where eyes should be. This doesn't bother me since the areas are large and the game was old. The textures are dull and boring, though considering the huge environments, this was to be expected in 1994. What does bother me is just how repetitive the scenery is. Where's the field of grass? Where the hell is the outside world? When you use the button to make your hero look upward, you shouldn't constantly see a ceiling! Even if the use of the word "Field" in the title isn't necessarily referring to a field of grass or such, the areas should possess some sort of variation.

The vastness of the world comes at the expense of creativity. The areas are far too similar in design and that caused me to get lost more than the actual dungeon itself! Add that in with mostly gray walls, gray floor, gray ceiling...etc...etc...and I just had to ask myself if From Software actually thought that if they added a little more color and imagination to the environments, would it have killed them? For the lack of design, I can't say that I was too pleased with what I saw, though it was still decent for 1994 and some areas TRY to look a little appealing. The game also moves along very smoothly with little slowdown. However, with some small changes in the environmental architecture and design, it could have been so much more than what it was. The music isn't as captivating as the later installments to the series, though FS did well to make sure that the sound effects are still scary as hell! You will hear the screams of demons and the haunting sounds of ghosts...even when it seems as if you are all alone. Don't you DARE play this game in the dark!

Despite the simplistic story direction, redundant area design, and average musical score, KF was a smash success in Japan due to its slow pace, first-person action, and its huge and mysterious world. As stated before, NPCs don't give out too much information and FS did that intentionally. That can be considered good or bad (it depends on the theme of the game and other various factors) and for that reason, KF is a series that most people either love or hate. While the 3D world was still large for its time (if you cared to explore all of it), it isn't nearly as large as the other titles in the series. The game has you go down five floors to finish the game...that's right. FIVE. The game also limits its own potential by keeping you indoors whereas later games let you run around a REAL 3D world. The game isn't ruined because the game takes place indoors, but being able to roam around in a more realistic world would have provided a greater sense of freedom.

You will gather various weapons and armor, gain various spells, and find numerous artifacts in order to find out what lies at the bottom of the dungeon. Your hero moves at a respectable pace, but he turns SO slowly. Thankfully, you can strafe and change your view with the L and R buttons. Some people would think that the hit detection is bad for an action RPG that utilizes a first-person POV (point of view). KF manages to avoid that hurdle, but you must time your strike effectively and run in with an attack rather than attack once you are standing in an enemy's face. The game also uses a class system (that isn't in King's Field II or III) that has a few small uses, but the class system is also very basic and rudimentary. You change classes once certain stats are met. For instance, while it may not be entirely correct (just an example), I was a high soldier (from a regular soldier) at one point and I became a mage soldier once my magic stat hit 40. At that point, my strength was 45 while my magic was 40. You will need to become a certain class if you wish to use the legendary Moonlight Sword.

There are numerous traps scattered about and there is a lot of backtracking to previous areas. You can gain level ups like traditional RPGs with enough experience as well as grow stronger after using enough melee attacks and magic to increase strength and magic stats respectively. The game is challenging and you will start the game with hardly any items at all, not to mention that the control setup may take some getting used to. The replayability is nonexistant since you just conquer the five floors and that's it. The game is great for those looking to explore a huge world, but I don't feel that the game captures the feeling of putting you in another world like King's Field II and III (King's Field I and II in the U.S.). A fair game for its time, but I can see why it wouldn't have a stateside release. Thankfully, we received the better King's Field games instead.

- Written by Vyse the determined -