King's Field

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King's Field
Original title キ ン グ ス フ ィ ー ル ド
developer From software
Publisher From Software
ASCII Entertainment
First title King's Field (1994)
Last title King's Field: Additional 2 (2006)
Platform (s) PlayStation , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , PlayStation Vita , Windows , mobile phones
Genre (s) Computer role playing game

King's Field ( キ ン グ ス フ ィ ー ル ド ) is a computer role-playing game series by the Japanese development studio From Software , which was mainly developed between 1994 and 2001 for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 game consoles and which , in addition to its dark game atmosphere, was best known for its high level of challenge. Additional offshoots for mobile devices were created exclusively for the Japanese market between 2004 and 2006, and the old titles were later ported to new platforms. The series is considered the spiritual predecessor of the games Demon's Souls and Dark Souls by the same developer.

King's Field

Meta-ratings
title GameRankings Metacritic
King's Field II 82.20% k. A.
King's Field III 82.00% k. A.
King's Field IV 56.65% 60/100

The first title in the series was released on December 16, 1994, two weeks after the PlayStation was released. In it, the player character Jean Alfred Forester goes on a search for his missing father Hauser Forester and learns background about the kingdom of Verdite, which in the past suffered badly from black magic. The title, which had only five levels, was the first role-playing game published on PlayStation. At the same time, it was one of the platform's technically leading products, as the entire game had already been created in textured 3D polygon graphics. However, the release of this game was still limited to Japan, and an English-language fan translation only became available later. The stylistic orientation towards the European Middle Ages was unusual for a Japanese title. In addition to the usual elements for role-playing games such as collecting gold and experience points to improve one's own player character, the combat system stood out, the basic principles of which were decisive for the direct successors and the titles Demon's Soul and Dark Souls, which they influenced . Since a short regeneration phase was necessary after each blow and each spell before the character could attack again, the player was encouraged to take deliberate attack actions in order to survive against the resistant opponents. Hectic pushing a button, which can often lead to success in comparable games, was not rewarded. The so-called Moonlight Sword also appeared in this game for the first time, which from then on was also included in the successors and the Souls titles.

King's Field II

The second part appeared for the first time in the USA and Europe, but only under the title King's Field without additional numbers . The player takes on the role of Prince Aleph, who is looking for the missing Moonlight sword on the island of Melanat. This title was also characterized by few game hints and the high degree of challenge of the fights. This made itself felt again through the slow attack speed and required studying the opposing battle rhythms in order to be able to counter it with pinpoint accuracy. Trial and error in the form of "dying in combat" and reloading was the principle of the game, but the reward was detailed exploration and gradual conquest of the game world, which is populated by only a few non-player characters in addition to opposing creatures . From Software also released the prequel King's Field 3: Pilot Style as a giveaway at the Tokyo Game Show in August 1996 .

King's Field III

In the third part, known as King's Field II in the USA , the player takes on the role of Prince Lyle, Jean Forester's son, who investigates the reasons for his father's sudden madness. Compared to its predecessor, more NPCs were built in, but the basic gameplay remained unchanged. In 2000, From Software released a tool set for Windows for creating your own dungeons in the style of King's Field , under the title Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tools . It also included a remake of the first King's Field . However, the program was reserved for the Japanese market. Part four of the series appeared five years later for the PlayStation 2 , after From Software had previously published the similarly structured title Eternal Ring , the design of which had an influence on King's Field .

King's Field IV

The fourth part no longer follows on from the story of the previous trilogy. Instead, the player takes on the role of Prince Devian of the Azalin Empire, who is supposed to bring a cursed artifact back to its ancestral place. In addition to the more advanced graphics, the numbers on the user interface (e.g. life points) have been replaced by an optical HUD and a stamina bar has been introduced, which decreases when the weapon is swung.

Offshoot

This was followed in 2004 and 2005 by three mobile phones named King's Field Mobile , King's Field Mobile 2 and King's Field EX . They were released under the company label From Capsule exclusively for the Japanese market. In 2006, two titles followed for the mobile game console PlayStation Portable , King's Field: Additional 1 and 2 , which in comparison no longer offered free movement through the dungeons, but in the style of Dungeon Master only allowed block-by-block movement and rotations at an angle of 90 °. The game was also reserved for the Japanese market. In 2007, From Software finally released the game collection King's Field Dark Side Box with King's Field 1-4 for PlayStation 2 , but the first three titles were in PSOne data carrier format, with which the PlayStation 2 was backward compatible.

Series overview

Main series
  • 1994: King's Field ( PlayStation , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , PlayStation Vita )
  • 1995: King's Field 2 (US titles: King's Field ; PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita)
  • 1996: King's Field 3 (US titles: King's Field 2 ; PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita)
    • 1996 King's Field 3: Pilot Style (PlayStation)
  • 2001: King's Field 4 (US title: King's Field: The Ancient City , PlayStation 2 )
Mobile games
  • 2004: King's Field Mobile (cell phone)
  • 2004: King's Field EX (mobile phone)
  • 2005: King's Field Mobile 2 (mobile phone)
  • 2006: King's Field: Additional 1 (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2006: King's Field: Additional 2 (PlayStation Portable)
more publishments
  • 2000: Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tools ( Windows )
  • 2007: King's Field Dark Side Box (PlayStation, PlayStation 2)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197725-kings-field/index.html
  2. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197726-kings-field-ii/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/431703-kings-field-the-ancient-city/index.html
  4. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/kings-field-the-ancient-city
  5. ↑ http://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/Allgemein/Special/35552/80358/0/Kings_Field_Oldie.html
  6. ↑ a b c http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/02/from-kings-field-to-bloodborne-the-lineage-of-dark-souls/
  7. ↑ a b http://www.eurogamer.de/articles/2014-06-23-erstkontakt-kings-field
  8. ↑ a b http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-13-retrospective-kings-field-article
  9. ↑ Product website
  10. ↑ Product website
  11. ↑ Product website