King's Field (series)
Encyclopedia
King's Field is a console role-playing game series developed by From Software
and localized into English by ASCII Entertainment (who later reformed into Agetec
). It is known for its brooding atmosphere and cryptic, labyrinthine dungeons. Titles in this series have been released for the PlayStation
, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
, Microsoft Windows
, and various mobile phone
platforms.
King's Field
was released for the PlayStation in Japan on December 16, 1994, 13 days after the PlayStation console itself went on sale. The game's fully 3D
, first person perspective
was groundbreaking among console role-playing games of the time and received significant critical acclaim.
The next two King's Field titles followed in quick succession: King's Field II
on July 21, 1995 and King's Field III
on June 21, 1996. King's Field IV
was released several years later for the PlayStation 2 on October 4, 2001. A so-called "spiritual successor" to the series, named Demon's Souls
, was released February 5, 2009 in Japan for the PlayStation 3.
, was released only in Japan
. While it was not officially localized
into English, a fan has written a full English translation patch
.
In King's Field, the player takes the role of Jean Alfred Forester. He is searching for his missing father, Hauser Forester, who disappeared along with his soldiers while exploring a dead king's underground graveyard
. Shorter than the others in the series, King's Field includes five floors. The main aspects of gameplay consist of first-person battles, puzzle solving, and exploration.
After the success of the first game, King's Field II
was also released in the United States
, under the name King's Field. In the sequel, the player takes the role of Alexander (アレフ lit. Aleph/Alef) the lone survivor of a shipwreck who at the behest of King Alfred tries to fulfill his duty to find and retrieve a mysterious sword from the dangerous island of Melanat.
In King's Field III
(released in the US as King's Field II), the player takes the role of Prince Lyle Austin Forester (son of King Alfred) as he struggles to uncover the reasons behind his father’s sudden descent into madness and to restore peace to the suffering kingdom of Verdite.
This time around, a large portion of the game takes place above ground, but the main aspects of gameplay remain unchanged: first-person battles, puzzle solving and exploration.
Overall gameplay remained very similar to the other King’s Field games and entails first-person battles, puzzle solving and exploration. This installment is the largest of the first three and contains various tweaks to the game's user interface
which streamline controls and gameplay.
(released as King's Field: The Ancient City in the US) was the first game from the series released on the Playstation 2 console. The entire game takes place within the Land of Disaster, where the forest folk once dwelled until an evil curse came upon the land. The player takes the role of Prince Devian of the Azalin Empire who has been given the task of returning the cause of the blight, the Idol of Sorrow, back to the cursed land. His journey follows the downfall of the Kingdom of Heladin and the failed attempt to return the idol by Septiego the Sword Master who led an expedition of over 1000 men in a failed effort to return the cursed Idol.
King's Field: Additional II, the sequel, also only found a Japanese release, and was never localized to English. It featured the ability to import the player's character from Kings Field: Additional I, including all equipment and statistics.
platform which was released in Japan. It lets the user construct free-standing King's Field games which may be played independently, without having Sword of Moonlight installed. It also contains a full remake of the first King’s Field game originally released on the Playstation. A fan made a full English translation available as a patch
.
, a map of Verdite, and other bonuses.
Critical reception for the series in general was extremely polarized in that people tended to either hate it or love it. Common criticisms include: slow moving player character, low number of game characters (NPCs), difficult gameplay, and muddy colors. Others often cite these very things as what they like about the series.
As opposed to other combat based RPGs, King's Field focuses more on exploration and a dark brooding ambiance. The slow character movement facilitates streaming data from the game disk which eliminates loading screens that plague most Playstation titles. Fans say the lack of loading screens aid in becoming absorbed into the artistry of the title by removing constant reminders that "it's just a game".
In all King's Field releases, except for the PlayStation Portable titles, battles are fought in real time
, and usually involve maneuvering to land blows using melee weapons as well as casting offensive ranged-magic spells.
Various iterations of the Moonlight Sword appear as game items in many other flagship From Software video game titles.
From Software
is a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.-Games:...
and localized into English by ASCII Entertainment (who later reformed into Agetec
Agetec
Agetec is a US based video game publishing company that is best known for bringing Japanese titles to the US, including their flagship series Armored Core, and the King's Field RPG series, as well as their "designer series" of RPG Maker and Fighter Maker...
). It is known for its brooding atmosphere and cryptic, labyrinthine dungeons. Titles in this series have been released for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, and various mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
platforms.
King's Field
King's Field
King's Field is the first game in the King's Field RPG series. Like all its successors, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
was released for the PlayStation in Japan on December 16, 1994, 13 days after the PlayStation console itself went on sale. The game's fully 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, first person perspective
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
was groundbreaking among console role-playing games of the time and received significant critical acclaim.
The next two King's Field titles followed in quick succession: King's Field II
King's Field II
King's Field II is the second game in the King's Field RPG series. Like both its successors and predecessor, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
on July 21, 1995 and King's Field III
King's Field III
King's Field III is the third game in the King's Field RPG series. Like both its successor and predecessors, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
on June 21, 1996. King's Field IV
King's Field IV
King's Field IV is the fourth game in the King's Field RPG series...
was released several years later for the PlayStation 2 on October 4, 2001. A so-called "spiritual successor" to the series, named Demon's Souls
Demon's Souls
is an action role-playing game video game developed primarily by From Software exclusively for the PlayStation 3. It was released in Japan on February 5, 2009 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment...
, was released February 5, 2009 in Japan for the PlayStation 3.
PlayStation
The first game in the series, King's FieldKing's Field
King's Field is the first game in the King's Field RPG series. Like all its successors, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
, was released only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. While it was not officially localized
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
into English, a fan has written a full English translation patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
.
In King's Field, the player takes the role of Jean Alfred Forester. He is searching for his missing father, Hauser Forester, who disappeared along with his soldiers while exploring a dead king's underground graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
. Shorter than the others in the series, King's Field includes five floors. The main aspects of gameplay consist of first-person battles, puzzle solving, and exploration.
After the success of the first game, King's Field II
King's Field II
King's Field II is the second game in the King's Field RPG series. Like both its successors and predecessor, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
was also released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, under the name King's Field. In the sequel, the player takes the role of Alexander (アレフ lit. Aleph/Alef) the lone survivor of a shipwreck who at the behest of King Alfred tries to fulfill his duty to find and retrieve a mysterious sword from the dangerous island of Melanat.
In King's Field III
King's Field III
King's Field III is the third game in the King's Field RPG series. Like both its successor and predecessors, the game is played through first person view in a dark and mysterious, medieval fantasy setting....
(released in the US as King's Field II), the player takes the role of Prince Lyle Austin Forester (son of King Alfred) as he struggles to uncover the reasons behind his father’s sudden descent into madness and to restore peace to the suffering kingdom of Verdite.
This time around, a large portion of the game takes place above ground, but the main aspects of gameplay remain unchanged: first-person battles, puzzle solving and exploration.
Overall gameplay remained very similar to the other King’s Field games and entails first-person battles, puzzle solving and exploration. This installment is the largest of the first three and contains various tweaks to the game's user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
which streamline controls and gameplay.
PlayStation 2
King's Field IVKing's Field IV
King's Field IV is the fourth game in the King's Field RPG series...
(released as King's Field: The Ancient City in the US) was the first game from the series released on the Playstation 2 console. The entire game takes place within the Land of Disaster, where the forest folk once dwelled until an evil curse came upon the land. The player takes the role of Prince Devian of the Azalin Empire who has been given the task of returning the cause of the blight, the Idol of Sorrow, back to the cursed land. His journey follows the downfall of the Kingdom of Heladin and the failed attempt to return the idol by Septiego the Sword Master who led an expedition of over 1000 men in a failed effort to return the cursed Idol.
PlayStation Portable
King's Field: Additional I is the first game of the series released on the Playstation Portable. It was only released in Japan and was never localized to English; however, the game came with a mini-instruction manual in both English and Chinese for grey import buyers. The "Additional" series uses a step-by-step style of gameplay, rather than free-roaming.King's Field: Additional II, the sequel, also only found a Japanese release, and was never localized to English. It featured the ability to import the player's character from Kings Field: Additional I, including all equipment and statistics.
Microsoft Windows
Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tool is a King's Field designing tool for the Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platform which was released in Japan. It lets the user construct free-standing King's Field games which may be played independently, without having Sword of Moonlight installed. It also contains a full remake of the first King’s Field game originally released on the Playstation. A fan made a full English translation available as a patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
.
Mobile phones
King's Field Mobile is a KF title released in Japan but was available for purchase and download to anyone with a compatible cellular phone platform. It was followed by two sequels: King's Field Mobile 2, and King's Field EX.Merchandise and other media
To commemorate their 20th anniversary, From Software released the special collection package called the King's Field Dark Side Box, which contained a reissue of the four King's Field games which had previously been released on the Playstation and Playstation 2, as well as an audio CDRed Book (audio CD standard)
Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
, a map of Verdite, and other bonuses.
Reception
Critical reception for the series in general was extremely polarized in that people tended to either hate it or love it. Common criticisms include: slow moving player character, low number of game characters (NPCs), difficult gameplay, and muddy colors. Others often cite these very things as what they like about the series.
As opposed to other combat based RPGs, King's Field focuses more on exploration and a dark brooding ambiance. The slow character movement facilitates streaming data from the game disk which eliminates loading screens that plague most Playstation titles. Fans say the lack of loading screens aid in becoming absorbed into the artistry of the title by removing constant reminders that "it's just a game".
Overview
While the first three installments continued a single story, the fourth (King's Field IV) begins a new story. All King's Field games share elements of game play and some common items. The Moonlight Sword has been a recurring element in every King's Field title as well as items such as the Earth Herb and Antidote.In all King's Field releases, except for the PlayStation Portable titles, battles are fought in real time
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
, and usually involve maneuvering to land blows using melee weapons as well as casting offensive ranged-magic spells.
Various iterations of the Moonlight Sword appear as game items in many other flagship From Software video game titles.