After playing through the Dark Souls series I'm interested in the King's Field series.
Is it worth getting into? Which game should I start with?
start with the first one that was released in the west, which is just called kings field.
in japan that's actually kings field 2. yay confusion.
you better emulate it
playing it on an actual ps1 is suffering due to extreme slowdowns
>>337059007
Thanks for the info. Is there a game that's the best in the series?
>>337059648
kings field 4 (the ancient city)
i'd still recommend you to play the first though, if only to see what a unique experience of a game it is
>>337059648
Different guy, but King's Field (JP) is my personal favorite. That said, I think King's Field: The Ancient City is referred to as the best
>>337058102
Yeah, they're all worth playing.
You should look into Shadow Tower as well.
>>337058102
It's a mess of good ideas that weren't fleshed out until the Souls team came along. It's worth it as a time capsule but I wouldn't try to tackle the games with serious earnestness.
>>337058102
These games are a huge fucking mess.
They are the definition of a diamond in the rough, they're the kind of games that are just so ahead of their time that it actually hurts the over all experience because they had no idea on how to implement anything decently.
That being said play 1 and 2 they're very interesting.
Don't get the original discs though they run at like 12fps
>>337059007
this
Good game. Brutal and will constantly slap your shit. It's really fun to have that "beginning of the game" feel for like the whole game. It's also fun to find rare stuff and explore and reach places/secrets with cool weapons/shit.
It's still pretty rough around the edges though. For example the game literally doesn't explain shit to you in terms of mechanics. For example it took me a while to figure out how to save. And there's a lot of weird shit and questionable design.
Thanks for all the info guys. I don't use my PS1 emulator often (I use ePSXe) will the framerate problem solve itself or do I have to change something in the settings?
>>337061391
Just started up King's Field 1 and died out of nowhere within 30 seconds.
I'm going to have a hell of a time with this game.
>>337058102
I started with the first one released in Japan. It was alright, but that one in particular you have to use a guide. 2 onward it's not as big of a deal.
King's field 3 (JP)/2 (West) is my personal favorite, although all 3 released in the west are amazing. King's Field (JP) isn't as good but is still worth a play if you enjoy the others. You should also check out Eternal Ring on the PS2, it's gameplay is similar.
Also, Passage of Death is like Sen's Fortress on steroids, with added bullshit instakills. Have fun.
Why would you? Miyazaki didn't make it.
>>337058102
>Is it worth getting into?
No. You could trudge through these abysmal, quicksand paced games and pretend that it was worth it for some kind of "souls clout"
or you could play a fun game from ps1 era instead, something like castlevania symphony of the night
There are certain games that don't have any value to go back and play. And, surprise: King's field wasn't good when it came out.
>>337059835
KF4 is one of the most atmospheric games I have ever played. No other game has ever been able to emulate that brooding, oppressive feeling you get when just exploring like TAC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXkr9ECZPlM
You shouldn't play it just because it's made by the Dark Souls people or whatever. You should play it if you like early 3d aesthetics and ambient midi-like music
>>337062383
>brooding, oppressive feeling
Yep that's King's Field for me
Amazing games, Shadow Tower as well. Shadow Tower Abyss has an english patch and is easily emulated. Kings Field 4 is the best one.
King's Field 4 is a blast. It's very slow, but atmospheric.
>>337062383
This is one of the most ominous tunes I've ever heard, yet it's sucking you in, beckoning you to claw deeper. This is what Dark Souls should've been; a modern rendition of King's Field with the Dark Souls story.
What do you guys think of Shadow tower abyss?
I can't bealive they don't use the right analog for camera, instead it's for atack.
Also the title abyss, is appropriate since you can't see shit.
>>337058102
I remember trying to play the first game (the real first one) once. The fact that you can run into enemies made of rape very quickly didn't bother me, it was the godawful fucking turning speed.
>>337058102
I'd absolutely recommend them, they're all fantastic dungeon crawlers. Shadow Tower and King's Field 4 are still Fromsoft's finest work. I'd recommend starting with the first King's Field (JP). There's a translated iso that shouldn't be too hard to find.
I wanted to like King's Field, I really did. But after playing Demon's and Dark Souls for so long, then going back, I just cannot. It's slow as fucking shit, painfully slow, and the lore is even more obtuse than a Souls game. It's like Elder Scrolls at 25% speed and only two different attacks for a weapon. That walking speed is just obnoxious.
Great audio and graphics for its time, but holy shit.
>>337063958
I think the Soulsborne are fantastic games, very different from King's Field, but with enough of the same themes/tone to draw me in. I remember being super hyped for Demon's Souls after hearing it was a spiritual sequel to KF and loved the shit out of it back when it first came out because it was something fresh.
KF and Souls games are both great in their own right, but Souls are a lot more accessable. KF is more of an aquired taste.
Shadow Tower is awful.
>>337063958
>with Dark Souls story
Please no. Why would you want to ruin something good?
>>337058102
Play Shadow Tower Abyss
>>337064451
You're awful. Shadow Tower is exactly what a dungeon crawler should be.
Man, if King's Field was slightly faster it'd be one of the best atmospheric dungeon crawlers ever. I can put up with the slowness, but man...
>>337064461
>>337064332
Let me reiterate, the Demon's Soul story would've been a good entry point. DeS and DaS are both good examples of how archaic story can be good in modern games, but that gameplay hits me in the wrong spot. It's not hard or difficult, it just requires trial and error, which is fine, but not punishing like people make it out to be. The two series would fuse together really well with the interesting themes of the latter and the actual imposing nature/gameplay of the former.
>>337064168
From Soft didn't learn how to analog stick until AC Nexus. Which came out a year after STA
King's Field is exactly the right speed for the kind of game it is. If the movement or turn speed were any faster the enemies would be nonthreatening and the game would become trivial. ADHD Soulsbabies please stick to your own threads.
All of From's early endeavors proved they were functionally retarded when it came to dual analog stick usage. That much was evident in Armored Core early on.
King's Field and Shadow Tower are a lot like HeXen to me. They can be very obtuse games (speed in KF and ST and all the puzzles in HeXen) but despite (or maybe because of) that I've never had quite as good a feeling as I have going through those games. It makes me a little sad that some people will never know the joy of slowly circle-strafing around a skeleton that can one shot you or rubbing your face along a wall for hours until the game gives you the message "1 thousandth of the puzzle has been solved"
Shadow Tower Abyss is the best of all the first person From dungeon crawlers. In general I don't recommend playing any of them with a serious intent to finish them, most of them are pure artificial difficulty and trial and error to the extreme. The very first King's Field which never came to the west is literally just Invisible Pitfall Traps: The Game. Random floor tiles will just open up and you instantly die, and there is no way whatsoever to know where they are or avoid them, you legit just have to memorize where they are after reloading every single time you fall into one.
>>337064804
I mean, the enemies could be set to turn faster as well. Hell, just having a speed toggle like the Elder Scrolls games of the era would have gone a long way.
>>337064804
I haven't even played Dark Souls and I think that the turning speed is atrocious. There's no real excuse to turn that slowly.
Back when they came out, Western gamers and magazines treated the King's Field series like budget trash
>>337065004
They learned their lesson in later games and got rid of most of the random instakill bullshit.
However KF3 has an area where you go through a trap filled dungeon, and to progress you have to find hidden doors. However also hidden in the walls are spike traps that do so much damage they one shots you unless you're really overleveled, basically turning it into trial and error bullshit.
>>337065004
>your life depends on random drops
Yeah great game, dude.
>>337065259
It forces you to take your time and proceed with caution, especially when facing multiple enemies. It's there for a reason, and it's really not that slow. If you had any patience at all it wouldn't even be something to dwell on.
>>337063958
thats what Demon's Souls was. The spiritual successor to King's Field. And it felt like it. little explanation of how things worked, (not that the mechanics werent easy to get a grasp of, theres a tutorial) and little lore. Most everything is told in the environment and enemies.
I think that Dark Souls got too full of itself with the lore and world design. this is especially apparent with Dark Souls 3- there's way TOO much emphasis on item description and lore. For all the Souls games gimmick being show dont tell, as the series has gone on, it does more and more telling, through item descriptions. DeS is still the best in the show dont tell category. item descriptions dont really tell you lore. its literally all up to you to interpret. the plot is also simple. So it doesnt NEED more descriptions.
the music too. I like DeS and KF's more synthy 'fake" music as opposed to DaS1-3's more "big" and 'epic" orchestra sounding music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQw1rPMn95E
>>337065349
If you run you can get out of the way of the trap
>>337065004
>The very first King's Field which never came to the west is literally just Invisible Pitfall Traps: The Game. Random floor tiles will just open up and you instantly die
That never happens. Stop pretending you've played games that you haven't.
>>337065668
Not in the Passage of Death, they react instantly. All the other wall spike traps in the series are easy to avoid by running.
>>337065703
Not the same anon, but there are a literal shitton of pits in KF1. Not as many traps shooting out of walls, but fuckloads of pits. Don't be an idiot.
>>337065570
I play RPGs. I play 80s RPGs. I've been playing text heavy games in Japanese since I could barely read it. Patience is not an issue.
A game doesn't need to force you to be cautious. If you run around like a moron and die, then that should teach you to be cautious, I don't need a game holding my hand saying "Slow down!". Besides, it's not the walking/running speed that bothers me, it's the turning speed. You can't even say that that's to make you more cautious. Yes, if something sneaks up behind me, it should have a major advantage, being killed because of it is fine, but being killed because I turn at the speed of an 80 year old with a bad back is pure bullshit.
I'm just basing my complaints off the first game, I don't know if they got better about that as they went along.
>>337066025
If I recall, all the pits are visible if you look down
>>337066025
Every pit in KF1 is visible. If you fall into one it's because you walked up to it and decided to jump in. There isn't a single pitfall trap in the entire game. Stop lying on the internet.
>>337065882
Ah, yeah, now I remember having trouble in that area
>>337066234
Definately are and you can hover over small fries eventually except for spikes or poisons iirc. It's like From had 0 imagination when it came to traps in KF1. Wat do? Pit obviously. What to innovate on it? Add spikes or poison.
>>337065640
Which is why I was primarily fine with and liked DeS, along with DaS to some extent as well. They managed to make the story secondary to the world and atmosphere itself. The rest of the games really tried to push for "lel obtuse, archaic story" without ever capturing it, because they defined everything far too much at that point. The games should've stayed faintly connected like KF.
Is Eternal Ring any good? It looks similar to King's Field
>>337066635
Yeah, it's more focused on spells than swords and the ring crafting system is really cool.
Let's go:
http://www.strawpoll.me/10172949
>>337066487
There are also swinging maces, swinging blades, arrow traps and multiple types of faces that shoot either windcutters or fireballs. There's actually way more variety in traps than they needed to have, considering they were just going for a classic medieval dungeon crawl.
>>337062383
Some more atmospheric KF4 tunes if anyone was still debating whether or not to play this game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjdsoIgohng
>>337066635
It's pretty good but also short. It seems pretty obvious that it was rushed so it would be out at the launch of the PS2
I would love a new King's Field/Shadow Tower esque game from From. They haven't touched those games in a while, and I feel they'd be able to do them more justice than ever.
>>337067859
>Widda Queen
What a nightmare. I don't think I've ever burned through so many consumables that fast before.
I remember hearing about these games years ago, but I never got around to trying them. I've been in a dungeon crawling mood though, so I may as well give them a shot. I know video games localizations back in the 90s usually left something to be desired. How are the localizations for these games? I can read Japanese so if they're too terrible I can just play the Japanese versions, though since the setting seems so western I'll just play them in English if the translations are fine.
>>337068467
The original games were never particularly word heavy even in Japanese. The translations are perfectly fine.
>>337068774
Yeah they didn't seem like word heavy games. Just wanted to check.
>>337068467
They're not too badexcept for this guy. There isn't too much text in any of the games, so there's not many opportunities for things to go wrong.
>>337068962
I thought he was just supposed to be a crazy guy, wasn't he claiming to be a prince or something?
>>337064461
Do you genuinely think that Dark Soul's story is bad or are you just being a contrarian?
>>337062383
wanna know a neat little tidbit?
Dark Souls 2 is a semi-prequel to King's Field 4.
>>337068962
>tfw no qt to spill you out like oj
>>337068962
>>337069109
Yeah I thought this guy was just supposed to be losing his mind.
>>337069148
I remember noticing some references to KF3 and KF4 in DaS 2, but I can't remember any specific examples. My guess is people who worked on those KF games also worked on DaS 2
>>337069369
Nashandra is clearly the "Dark One" in King's FIeld 4, the Idol that Stares into the Darkness is clearly her visage.
the Giant Golems are the same, and alot of little names are thrown in, the entire game is about the Abyss finally destroying the world.
>>337069479
ever wonder why Nashy had such a strange design?
>>337069593
KF4's final boss looks like her but heavily mutated as well.
>>337069695
I'm not quite seeing it.
>>337069479
There's also some references to Eternal Ring. Heide's Tower of Flame is reminiscent of the Place of Ritual, and the poison butterfly enemies in huntsman's copse are literally copy pasted from Eternal Ring.
>>337069479
Can you elaborate a little further on the similarities?
>>337072086
Not that anon, but I have a few screenshots that show some similarities.
I've always liked KF2 over 3.
4 was okay. I tried 1 but I just couldn't get into it.
>>337072278
Is it possible to emulate these games on PSP? I can not for the life of me figure out how to get them to work.
>>337072278
neat
