Hero of the Kingdom: The Lost Tales 1Options include Language, Profiles (off by default), Full-screen, and separate gauges for SFX, Music and Environment.
I really enjoyed the first two HotK games, as well as this one (skipped #3 because I didn't enjoy the demo for it.) You do not need to have played previous games to understand the story, as they are all standalones.
Although this is my third foray into the series, I still don't know what genre they fall in. Casual Adventure/RPG/Strategy? I'm at a loss!
Story:
You are a wanderer, and during your travels you come across a kindred soul: An orphan with nowhere else to go. Together you delve into the mysteries of a tainted city that is being terrorized by a fearsome dragon.
Gameplay:
The game is entirely point-n-click, and consists of buying, harvesting, fighting and completing quests to advance the storyline.
There is a handy-dandy insta-transport MAP available, but I usually walked, as new quests and items can pop up any time.
As you progress you will learn new skills, either as a reward for helping someone or by paying them to train you. You will pop around the territory a lot, as new skills means new things you can spot/do at locations. For example, you can find:
- Mushrooms
- Eggs
- Crayfish
- Crates
Finding these items are like a hidden object game within the game. These items will
NOT respawn.
Other skill-related changes you may find in areas include things like:
- Harvesting (flowers, hay, berries, roots)
- Fishing (fish and frogs)
- Hunting (a variety of animals, from rabbits to bears)
- Enemies
There is a little bit of respawning involved with these items (though never the enemies). For instance, fish and frogs may move back into the area after you've cleared it out, but it does take time.
A NOTE on
how all of this works: You simply have to have the required items in your inventory, then click on the action you want to take. There is no fast-clicking required and no possible way to die. If you have the the skills and weapons/tools you need, you will automatically succeed.
How much
strength it will take to complete each action is predetermined, and is like an inventory item.
Speaking of which, let's get to the interface! The button for your
MAP is in the top left corner,
Inventory and health in the bottom left, and a
menu of things you can eat in the bottom right. I almost always just slept to renew my strength, but if you want to increase your vigor fast, you can eat a lot all at once with the handy button that lets you select x1, x5 or x10 (that button is also available on buying and selling menus)! Nice!
There are some great gameplay
TIPS in this
GUIDE. I'd like to point out that taking advantage of the money-making tip will probably shorten your game-time, as figuring out how to pay for everything is a big part of the challenge.
NOTE to the DEVS: Please add a way to track our quests. I did a lot of needless backtracking because I couldn't remember what my quests were!
There are 26 in-game and
Steam Achievements, and of course I had to have them all. Unlike the first two games, it wasn't a pixel-hunt to find every last egg and crate, but you do need to find most of them.
Verdict:
This game is very much like HotK I and II. There are a few small improvements, but at the same time, there's nothing new and exciting. If you liked the first games, you're sure to have fun with this one too. If you've never played one of these games, don't worry! The interface is very user-friendly and easy-to-learn. I enjoyed it! Recommended!
