History VideoGame / KingsQuestMaskOfEternity

* CanonDiscontinuity: The game has not shown up on any of the compilation [=CDs=] of the series and has only since been re-released on Good Old Games. Not entirely true when the game first came out in 1998, it was part of the "King's Quest MASK/Collection Bundle (1998)" (which included all eight games at a discounted price, http://web.archive.org/web/19981206023926/http://sierra.com/). Most of the compilations were released before KQ8 was released (they include previews of KQ8). There was also a long period where the game was entirely incompatible with newer versions of Windows (it took the fan community to actually make a patch to work in Vista/7/8). The only compilation that came out after KQ8 or the MASK/COllection Bundle, was the 2006 release (also found on Steam). This is not saying much as the 2006 compilation (the only other recent compilation to be released after KQ8) was a buggy mess (and was missing the original King's Quest 1, and out of the box working version of KQ6 for windows, and missing or corrupt files on many of the games, and a outdated version of Dosbox, outdated windows-only version of King's Quest 7 (incompatible with 64-bit windows versions)). GOG's bundles are the first compilation to include the fan created patch, allowing the game to be sold again.

* CanonDiscontinuity: The game has not shown up on any of the compilation [=CDs=] of the series and has only since been re-released on Good Old Games. Not entirely true when the game first came out in 1998, it was part of the "King's Quest MASK/Collection Bundle (1998)" (which included all eight games at a discounted price, http://web.archive.org/web/19981206023926/http://sierra.com/). Most of the compilations were released before KQ8 was released (they include previews of KQ8). There was also a long period where the game was entirely incompatible with newer versions of Windows (it took the fan community to actually make a patch to work in Vista/7/8). The only compilation that came out after KQ8 or the MASK/COllection Bundle, was the 2006 release (also found on Steam). This is not saying much as the 2006 compilation (the only other recent compilation to be released after KQ8) was a buggy mess (and was missing the original King's Quest 1, and out of the box working version of KQ6 for windows, and missing or corrupt files on many of the games, and a outdated version of Dosbox). GOG's bundles are the first compilation to include the fan created patch, allowing the game to be sold again.

* CanonDiscontinuity: The game has not shown up on any of the compilation [=CDs=] of the series and has only since been re-released on Good Old Games. Not entirely true when the game first came out in 1998, it was part of the "King's Quest MASK/Collection Bundle (1998)" (which included all eight games at a discounted price, http://web.archive.org/web/19981206023926/http://sierra.com/). Most of the compilations were released before KQ8 was released (and include previews of KQ8). There was also a long period where the game was entirely incompatible with newer versions of Windows (it took the fan community to actually make a patch to work in Vista/7/8). The only compilation that came out after KQ8 or the MASK/COllection Bundle, was the 2006 release (also found on Steam). This is not saying much as the 2006 compilation (the only other recent compilation to be released after KQ8) was a buggy mess (and was missing the original King's Quest 1, and out of the box working version of KQ6 for windows, and missing or corrupt files on many of the games, and a outdated version of Dosbox).

* CanonDiscontinuity: The widely-derided game has never shown up on any of the compilation [=CDs=] of the series and has only since been re-released on Good Old Games.

This is the first game where you play as someone other than a member of the Daventry royal family. You are Conner, a young tanner and lesser rustic knight, who has a date with destiny. A piece of a mystical artifact called the Mask of Eternity falls at Connor's feet; at the same time, the entire kingdom of Daventry is turned to stone. To save the country, Connor must find all the pieces of the broken Mask and restore them to the Realm of Sun, all while slicing his way through enemies.

* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The game has a limit of one short-range weapon ([=dagger/axe/sword=]) and one long-range weapon ([=bow/crossbow=]). When you pick up the new weapon you drop the old one. Leave and come back, and the old weapon is still there, in an aversion of EverythingFades. However, there isn't really any functional difference between the different short- and long-range weapons except for their strength - except the warhammer, which takes an annoyingly long time to swing.

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' (also known as King's Quest 8: Mask of Eternity, or simply [=KQ8=]) is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and while it included about the same number of puzzles as previous games, they were overshadowed by more hack-and-slash Diablo-like RPG elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, the crash of the adventure game industry killed the series (along with several other Sierra [=IPs=]), there was an attempt to make a King's Quest 9 (in the early 2000s as a Zelda-like action game, but it didn't go very far). Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, had been one of those who had come up with the idea to add action elements to the game (though in hindsight, some years later, she is not sure it was the right decision).

* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: It takes forever to load each area, with multiple loading screens each time you load up the game.

* MinusWorld: If you manage to traverse beyond the boundaries of the map.

* OurOrcsAreDifferent: The ice orcs.

* SwampsAreEvil: Although the swamp simply known as "The Swamp" was supposedly a rather nice place before the Swamp Witch took over.
* TakenForGranite: The entire kingdom (well, there is a half-petrified wizard).

* WhenTreesAttack: The mandragor trees. They're immobile, but if you come too close, they'll attack you with their roots. And they laugh off ranged weapons; the laughter is horrific.

* ContestedSequel: Go to a Creator/{{Sierra}} fan board and ask if it's a ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' game. Then ask them if it's a ''good'' game. [[FlameWar Make sure to bring chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for the inevitable cookout.]]

* FanonDiscontinuity: This game is largely ignored and/or derided by the fanbase as InNameOnly, due to its drastic change in tone, reliance on violence in a series that usually rewarded you for thinking your way out of the situation, and protagonist that wasn't a member of the Daventry Royal Family.

* GoodBadBugs: Scaling a wall with the rope and hook in the Underground Realm of the Gnomes could result in Connor ending up on the other side of the walls bordering the level. Weirdly, it wasn't just an empty wasteland - there were rocks lying around that could be picked up and zombies to fight.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: This game (which did eventually get on [=GoG=]) wasn't in the {{Compilation Rerelease}}s of ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'', perhaps owing to the game's [[FanonDiscontinuity dubious standing]] among the series fans, making it a case of CanonDiscontinuity.

* MemeticMutation: 'Tis beyond my reach! (Get lost, narrator. We're ''still'' debating if this is a [[ContestedSequel King's Quest]] game or not.)

* MostAnnoyingSound: "'Tis beyond my reach!" was an infuriatingly oft heard line.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Many ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' fans feel that ''Mask of Eternity'' was an unsatisfactory conclusion to the series, both because of its radical ''GenreShift'' and the fact that it had little to nothing to do with the rest of the series. The end product turned out to be radically different from original designs. The main character would have been a statue that had come to life rather than a village tanner, some characters (such as the swamp witch) had much larger or entirely different roles, and the game world was a lot lighter and cheerier, matching the rest of the series more than the darker final product. And one can only imagine what could have happened if the game had stayed as a lighthearted point and click adventure like the rest of the series rather than the DarkerAndEdgier hack and slash RPG it ended up as.

* AIBreaker: If you shoot at the [[DemBones skeleton archers]] from far enough away, they will never shoot back (although they ''will'' shout insults at you!).

* DungeonBypass: It is possible to take a shortcut through the Dimension of Death and avoid the hassle involving the bridge.

* InvisibleMonster: One of these attacks you in the Frozen Reaches. It serves as a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere as well.

* MutuallyExclusivePowerups

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' (also known as King's Quest 8: Mask of Eternity, or simply KQ8) is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and while it included about the same number of puzzles as previous games, they were overshadowed by more hack-and-slash Diablo-like RPG elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, the crash of the adventure game industry killed the series (along with several other Sierra IPs), there was an attempt to make a King's Quest 9 (in the early 2000s as a Zelda-like action game, but it didn't go very far). Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, had been one of those who had come up with the idea to add action elements to the game (though in hindsight, some years later, she is not sure it was the right decision).

* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: Suddenly, and previously rarely used in the series, with no reason given. Technically, Alexander uses a touch of it in KQ6 (seen most often in his "oaths/explicitives"), although it was far less stressed. There was a bit of it in KQ3 from Rosella as well (she calls her mother "Mum"). See also certain characters in KQ1, especially the remake. Compare to Graham and Rosella in Sierra's Hoyle I: Book of Card Games.

* ICantUseTheseThingsTogether: "This will not work."* InvisibleMonster: One of these attacks you in the Frozen Reaches. It serves as a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere as well.

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' (also known as King's Quest 8: Mask of Eternity, or simply KQ8) is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and while it included about the same number of puzzles as previosu game, they were overshadowed by more hack-and-slash Diablo-like RPG elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, the crash of the adventure game industry killed the series (along with several other Sierra IPs), there was an attempt to make a King's Quest 9 (in the early 2000s as a Zelda-like action game, but it didn't go very far). Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, had been one of those who had come up with the idea to add action elements to the game (though in hindsight, some years later, she is not sure it was the right decision).

* NostalgiaLevel: Castle Daventry. It's less colorful than last time around, though.

This is the first game where you play as someone other than a member of the Daventry royal family. You are Conner, a young tanner and lesser knight, who has a date with destiny. A piece of a mystical artifact called the Mask of Eternity falls at Connor's feet; at the same time, the entire kingdom of Daventry is turned to stone. To save the country, Connor must find all the pieces of the broken Mask and restore them to the Realm of Sun, all while slicing his way through enemies.

* ICantUseTheseThingsTogether: "This will not work."
* InNameOnly: It has virtually nothing to do with the other titles. Not entirely true, the basic plotline is inspired by elements of KQ1, KQ5, and KQ6. Connor is a rustic knight on a quest to save his king, much like the plot of first game. The world exploration and 'random' monsters has more influence from the first and 2nd games (which took place in very large maps, with lots of empty, unused space). The main plot to defeat the BigBad and and restore the CosmicKeystone is framed around the plot to save Daventry and King Graham and his family. The town of Daventry visited in the game is a location mentioned in previous material (mainly manuals and books) but never yet shown in the games. Graham and Valanice are shown in the game with artwork taken from KQ6 (although modified). According to WordOfGod, Roberta had said that the linear nature of the story and way Connor visits the worlds was inspired by the format used in the fifth game. The combat although not common in previous games, was inspired by the random enemies Graham encountered in the first two games (but was too "weak" to fight), and the swashbuckling sequence at the end of the sixth game. The game like previous games in the series has the character encountering creatures of myth and fairytale (mostly myth). Connor's starting outfit is essentially a ripoff of Graham's "rustic knight/Ranger" wardrobe minus the hat (see also Alexander's wardrobe in the fifth game, infact Connor and Alexander look like they could be SeparatedatBirth, as they appear very similar). Like previous games, Daventry is not the main focus, rather most of the game takes place in new lands (each with their own theme), closer to later games, especially the seventh game in that respect. Interestingly enough Connor and Graham are both referred to as "Sir Knight" in first game's remake and in the eighth game respectively. Connor and Alexander of the sixth game have a tendancy to make many of the same 'oaths', including Zounds.
* InvisibleMonster: One of these attacks you in the Frozen Reaches. It serves as a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere as well.

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' (also known as King's Quest 8: Mask of Eternity, or simply KQ8) is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and while it included about the same number of puzzles as previosu game, they were overshadowed by more hack-and-slash Diablo-like RPG elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, the crash of the adventure game industry killed the series (along with several other Sierra IPs). Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, had been one of those who had come up with the idea to add action elements to the game (though in hindsight, some years later, she is not sure it was the right decision).

* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: Suddenly, for the first time in the series, with no reason given.
* FreeSamplePlotCoupon: The entire reason why Connor is the hero is because he picked up a piece of the Mask (one out of five) before the spell that turned everyone else to stone could hit. Everyone acts as though he's the destined hero, but if that's true then Destiny must've aimed that mask piece directly at him.

* InNameOnly: It has virtually nothing to do with the other titles. Not entirely true, the basic plotline is inspired by elements of KQ1, KQ5, and KQ6. Connor is a rustic knight on a quest to save his king, much like the plot of first game. The world exploration and 'random' monsters has more influence from the first and 2nd games (which took place in very large maps, with lots of empty, unused space). The main plot to defeat the BigBad and and restore the CosmicKeystone is framed around the plot to save Daventry and King Graham and his family. The town of Daventry visited in the game is a location mentioned in previous material (mainly manuals and books) but never yet shown in the games. Graham and Valanice are shown in the game with artwork taken from KQ6 (although modified). According to [[WordOfGod]], Roberta had said that the linear nature of the story and way Connor visits the worlds was inspired by the format used in the fifth game. The combat although not common in previous games, was inspired by the random enemies Graham encountered in the first two games (but was too "weak" to fight), and the swashbuckling sequence at the end of the sixth game. The game like previous games in the series has the character encountering creatures of myth and fairytale (mostly myth). Connor's starting outfit is essentially a ripoff of Graham's "rustic knight/Ranger" wardrobe minus the hat (see also Alexander's wardrobe in the fifth game, infact Connor and Alexander look like they could be SeparatedatBirth, as they appear very similar). Like previous games, Daventry is not the main focus, rather most of the game takes place in new lands (each with their own theme), closer to later games, especially the seventh game in that respect. Interestingly enough Connor and Graham are both referred to as "Sir Knight" in first game's remake and in the eighth game respectively. Connor and Alexander of the sixth game have a tendancy to make many of the same 'oaths', including Zounds.

* InNameOnly: It has virtually nothing to do with the other titles.

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and included fewer puzzles and more hack-and-slash action elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, it effectively killed the franchise-- although to be fair, the crash of the adventure game industry might have had something to do with that, as well. Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, was dissatisfied with the hack-and-slash elements, feeling they had been forced into the game; she left {{Sierra}} shortly after the completion of development.

This is the first game where you play as someone other than a member of the Daventry royal family. You are Conner, a young tanner who has a date with destiny. A piece of a mystical artifact called the Mask of Eternity falls at Connor's feet; at the same time, the entire kingdom of Daventry is turned to stone. To save the country, Connor must find all the pieces of the broken Mask and restore them to the Realm of Sun, all while slicing his way through enemies.

* ActionizedSequel: The game featured a lot of action elements, and definitely [[GenreShift leaned towards]] the ActionAdventure subgenre. This design decision was [[FanonDiscontinuity loathed by the fans]].

* WhenTreesAttack: The mandragor trees. They're immobile, but if you come too close, they'll attack you with their roots. And they laugh off ranged weapons; the laughter is HighOctaneNightmareFuel.

[[caption-width-right:320:[[SarcasmMode Because savage battles are what]] ''KingsQuest'' [[SarcasmMode is all about.]]]]

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''KingsQuest'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and included fewer puzzles and more hack-and-slash action elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, it effectively killed the franchise-- although to be fair, the crash of the adventure game industry might have had something to do with that, as well. Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, was dissatisfied with the hack-and-slash elements, feeling they had been forced into the game; she left {{Sierra}} shortly after the completion of development.

* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: suddenly, for the first time in the series, with no reason given.

[[caption-width-right:320:[[SarcasmMode Because savage battles are what]] ''[[KingsQuest King's Quest]]'' [[SarcasmMode is all about.]]]]

''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' is the eighth and so far last official game in the ''[[KingsQuest King's Quest]]'' series. It was a notable departure from the previous AdventureGame format, and included fewer puzzles and more hack-and-slash action elements. It was also the franchise's first attempt at a 3D game. While it was moderately well-received in its time, it effectively killed the franchise-- although to be fair, the crash of the adventure game industry might have had something to do with that, as well. Roberta Williams, creator and chief designer of the ''King's Quest'' series, was dissatisfied with the hack-and-slash elements, feeling they had been forced into the game; she left {{Sierra}} shortly after the completion of development.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Roberta Williams, the game designer, said that the hack-and-slash elements were pushed on the game, to make it more in keeping with popular games of the time.
* FanonDisContinuity: The fandom does not especially like this game.

* FranchiseKiller: The details are still hotly debated. The old fans ''hated'' the required action, which stood in such contrast to the series' previous position on violence. However, it supposedly sold much better than true adventure games of the same time period.
* [[HeyItsThatVoice Hey It's That Voice]] The Gryph King and the Gnomic Terramancer are [[SamandMax Sam]] and [[SamandMax Max]], respectively.
** Connor is the big bad of FinalFantasy13. You will now never be able to play that game without hearing "'Tis beyond my reach!"

* MrExposition: the half-petrified wizard in Daventry.

* NoYou: Connor's standard reply to death threats is "Not I, YOU!". He does not excel at [[YouFightLikeACow combat banter]].

* PolygonCeiling: The series' first and so far only 3D outing went... badly.

* WhatMightHaveBeen: Some areas were cut for time constraints. The Swamp Witch was supposed to play a larger role, first appearing as a beautiful woman and trying to seduce Connor, instead of immediately attacking in her real, hideous form. A redcap goblin was scrapped that would have stalked Connor around and Connor himself was at one stage a statue who came to life while everyone else was petrified.

* AnimatedArmor: The Henchmen
* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: Whole packs of yeti's will attack you in the Frozen Reaches. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the manual]] they're actually "snow demons".

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: There are four kinds of demons: rock demons, pyro demons, [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti snow demons]] and shadow demons.

* PolygonCeiling: The series' first and so far only 3D outing went...badly.