A Tale of Two Kingdoms
- January 10, 2009
- Crystal Shard
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"A Tale of Two Kingdoms" is a graphical adventure game set in the world of Celtic mythology and fairy tales. The kingdom of Theylinn is threatened by internal conflict and external enemies, and players must navigate political intrigue and perilous challenges to ensure its survival. With multiple sidequests and alternate endings, the game offers a rich and immersive experience in a world of magic and mystery.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features exceptional writing and voice acting, reminiscent of classic Sierra titles, providing a charming and immersive experience.
- The graphics are beautifully reworked, showcasing vibrant, detailed pixel art that captures the nostalgic feel of early 90s adventure games.
- A Tale of Two Kingdoms offers a dynamic world with multiple solutions to puzzles and various endings, enhancing replayability and player engagement.
- The game suffers from excessive backtracking and can be tedious, especially later on, which may detract from the overall enjoyment.
- There are many missable items and actions that can lead to dead ends, making it frustrating for players aiming for the best endings.
- The hint system is basic and outdated, often leaving players to wander aimlessly without clear guidance on what to do next.
- story55 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a classic fantasy narrative inspired by Celtic mythology, featuring a protagonist falsely accused of regicide who must navigate a dynamic world filled with optional side quests and multiple endings. While the writing and character development are generally well-received, some players noted frustrations with excessive backtracking and lengthy dialogues that can detract from replayability. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging plot and charming fairytale tone, reminiscent of classic Sierra adventure games.
“The story is solid and competently told, with charming characters and a wonderful fairytale tone.”
“No dead ends, multiple endings, optional side quests and scenes, vibrant characters, engrossing story with a steady pace, it's just really really damn good.”
“To summarize the story in one sentence: you play as Maeldun Whiteblade, a man who is falsely accused of murdering the king, and you need to prove your innocence whilst saving the kingdom from a goblin attack.”
“As a King's Quest and Quest for Glory fan, I wanted to like 'A Tale of Two Kingdoms' so badly, but I feel like it's only a shadow of those classics.”
“Despite the fact that he's been falsely accused of regicide, it doesn't seem to faze him - he's pretty relaxed throughout the game's story.”
“It's really easy to miss some side quests and cutscenes the first time you play the game, too.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics in this enhanced edition have been completely reworked, featuring stunning hand-painted backgrounds and classic 256-color pixel art reminiscent of early 90s adventure games. While the retro pixel style may not appeal to everyone, many users appreciate the beautiful character portraits and the overall nostalgic aesthetic. The combination of improved visuals and full voice acting adds to the game's charm, making it a visually engaging experience.
“This is an enhanced edition that completely reworked all the graphics, added full voice acting, and additional content like a playable intro scene where the original only had a text scroll.”
“The new graphics are gorgeous, classic 256 color pixel paintings just like you know from early 90s adventure games.”
“The gameplay is as classic as the graphics.”
“The retro style pixel graphics may not appeal to everyone, but I found the hand-painted backgrounds to be beautiful, and the character portraits were nicely done, with some of them looking quite stunning.”
“Graphics were somewhat improved.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and epic quality, enhancing immersion and complementing the medieval setting. However, some players find certain music puzzles frustrating, and there are suggestions that the soundtrack could be improved to elevate the overall experience. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, there is room for enhancement.
“The atmospheric and epic soundtrack truly enhances the gaming experience.”
“From the music, which sounded like it was composed centuries ago, to the beautifully detailed backgrounds of battlements and great dining halls, I felt fully immersed in the historical time and location.”
“While Heroine's Quest has more charming graphics and memorable music, so far this one has a more involving story.”
“Features my arch nemesis in point-and-click games, the dreaded music puzzle!”
“The music, which sounded like it was composed centuries ago, detracted from the overall experience.”
“The music puzzles were frustrating and felt out of place in the game.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its classic style and immersive experience, offering around $1 per hour of enjoyment, which many find worthwhile. It features a "hygge" approach, avoiding overly simplified mechanics, and includes multiple endings that enhance replay value. However, some players expressed dissatisfaction with the cutscene mechanics.
“If you play through, exploring well and trying to do everything, it probably comes out close to about $1/hr of gameplay, which I think is a pretty good deal considering how enjoyable I found the game.”
“Multiple endings that increase gameplay replay value.”
“All in all, a surprisingly stimulating gameplay and impressively authentic game design keep A Tale of Two Kingdoms a relevant and enjoyable game today.”
“The gameplay is as classic as the graphics.”
“There's none of that 'hover the mouse over anything and the game automatically tells you if it's an interactable or not, and what it is' nonsense -- another dumbed-down mechanic I hate.”
“The main thing I didn't like was the cutscene mechanic.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple solutions to situations, various endings, and optional side quests, which encourage players to explore different routes. While some frustrations like backtracking and missable items exist, they do not detract significantly from the overall experience. Players are advised to space out playthroughs to maintain freshness and enjoyment.
“This gives the game a lot of replayability for an adventure game, especially considering that many situations can be solved in different ways.”
“There are some frustrations like excessive backtracking and missable items, but the missable items and side quests help to contribute to the replayability, and there are no walking dead situations, so it's not a big issue.”
“There's some replay value in the different endings and optional side quests, but I would recommend spacing out additional playthroughs by at least a few months, so that it feels more enjoyable and fresh.”
“However, the game does offer different routes and endings (including Steam achievements), so it definitely has some replay value.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be long and tedious, particularly during multiple playthroughs where revisiting lengthy scenes and dialogues becomes a chore. While the presence of different endings and optional side quests adds some value, the repetitive nature of exploring all paths can detract from the overall experience.
“It's a grind: long, tedious, and often unpleasant work.”
“That being said, for reasons I'll mention later, it's tedious to go back and go through all those different paths if you wish to do so.”
“Without this option, it can be tedious to go back and play through all the various endings.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is subtle and refreshing, avoiding over-the-top meta-jokes while maintaining a serious tone in its writing. Some players found amusement in the crowd algorithm that animates NPCs, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
“There is some humor in the game, but overall the writing takes itself seriously and doesn't indulge in stupid meta-jokes, which is very refreshing.”
“The crowd algorithm that has NPCs moving around was kind of funny.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by an atmospheric and epic soundtrack, which significantly contributes to the overall immersive experience.
“The atmospheric and epic soundtrack truly enhances the immersive experience of the game.”
“The game's atmosphere is elevated by its stunning and evocative soundtrack.”
“With its atmospheric music, the game creates a captivating and immersive world.”
