There are some video games that, when played as a child, will capture your imagination and hold it forever. The adventures of Prince Alexander of Daventry in the Land of the Green Isles is exactly one of those games.
For a basic game summary, the King's Quest VI storyline sees King Graham take a back seat in adventuring to son Alexander, who, in his longing for a young maiden seen in the magic mirror, sets off on a quest to find the young lady. Alexander's travels take him to a chain of exotic, yet politically turmoiled, islands from which the search for fair Cassima takes many exciting twists.
In terms of controls, this game takes the same form as KQ5, that being point and click. Think of it as "Myst Lite" from a third-person perspective. As Alexander, you basically go around solving "simple" (or not so simple!) logic puzzles, except (unlike Myst) the puzzles are based not on mechanical devices but on crazy cartoon characters and exotic locals. You'll find yourself, in this game alone, meeting a bookworm, participating in an honest to goodness fairytale, scaling a cliff, and entering the underworld, among other places.
What makes this game the best of the entire KQ series, though, is the cleaning out of bugs and great storyline. From the very beginning, you (the player) are drawn into Alexander's moreso than any King Graham adventure. The voice acting is superb, the characters are all interesting, and the plot unfolds in a way that keeps you involved yet challenged to find "the next thing". Also, no more "Heap Space" error, or missing something in the very beginning that cuts you down in the end. By and large, this game won't let you move on to the next adventure until you have all the required supplies/experience. It isn't perfect, but it isn't nearly as infuriating as its predecessors could be in that area.
Overall, the simple fact is that King's Quest 6 remains one of the most purely entertaining video games I have ever played. I have probably played the game through at least 4-5 times all the way through (introducing various family/friends to Alexander and his magic map!) and it never gets old. The perfect blend of drama, action, adventure, puzzling, and just pure wholesome fun!
