• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

LTTP: King's Field: The Ancient City

GrumpyAlien said:
Great game. As a Demons Souls fan it must be a nice game to discover. I still remember the very beginning and walking on the lighter part of the ground and falling to my death into the lava.
Click to expand...

I picked this up used for like 3 bucks not too long ago and I seriously died in my first three steps or so in this game! So awesome! I got pretty far, but was distracted by other games and haven't revisited it since.
 
So I'm curious, there have been a few times where I've seen objects I can't get to. I assume that some sort of magic will eventually let me get items like this one hanging out on that ledge:

2ueiukw.jpg

I know I said it earlier, but the music in this game is so good.
 
Wow, never noticed that "thing" on the ledge. I am guessing you knock it down with fire magic or something, but I am only guessing. You get that spell pretty early iirc. I tried running towards it and almost got myself killed by falling off the ledge.

Playing it right now and I just realized this is one of the loneliest games I have ever played. There are people, but everyone looks so damn miserable.
 
Captain Pants said:
The controls have been a bit of a hangup for me as well. I've finally adjusted, but it took a while. I've been playing a little too cautious. I've leveled up a bit and have bought some antidotes and herbs and am about to try and make some progress.
Click to expand...

I'm slowly adjusting to the controls, but I still mess up when I'm surrounded by monsters ( like those poison slimes in the mine at the beginning), then I panic and die. I'm very cautious too and save every two minutes, but I finally have my first magic, yeah!

Can't wait for the bow, as it's my favorite weapon in demon's souls... (and many other games ) I'm a coward and love to shoot things from a long distance.
 
Yep. Really nails that sense of isolation.
Metroid is the only other series that I'm familiar with that provides a similarly convincing loneliness. Good stuff.
 
I just recently got this along with the other two King's Field games for PSX. Instead of creating a new thread I'll just bump this one.

First off, amazing game. Love the atmosphere and the music. Everyone who said that the game gives off a sense of isolation was right on the money. Right now I'm exploring the King's Throne and I'm kind of lost. Anyone familiar with the game care to point me in the right direction?
 
Man, I swear I can SMELL the decay every time I think of King's Field: The Ancient City. The mildew and dust just climbs up your back and piggybacks on you until the end. Even in a safe spot, it's right there, hand fully on shoulder with no hover handing, either. It's a great, deliberate game.
 
Brannon said:
Man, I swear I can SMELL the decay every time I think of King's Field: The Ancient City. The mildew and dust just climbs up your back and piggybacks on you until the end. Even in a safe spot, it's right there, hand fully on shoulder with no hover handing, either. It's a great, deliberate game.
Click to expand...

Greatest atmosphere in any game ever.
 
Brannon said:
Man, I swear I can SMELL the decay every time I think of King's Field: The Ancient City. The mildew and dust just climbs up your back and piggybacks on you until the end. Even in a safe spot, it's right there, hand fully on shoulder with no hover handing, either. It's a great, deliberate game.
Click to expand...

Which makes me want to see at least one more with some nice 7.1 Surround Sound effect and in 1080p, possibly using whatever engine Demon's Souls used.
 
Play the original King's field too. That one's my favorite actually. The crappy graphics actually make the atomosphere better to me. Really creepy game.
 
There's a translation patch for the REAL King's Field 2 that was only in Japan. I think the one we got here in USA is actually King's Field 3? Something like that.
 
bubnbob said:
There's a translation patch for the REAL King's Field 2 that was only in Japan. I think the one we got here in USA is actually King's Field 3? Something like that.
Click to expand...

King's field 1 = No US release
King's field 2 = King's field US
King's Field 3 = King's Field 2 US
 
gregor7777 said:
Anyone know how this plays in PCSX2? Looks like it would be a prime candidate for some AA and filtering.
Click to expand...

I know I'm a bit late on this one. :P But, I wanted to say somewhere that I started playing this game and after I got it running on PCSX2 it is fucking off the chain. I'm really enjoying it and I think the combat in it is fucking fantastic, it requires timing a step in to a swing then step out type tactics and is very punishing if you miss the step out, although I don't know if you can/ how to block with the shield. I guess it may just boost defense.

Very cool game although I could not play it on a PS3 emulation the framerates are just too bad. Playing it on PCSX2 the framerate is very nice although the gameplay still is methodical so you have to adjust yourself to that pacing. Only issues with the emulation are a weird flickering on the menus which isn't particularly egregious so it's nothing to worry about and also the words were sometimes hard to make out in menus due to looking very low res but you can still make out all the important stuff and even those hard to read words if you try. I do think the starting area may have some slowdown but it's a little hard to tell as I didn't play it in the original form so I'm not sure if the music is a little weird if it is actually slowing down. Nothing major though again.

I'd encourage anyone that likes Demon's/Dark Souls to pick this one up if you've got a hankering for some more From RPG goodness. I've played about 3 hours now and I'm just enjoying the shit out of it.

Skyrim could take some lessons from the way they've set up the combat in this game. It may seem simplistic since the patterns aren't super involved but it is very engaging and keeps you on your toes without being just assholish.
 
Playing it now. Really awesome underrated gem. Combat is great for fp hack and slash, even with the awkward controls.

but what sets it apart is the atmosphere even as an early ps2 game (released in 2001) I think it's looks pretty damn good. No load times, too. The music is fantastic.

I recommend anyone that liked Dark/Demon's Souls to pick up this little gem.

Was reading IGN's review of this game, and it shows everything that's wrong with gaming journalism
 
Oh, fuck yessss! Fantastic game. The_Technomancer, another friend, and I are planning to do a Let's Play of this at some point.
 
I love all the King's Field games. The ones I've played anyway. My favorite has got to be KF II. (KF III in Japan) And yes, the atmosphere is what make the games for me.


edit: oops one too many I's.
 
I had to play it through an emulator so I could remap the inverted controls. It also looks a lot nicer if you up the resolution a bit.
 
I really wish there was a way to make PS2 games not look like shit on HDTV. I got a recent model of PS3 without the BC ability and I have to use my PS2 slim to play the game. :(
 
archnemesis said:
I had to play it through an emulator so I could remap the inverted controls. It also looks a lot nicer if you up the resolution a bit.
Click to expand...

I tried the same, but wound up using the shoulder button strafe/look controls instead. On an Xbox 360 controller, no less!
 
For those of you who have played Demon's Souls and never played King's Field:

"The true Demon's Souls starts here."

The Ancient City is a blast. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
 
Error said:
I really wish there was a way to make PS2 games not look like shit on HDTV. I got a recent model of PS3 without the BC ability and I have to use my PS2 slim to play the game. :(
Click to expand...
That's what PCs are for.
Orayn said:
I tried the same, but wound up using the shoulder button strafe/look controls instead. On an Xbox 360 controller, no less!
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure I did something similar, but with a Dualshock 3 instead. The default control scheme is awful.
 
I actually enjoy the combat in this more than Skyrim. It only needs to be a bit more speedy and of course modern fp controls and it'll be awesome.
 
KF legitmately scared me more times than a lot of so called horror games

Thick atmosphere in the first person is an amazing experience

I dearly hope they revisit an fps rpg at some point
 
Oh man, King's Field brings back so many good memories. I wonder how The Ancient City looks on an emulator, I still have my copy of the game (got it from Game Crazy way back when) and might break it out to find out.
 
Imagine - New King's Field and new Souls games come out relatively close to one another. What better way to push the envelope that letting the two games play cooperatively or competitively on the same servers?
 
Alright, I'm convinced, I just ordered this for $20 used ("very good" condition) on Amazon. I'll try to play it in PCSX2 for upped resolution and re-rigged controls, but I've got a CRT available if that doesn't work out. I just need me some more From RPG-age.

Edit: I would laugh so hard if they put out a "King's Field Edition" of the next Souls game, which was exactly the same but in 1st person.
 
linko9 said:
Alright, I'm convinced, I just ordered this for $20 used ("very good" condition) on Amazon. I'll try to play it in PCSX2 for upped resolution and re-rigged controls, but I've got a CRT available if that doesn't work out. I just need me some more From RPG-age.
Click to expand...

It's awesome, you won't be disappointed.
 
linko9 said:
Alright, I'm convinced, I just ordered this for $20 used ("very good" condition) on Amazon. I'll try to play it in PCSX2 for upped resolution and re-rigged controls, but I've got a CRT available if that doesn't work out. I just need me some more From RPG-age.
Click to expand...

The graphics clean up pretty nicely, but changing the controls is a fool's errand. The part that will probably bother you most is the camera, which is awkward as hell to put on an analog stick since it can only move in eight directions, has different horizontal and vertical speeds, and a rather low speed overall. Eventually, you'll learn to stop worrying and love strafing with R1/L1 and looking up and down with R2/L2.
 
My favorite song in The Ancient City (and both the King's Field and Souls series) is this, bar none:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSiK7AB89y0

Such a good soundtrack.


Victrix said:
KF legitmately scared me more times than a lot of so called horror games

Thick atmosphere in the first person is an amazing experience

I dearly hope they revisit an fps rpg at some point
Click to expand...

King's Field games do not play. Souls games are small time on the scare factors compared to KF.

That damn Death Road and the Royal Tomb in King's Field II...ugh. More traps than I Wanna Be the Guy up in there.
 
Yeah it takes awhile but once you get used to them, it becomes second nature. I actually have more problems with the magic/menu button. I'm always used to triangle being the 'menu' button, so I accidentally sometimes use a spell when I'm just trying to bring up the menu.
 
Error said:
Playing it now. Really awesome underrated gem. Combat is great for fp hack and slash, even with the awkward controls.

but what sets it apart is the atmosphere even as an early ps2 game (released in 2001) I think it's looks pretty damn good. No load times, too. The music is fantastic.

I recommend anyone that liked Dark/Demon's Souls to pick up this little gem.

Was reading IGN's review of this game, and it shows everything that's wrong with gaming journalism
Click to expand...

What do you mean? Look at this brilliant writing:

"One of the key elements to any Role-Playing game an un-fleshed story is the equivalent of no blocking techniques in a fighter. "

"hungry RPG fans looking for something to match the giants like Final Fantasy and Zelda are in for a big letdown. "

- IGN.com
 
Ledsen said:
What do you mean? Look at this brilliant writing:

"One of the key elements to any Role-Playing game an un-fleshed story is the equivalent of no blocking techniques in a fighter. "

"hungry RPG fans looking for something to match the giants like Final Fantasy and Zelda are in for a big letdown. "

- IGN.com
Click to expand...

"King's Field is bad, I am now going to tell you why King's Field is bad"
 
But he's right. Obviously all the old-school dungeon crawlers had hours of story and character development. It's what the genre is known for! He's right to dock points for it.
 
At least we have evidence in support of the "Steady State IGN" hypothesis. That is, IGN has never been better or worse, only slightly different configurations of terrible.
 
A Gamestop near me has this for $3.99 apparently. Regardless of case, I'm buying it this weekend.

HYPE for 60 gig upscale.
 
Orayn said:
Eventually, you'll learn to stop worrying and love strafing with R1/L1 and looking up and down with R2/L2.
Click to expand...

I forget which buttons they are, but re-mapping two of the buttons allows you to do normal up/down camera movement with the right stick. Still no turning with it though. :(

Also, the key to defeating most of the enemies in this game is exploiting the distance they can travel. If an enemy reaches a certain point they turn around and walk away. All you have to do is back away till they reach that point. When they start to turn, run up and hit them then back away again.
 
Orayn said:
Listening to this makes me even more excited that From Software announced their intentions to revisit King's Field. I want them to release something even darker and more immersive than the Souls series, with first person gameplay so good it would make numerous Bethesda employees feel real and tangible shame.
Click to expand...

Isn't it sad that Skyrim barely has deeper melee than King's Field IV?


viewtifulsub said:
I asked this in the PCSX2 thread some time back to no response, but has anyone played this thoroughly on pcsx2?

Last time i checked, there were still some major emulation issues when playing this.
Click to expand...

Aren't there issues with Eternal Ring, too? I think you have to tweak a lot of options to get the game working, maybe the same applies to KF IV?
 
cluxdeluxe said:
It is funny how people like these games now. I remember back when it was new I read a magazine review for it that just basically said it was trash. I still bought it anyway. Kings Field has always had a spot in my cardiac valve pump.
Click to expand...

There's a word for those people you're describing, it's called "dumb".

I loved KF games ever since Playstation, I still like them better than the Souls games. XD
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

LTTP: King's Field: The Ancient City
Opinion 
13
1K
IAmRei replied
  • Poll
LTTP: Doom: The Dark Ages
Opinion LTTP 
14
363
RoadHazard replied
LTTP: Gothic
LTTP 
21
366
Sentenza replied
King's Field retro clone in development - Nox Mortalis
News 
16
552
DEAD ORIGINAL replied
LTTP: Titan Quest
LTTP 
37
598
TintoConCasera replied
Top Bottom