Favorite Police Quest Game and Why?

[Tawmis]

All right - let's get this section of the forum rolling by discussing your favorite PQ game - and why it's your favorite. After we get a reply or two in here I will give my answer (because I know you're sitting on the edge of the chair wanting to know, right?)

[AndreaDraco]

Police Quest III: The Kindred

It is the most mature chapter in the series, with more than a bit of gore (which I always like) and a touching, more personal storyline. The way Sonny has to visit his wife in the hospital really meant something to me, and when she finally woke up I was so relived that I had to pause the game for a bit.

I like also the darker themes and mood, which were, in my opinion, a result, once again, of Jane Jensen's pen.

[Tawmis]

I would agree that PQIII was my favorite. Although the pentagram thing was very, very, very, very generic (who didn't see it coming from a mile away?). But I definitely liked the ... realism to PQ3. The advanced graphics (vs PQ1 and PQ2) helped really pull me into the storyline. I think because a serious game like Police Quest, you really need to see the fine details and emotions, and the more cartoony/pixelated characters (PQ1 and PQ2) made it a little more difficult to really feel like you were a part of the world.

[AndreaDraco]

Totally agree. The realism is what blew me away with PQ3.

I have to say that I liked very much also PQ4, although I was very disappointed for the loss of Sonny Bonds and his world. Anyway, PQ4's ending was a huge letdown, 'cause the killer turned out to be nothing more than a (pseudo) "copycat" of Buffalo Bill of Silence of the Lambs and I would have preferred a more serious involvement.

[Tawmis]

Totally agree. The realism is what blew me away with PQ3.

I have to say that I liked very much also PQ4, although I was very disappointed for the loss of Sonny Bonds and his world. Anyway, PQ4's ending was a huge letdown, 'cause the killer turned out to be nothing more than a (pseudo) "copycat" of Buffalo Bill of Silence of the Lambs and I would have preferred a more serious involvement.

I think we're going to get along very, very well. Those were my thoughts exactly. PQ4 definitely lacked Jim Walls' touch...

[AndreaDraco]

I think we're going to get along very, very well. Those were my thoughts exactly. PQ4 definitely lacked Jim Walls' touch...

Yes, I think we will

PQ4 was a good game, but it missed the point: as I said in the LSL thread, characters that I can learn to know well and I can grow fond of are very important to me. And PQ4 didn't have those qualities.

PQ3 was an example on how to make a realistic, life-like, even grim and dark game without having to be so pompously disturbing - besides, when you want so hard to be disturbing, chances are that, in the end, you turn out nothing more than gross

Oh, Tawmis: have you played Jim Walls' Blue Force? I have it but never played it ^^

[Tawmis]

Oh, Tawmis: have you played Jim Walls' Blue Force? I have it but never played it ^^

Yes! I have it all boxed and everything! It's actually the Police Quest 4 that should have been really... it reminds me of Police Quest 2 with nice graphics (not as violent - well for the most part, as PQ3 - but definitely has the depth of PQ2). Though - how about this - a Blue Force thread on the Non Sierra Games Section!

[JasefWisener]

I would have to say PQ4 is my favorite. It's probably mainly due to it being the first Police Quest I played, so I was uninformed about the earlier 3 and their continuity.

That being said, things may be different had I experienced the other 3 first.

[Tawmis]

I would have to say PQ4 is my favorite.

!!

What's next? Someone's gonna post their favorite LSL is MCL and their favorite KQ is MOE?!

What's this world coming to?!?

[the_doctor]

id have to go with PQ3 as well (altho the last two times ive played it that stupid map puzzle never works and i get fed up).

I liked PQ1 (both) and PQ2 as well very much. Hated PQ4 -- because it was Gates and not Walls writing it, the whole dynamic of the game changed and I never got into it. I couldn't even hold on to play it WHILE READING A WALKTHROUGH just to get the story. I still gave up.

[Tawmis]

I liked PQ1 (both) and PQ2 as well very much. Hated PQ4 -- because it was Gates and not Walls writing it, the whole dynamic of the game changed and I never got into it. I couldn't even hold on to play it WHILE READING A WALKTHROUGH just to get the story. I still gave up.

The wife and I actually played PQ4 together and finished. After we were done, I explained how disappointed I was. I kept playing and kept hoping that somehow I'd feel that magic Sierra touch. And it was just never there. Glad I have it. Glad I played it. But that's about it.

[AndreaDraco]

Hated PQ4 -- because it was Gates and not Walls writing it, the whole dynamic of the game changed and I never got into it. I couldn't even hold on to play it WHILE READING A WALKTHROUGH just to get the story. I still gave up.

I don't hate it. It's true that Gates' writing greatly differs from Walls', and with no doubt that I prefer the latter, but also Open Season has its great moment, mainly in the beginning of the game. My greatest complaint is that the protagonist - see, I can't even remember the name - has no character nor charisma, at least in comparison with Sonny.

[Tawmis]

I don't hate it. It's true that Gates' writing greatly differs from Walls', and with no doubt that I prefer the latter, but also Open Season has its great moment, mainly in the beginning of the game. My greatest complaint is that the protagonist - see, I can't even remember the name - has no character nor charisma, at least in comparison with Sonny.

What I disliked about PQ4 was that the writing was clearly so drastically different.

[JasefWisener]

I don't hate it. It's true that Gates' writing greatly differs from Walls', and with no doubt that I prefer the latter, but also Open Season has its great moment, mainly in the beginning of the game. My greatest complaint is that the protagonist - see, I can't even remember the name - has no character nor charisma, at least in comparison with Sonny.

What I disliked about PQ4 was that the writing was clearly so drastically different.

I'll agree that the writing was completely different.

You know, this kind of talk makes me wonder what stories like this would have become had they been written as novels.

[AndreaDraco]

You know, this kind of talk makes me wonder what stories like this would have become had they been written as novels.

PQ4 would have been a (pretty bad) pulp novel, with load of splatter, like Palahniuk meets Thomas Harris.

PQ3 would have been, at least in my opinion, an Ellroy's novel