The crowning moment on Wii ?
There are a growing number of Wii users (myself included) who have become increasingly discontent with the direction that the console and the games have recently been taking , what with being inundated with endless party/mini game collections , pointless waggle-fests and pretty much lack of anything with any substance. There are some decent games around but finding them usually involves ploughing through the endless waves of shovelware that currently fill the shelves.
A while back I stumbled across previews of a little known title called 'Little King's Story' (or 'Project O' as it was called back then) and it seemed like an interesting concept , and with the predigree of the creators behind it (guys responsible for Harvest Moon , Final Fantasy and Mario RPG amongst others) , it certainly seemed like a title worth keeping an eye on.
As it's release drew closer and further information became available my anticipation grew , surely I could only be let down because I had let myself get so hyped for the game.
So does it deliver ? Absolutely and even moreso than I ever imagined.
The moment you hit the title screen and are greeted with a re-working of 'Land of Hope and Glory' you get the feeling that you are about to enter something special. After all , what more fitting music could be applicable to a game where you main aim is to create a Kingdom from nothing. The quality of the soundtrack throughout the game continues in a similar vein with many re-workings of classical pieces and they always seem to kick in at the appropriate moment.
After a brief and completely magical crayon-like drawn introduction sequence you are taken to your humble shed which will become your base of operations from which to begin your quest for world domination. You are then introduced to your main companions who guide you through the early parts of the game with a well-implemented and not intrusive tutorial , after which you will meet your first townsfolk and begin your opening quest , and you will soon have developed the capabilities to give jobs to your townsfolk , then the real work begins.
The graphics in the game are not particularly spectacular but they are more than adequate and they certainly fit the style of the game. They do a great job of bringing your kingdom to life and everything feels so alive , just wondering around your little town at night is so relaxing and it allows you to really feel immersed. When day breaks and your citizens go about their daily tasks you can feel the hustle and bustle (once you up the population , of course). The graphics/art style may appear childish , but they are never so cute that you want to switch off, and behind them is a game that is challenging enough to bely those initial impressions.
In fact , the learning curve could be mentioned as a minor criticism with some of the early guardians posing a seemingly harder challenge than some of the main bosses. With that being said , the way the game allows you to open up new areas and subsequent jobs for your citizens is pretty much spot on and as more of the game world opens up , you can't help but be blown away by the sheer scope of it.
Speaking about the main bosses , the battles themselves are so creative and well presented and they join the long list of 'wow' moments that you will find throughout this game.
There are no Wii-specific controls in the game and on the whole they are not needed , in many respects , endless waggling would have ruined the title. There are some instances where they could have benefitted , things like the aiming system , unit selection and camera controls do take some getting used to and perhaps this is where the IR could have been used to improve things , but after a while , the controls as they are do fall into place.
There are other minor issues , namely things like your units getting stuck behind scenery and even navigating stairs can be a problem. These are virtually eliminated slightly later in the game , when a couple of new options present themselves but they still do persist slightly , nothing that is game-breaking though.
However , any minor criticisms are instantly forgotten , once you get suckered into this game.
Little King's Story is an entirely magical , addictive experience which offers a decent challenge and plenty of longevity (with optional collection quests) in a perfectly realised fantasy world with so many little touches that shows that those behind this game thought of everything.
There are plenty of side quests , different jobs for your populace and quite a few hidden 'easter eggs' , and the way things are introduced , be it through the beautiful cut scenes or the well implemented letter system further enhances just how complete this game feels.
It is not often that I get completely absorbed by a game and the fact that I played this constantly (and for an unhealthy amount of time) until I reached those closing credits is a testament to it's overall quality , and it reminded me of why I fell in love with gaming all those years ago.
In my opinion , quite possibly the best experience on the Wii.