KMGW Appreciation Week
Posted: 15 Mar 2015, 12:56
Both people on the Forum and in Knightmare Chat last week were quite critical of KMVR, so it'll be interesting to see what they think of KMGW. Some people say it's not their cup of tea, but it's certainly more divisive than that. I, in fact, watched it on the morning of its release, in a room full of Knightmare fans, after a day full of anticipation and teasers.
So yeah, I do quite like it - and as does my girlfriend, who is a fairly recent Knightmare convert. I'm surprised - I didn't think she would!
Anyway, my good points are numerous: I'll try to list them succinctly:
- Treguard. Brilliant acting and brilliant script, with the gleeful yet gravelly demeanour. His best line, I think, is "parents can be so cruel" - perfect delivery. He's back in his rightful place as overseer and avisor during the quest. I've missed him.
- Lord Fear and Lissard. Again, a great amount of witty banter here, and I'm very relieved to see Cliff back as Lissard - very relieved.
- The team. It's a great idea to use YouTubers - they're not children, but not in their forties either. They're just the right generation... and, actually, they're a pretty good team as soon as they start working together!
- The rooms. We get some of the old-style rooms as well as some new CGI environments; both Level 1 and 2 Clue Rooms are as I remember them. Interesting bits of the rooms I noticed: NILREM over a door; the prime puzzle being a mixture of Combat Chess and the Trial by Spikes, and the first room in Level 2 being very similar to the Great Corridor of the Catacombs, with different-style walls.
- Tips of the hat to old Knightmare such as the opening sequence, the sign-off at the end, the leaking of energy water from above, the life force, the blocker in the form of a gargoyle (PASS! WORD!), and Treguard's sign-off at the end.
- I like the floor puzzles too: SMDM claiming a victim, of course, and the prime puzzle is inspired and genuinely quite tense.
- I like Theodora Snitch - very well acted, believable and it's clear where she fits in. I like some, but not all, of Daisy: I'm not keen on her at the beginning, but she gets more bearable and more useful as the show goes on - a bit like Pickle, in fact, in the way she watches from behind the team.
- And the threats. It's been said before that Ariadne would be a good addition to new Knightmare - well, you have your wish. And it's good to see Garstang actually posing more of a threat, in Ben Child's fleeting appearance. And we get to see the fireball graphic again... oh, goodie.
Some things I think I could have done without:
- The editing's a bit choppy - there's about half a minute of nervous laughter when Ashens falls to his death before Treguard says "ooh, nasty!".
- I don't like the opening sequence. It's a bit ropey, even by Knightmare standards. I mean, really? Magic featherduster and swivel chair?
- Nitpicking here, but I don't like the way the characters say the name of the spell after they spellcast. Emma does it without saying so and the spell works, so why do Treguard and Daisy have to?
- Sorry, Nick, but I really don't like Sylvester the Jester. I get the idea of the character, insofar as he's a dark jester akin to Folly (or Iokus from KMRPG, if you're one of the few to remember him), but his speech is confusing - switching to semi-mediaeval with thees and thous to modern English at will - and I don't think the acting's particularly good. You can also see his bauble rolling around after he throws it; it even rolls over the wall at one point!
Overall, though, I think this is a cracking effort, considering the time and resources they had available - a fun adventure, a genuine attempt at recapturing the spirit of Knightmare, and a vast improvement over KMVR in every single way. If they were to ever make another whole series of the thing, I'd love it to be like this.
Share your thoughts for now, and today's Draw Phil Naked is...
So yeah, I do quite like it - and as does my girlfriend, who is a fairly recent Knightmare convert. I'm surprised - I didn't think she would!
Anyway, my good points are numerous: I'll try to list them succinctly:
- Treguard. Brilliant acting and brilliant script, with the gleeful yet gravelly demeanour. His best line, I think, is "parents can be so cruel" - perfect delivery. He's back in his rightful place as overseer and avisor during the quest. I've missed him.
- Lord Fear and Lissard. Again, a great amount of witty banter here, and I'm very relieved to see Cliff back as Lissard - very relieved.
- The team. It's a great idea to use YouTubers - they're not children, but not in their forties either. They're just the right generation... and, actually, they're a pretty good team as soon as they start working together!
- The rooms. We get some of the old-style rooms as well as some new CGI environments; both Level 1 and 2 Clue Rooms are as I remember them. Interesting bits of the rooms I noticed: NILREM over a door; the prime puzzle being a mixture of Combat Chess and the Trial by Spikes, and the first room in Level 2 being very similar to the Great Corridor of the Catacombs, with different-style walls.
- Tips of the hat to old Knightmare such as the opening sequence, the sign-off at the end, the leaking of energy water from above, the life force, the blocker in the form of a gargoyle (PASS! WORD!), and Treguard's sign-off at the end.
- I like the floor puzzles too: SMDM claiming a victim, of course, and the prime puzzle is inspired and genuinely quite tense.
- I like Theodora Snitch - very well acted, believable and it's clear where she fits in. I like some, but not all, of Daisy: I'm not keen on her at the beginning, but she gets more bearable and more useful as the show goes on - a bit like Pickle, in fact, in the way she watches from behind the team.
- And the threats. It's been said before that Ariadne would be a good addition to new Knightmare - well, you have your wish. And it's good to see Garstang actually posing more of a threat, in Ben Child's fleeting appearance. And we get to see the fireball graphic again... oh, goodie.
Some things I think I could have done without:
- The editing's a bit choppy - there's about half a minute of nervous laughter when Ashens falls to his death before Treguard says "ooh, nasty!".
- I don't like the opening sequence. It's a bit ropey, even by Knightmare standards. I mean, really? Magic featherduster and swivel chair?
- Nitpicking here, but I don't like the way the characters say the name of the spell after they spellcast. Emma does it without saying so and the spell works, so why do Treguard and Daisy have to?
- Sorry, Nick, but I really don't like Sylvester the Jester. I get the idea of the character, insofar as he's a dark jester akin to Folly (or Iokus from KMRPG, if you're one of the few to remember him), but his speech is confusing - switching to semi-mediaeval with thees and thous to modern English at will - and I don't think the acting's particularly good. You can also see his bauble rolling around after he throws it; it even rolls over the wall at one point!
Overall, though, I think this is a cracking effort, considering the time and resources they had available - a fun adventure, a genuine attempt at recapturing the spirit of Knightmare, and a vast improvement over KMVR in every single way. If they were to ever make another whole series of the thing, I'd love it to be like this.
Share your thoughts for now, and today's Draw Phil Naked is...