Originally Published in 1999, updated in 2024.
Back when my 486 was blazing fast, I played a little gem called King’s Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow. It came bundled with my first PC, and as someone who wasn’t a huge adventure gamer, I was surprised by how much it hooked me. The story pulled me in, the puzzles were genuinely challenging, and the experience was, overall, a blast. Roberta Williams, the legendary mind behind the King’s Quest series, Phantasmagoria, and more, revolutionized adventure games, paving the way for what the genre could be.
But then King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity happened. Sorry, Roberta, you slipped up on this one, and it’s a tough pill to swallow.
A New Perspective, A Shaky Experience
To give credit where it’s due, Mask of Eternity does try to break new ground for the King’s Quest series. The most notable change is the shift to 3D exploration. Players can toggle between a Tomb Raider-style third-person perspective and a first-person view, with a zoomable camera for exploration. It sounds great on paper, and yes, it adds a level of immersion we haven’t seen in previous entries. The game even supports 3D accelerator cards—exciting in 1998—but don’t expect jaw-dropping visuals. The graphics are serviceable at best and won’t blow you away.
Where’s the King in King’s Quest?
One of the biggest disappointments for me is the character lineup—or lack thereof. Instead of playing as King Graham, Prince Alexander, or anyone familiar, you’re saddled with Connor, a completely new and unrelated character. Sure, the game is still set in Daventry, but that’s about as close as it gets to the series’ roots.
The NPCs you meet along the way are forgettable. They lack personality and seem to exist only to hand you quests. The story? Don’t expect the charm or depth of previous King’s Quest games. The setup is painfully thin: Some “bad man” casts a spell on a magical mask, shattering it into pieces. A piece conveniently lands at Connor’s feet, and before you know it, the land is cursed, and everyone—except Connor—turns to stone. That’s it. Connor’s job is to recover the pieces of the mask, all while fighting off monsters and solving lackluster puzzles.
Combat and Puzzles: Repetitive and Frustrating
Speaking of monsters, combat is one of the game’s biggest missteps. You’re essentially just clicking endlessly on enemies until they die, which gets old fast—especially when tougher foes require even more clicking. Combat feels slapped together, and it lacks the finesse or satisfaction you’d want from an action-heavy game.
And then there are the puzzles. The gameplay boils down to “take this item here, move to the next level.” There’s no real creativity or challenge like in the old King’s Quest titles. Too many sections involve jumping—bad news considering the game’s terrible depth perception. Misjudge a distance, and you’ll plummet to your death, only to wait through absurdly long load times (we’re talking 45 seconds to 3 minutes depending on your hardware).
The controls don’t help matters either. For a series traditionally built around mouse-based gameplay, Mask of Eternity forces you to rely heavily on the keyboard. It feels clunky and unintuitive, which is the last thing you want when platforming and combat are already frustrating.
A Noble Effort, But a Stumble
I’ll give Roberta Williams this: she tried something new. Taking King’s Quest into the realm of 3D action-adventure was a bold move, but the execution just doesn’t deliver. Longtime fans of the series will likely find themselves disappointed—this doesn’t feel like a King’s Quest game at all.
If you’re a die-hard adventure gamer or really love Tomb Raider-style gameplay, you might squeeze some enjoyment out of Mask of Eternity. But for veterans of the King’s Quest series, my advice is simple: stay far away. This isn’t the adventure you’re looking for, and you’ll only hurt yourself trying to pretend otherwise.
Final Thoughts: Roberta Williams is a pioneer of adventure gaming, and this stumble won’t define her legacy. But let’s just say that 7 out of 8 hits isn’t too bad.
How to Play King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity Today
If you’re feeling brave enough to revisit King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity, there are a few ways to experience this early 3D adventure:
- GOG (Good Old Games): Mask of Eternity is available as part of the King’s Quest collection on GOG.com. Getting it to run on Windows 10/11 can be tricky though.
- Original Hardware and Discs: If you’ve got a vintage PC or a copy of the original CD-ROM, you can relive Mask of Eternity as it was in 1998. Be prepared for some setup challenges, though—you’ll need an old version of Windows or emulation software like PCem or VirtualBox.
Whether you play it for curiosity, nostalgia, or to see how far adventure games have come, Mask of Eternity is still accessible for modern gamers. Just don’t expect the magic of earlier entries in the series.