Maybe the expansive and challenging first chapter spoiled me, but the second installment in the revived King's Quest series from The Odd Gentlemen left me cold. Rubble Without a Cause, the follow-up to last summer's fantastic A Knight to Remember,...

Your quest practically flies by, being roughly half the length of the first chapter. While Rubble Without a Cause echoes many positive aspects of its predecessor, the gloomy story and unimaginative quests turn what should have been another fun fairy tale into something of a death march. Yet even with these significant flaws, the overall charm of the visuals and voice acting kept me playing and left me optimistic that the series will redeem itself in the next chapter.

Rubble Without A Cause is a small step backwards for this new vision for King’s Quest, but the series has enough momentum and potential that I’m not scared off yet. King Graham’s endearing self-doubt mixed with the collection of oddball puzzles helps carry this episode, despite some early stumbling blocks.

In Episode 2, King Graham takes players back to his first test as ruler of Daventry. When a band of goblins holds the kingdom hostage, a newly crowned and ill-equipped Graham must lead a daring rescue to free his people and prove himself the leader they...