King’s Quest VIII: Mask of Eternity is a 3D action-adventure from Sierra, sending a new hero across the realm to recover the shattered pieces of the Mask of Eternity. The complete game was finished across two sessions, from Daventry through the realm of the sun to the final duel.
The 3D presentation impresses for its era, with lip-syncing that lines up with the dialogue and early-3D rendering free of the usual wobble. The music is singled out as the best part of the game, and the voice acting is consistently good.
The progression structure charms, with the axe unlocking boarded doors and felled trees in a Metroidvania-like flow. The rope-and-hook climbing, the magical map with teleporters and the spell-crafting that echoes the series’ third entry all add variety.
The setting variety impresses, with the expansive regions of Daventry, the huge realm of death, the swamp, the gnomes’ tunnels, the volcano and the ice realm. The level design rewards exploration, with pressure-plate rocks, hidden passages and reveal potions showing invisible chests.
The boss fights land well, from the bronco-like basilisk to the two-headed dragon needing the fire sword. The permanent spell of might is a satisfying payoff, with its damage buff arriving as a welcome surprise.
The combat is the weakest element, with janky swings and no indication of whether a hit will land. The jumping is binary and unforgiving, the load times are punishing even on an SSD, and stability issues include crashes when the ice trolls attack.
Overall, the 3D ambition, the music and the varied regions make this a really quite good action-adventure. The janky combat and the binary jumping are the caveats.