King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (5)

King's Quest V was the most innovative King's Quest since Quest For the Crown's 1984 release. Released in November 1990, its graphics were amazing and it became the highest selling computer game in history up to that point. It was later released as a "talkie" CD rom, in which Graham looks very young and well-built compared to his assumed years.

The evil wizard Mordack, brother of Manannan (the antagonist of KQIII), shrinks Daventry castle and puts it in a bottle. King Graham was the only one who wasn't trapped, since he was out for a walk during the spell. Mordack wanted Alexander to restore Manannan who was now a cat. Graham arrives in Serenia, and with the help of the doddering old wizard Crispin and his familiar, Cedric the owl, he must travel to Mordack's castle and free his family. On his way he frees his slave girl, Princess Cassima of the Land of the Green Isles.

The owl Cedric accompanies Graham through the entire game to provide comment, and has to be rescued from danger at several points, but the owl never in fact does anything useful - hence his unpopularity to most of the fans, and easter eggs in future Sierra games that showed Cedric being harmed in some way. (In Space Quest 4, while playing the Ms. Astro Chicken game, you net 50 points for hitting Cedric. In Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist, you can see vultures eating Cedric.)

The game KQV is infamous for its large amount of dead ends and obtuse puzzles, such as a magical machine which is powered by rotten cheese, and a nearly impossible maze which, rather than keeping north to the upper side of the screen, changes directions with perspectives. Also, there is more than one situation - not difficult-to-cause ones, either - where completing the game is made impossible. Thus, it is rarely completed by anyone without resorting to a walkthrough.

The wizard Manannan from KQIII (named after a figure from Celtic mythology) is consistently named Mannanan in this game. This is likely a typo, albeit an extensive one.