Link to forum thread - http://www.reloaded.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=11192

STORY

It's a special day today - it marks the 21st birthday of King Alexander (ruler of the Green Isles), and his twin sister Princess Rosella. But there is another cause for celebration. It's also the wedding day of Princess Rosella, and her fiance Edgar. Rosella looks so beautiful in her wedding dress! King Graham of Daventry, and his wife Queen Valanice, parents of Alexander and Rosella, have come to the Green Isles, where the celebrations are taking place. They are so proud of their daughter.

But the happiness is not to last! A mysterious sorcerer clothed in a black robe appears, and casts an evil spell on both Alexander, and Rosella, leaving both children comatose. King Graham of Daventry and Queen Valanice are devastated, as are Edgar and Cassima (Alexander's wife). What started out as a day of celebration has now turned into a day of catastrophe. Now, as King Graham, you vow to do whatever it takes to save your children. You must seek out The Oracle, who may know of a way to lift this spell. Will you succeed? Only time will tell.

The Silver Lining Episode 1: What Is Decreed Must Be is the first episode in a 5-part series. If the names King Graham, Alexander, Rosella, Cassima, Green Isles etc sound familiar to you... there is good reason for that. The Silver Lining is the unofficial sequel of the popular King's Quest series - King's Quest IX, if you will. As such, The Silver Lining is reminiscent of the classic Sierra adventure games.

A taskbar at top of the screen (move your mouse up there) allows you to interact with the game world, using icons for Walk, Look, Take, or Talk. If you find walking too slow, simply double-click to make Graham run. You also have access to your inventory though this taskbar (make sure you look at everything you are carrying in your inventory - you never know what clues will be revealed). You can also Save, Load, or Quit the game at any time via the taskbar. Game options are very customizable, allowing you to play full screen or windowed mode, subtitles on or off, etc. Even the narrator can be turned on or off.

The beautiful, high-quality graphics used in The Silver Lining are very impressive - easily as good as any commercial game. There is so much attention-to-detail everywhere you look. Characters themselves move realistically, and show a variety of facial expressions. For example, their eyes blink, and look around, like you would expect any real person to. And their mouths move as they talk. Characters also cast shadows on the ground, that move when they do. The castle main hallway is very impressive to see, with its shiny marbled floor. Even fire from torches on the walls flicker realistically. Watching Graham attempt to take the suit of armour (in the corridor leading out to the garden) really made me laugh. I love when you first talk to the Guard Dog outside, and he lowers his ears, and says 'Grrrr'. Plants on the wall inside the castle are also a nice touch. I love the wonderful rain effects when you are outside the castle. Even at the docks, rain drops fall into puddles, causing ripples in the puddles. Beautiful!

When talking to people, conversations choices are shows as topics at bottom of the screen. Simply click on a topic to discuss that subject.

Sound and music are just as impressive as the graphics. Wonderful, rich, full music accompany the game throughout. In fact, you can download the soundtrack from here - http://www.postudios.com/blog/?page_id=4&category=6 .

I love the squeaks when Graham pulls at suit of armour in the hallway. The sound of rain and thunder outside is especially impressive and realistic. Hearing Cassima's nightingale, Sing Sing, chirping away is so cute.

The voice acting is top-notch, with the characters mouths moving perfectly in synch with what you hear. As well as that, the voice casting itself is superb, with each character sounding just as I imagined they would. The narrator is one of my favourites! She has some hilarious lines, telling Graham off when he sits down, or mocking him when he touches the burning torch!

The Silver Lining is a true labour of love, and the hard work has paid off. This game can easily rival any commercial game. The story & dialogue is top-notch, and the rich graphics are stunning. Music is beautiful, and a pleasure to listen to. Voice-casting is also very impressive, with each character sounding just right! It's a lovely homage to the classic Sierra games we all know and love. However, this Episode 1 has a lot of long cut scenes and conversations with people, and not so many puzzles. Consider it a re-introduction back into King Graham's world. It should be noted that Phoenix Online Studios (the team behind this game) force you to register at their site, before allowing you to download the game, for some strange reason. Also, you have to download Episodes 1 & 2 at the same time, making it a rather large download. But those are only minor points. I highly recommend this game. Any adventure fan will love The Silver Lining, but King's Quest fans will especially appreciate revisiting familiar lands and characters.