2014-03-30, 05:08 PM
Hey, welcome to the world of KF! My personal recommendation: definitely start with KF2 (the first King's Field that was released in English)!
I'm sure the others will chime in with much more complete (and generally better) answers soon, but I think "which is better for to start with" boils down to personal opinion. That being said, I can give you my opinion, and I guess I already have. But first, a quick run-down.
KF1 - The very first one was only released commercially in Japan, in Japanese. There is a translated version, as you mention. This game is great, but being the first in the series, and one of the first games to come out on the original playstation, it's much shorter than its descendents and has simpler-looking graphics, etc.
KF2 (KF in US) - This was the first title in the series commercially released in English. For that reason, the US et al. call this one King's Field, while in Japan it's called King's Field 2. This one has a much larger world, a more foreboding and immersive feel (due partly to the great music and environments). Also, this one starts to give you a lot more of the lore. You really feel like you're in another world in this one. Game mechanics are smoother, and magic is more developed. There are several more reasons why this one is a huge improvement, but I promised to keep it quick.
KF3 (KF II in US) - This game is a close sequel of KF2, and it's HUGE! Lots of wonderful exploration on your first play-through. Mechanics and gameplay are more or less the same as KF2 with some slight differences. There is a ton of lore in this one, and you really feel like you're on an epic journey.
KF4 (KFTAC in US) - Titled King's Field: The Ancient City in the English release, this was the first (and only) KF title on the PS2 - the others were all for the original playstation. Aside from the expected boost in graphics quality (it does look very pretty), I find this one quite different in style and feel of gameplay. In terms of plot, it's not a direct successor of the other three. This one feels almost like a stand-alone, parallel part of the series to me. That being said, it's still a great game that you should play.
Now, back to my opinions. As far as getting started in the game, it depends on what you want. Yeah, I know that's what everyone says about everything, so I'll break it down: if you're OCD (very guilty myself) and feel the need to go through things in the order they were made (not at all necessary for this series!), then start with the Japanese KF1. If you want the most modern graphics, start with KF4 (English KFTAC). If you want to start off with a "true KF experience", start with KF2 (English KF I). And again, I highly recommend starting with KF2!
Have fun!
I'm sure the others will chime in with much more complete (and generally better) answers soon, but I think "which is better for to start with" boils down to personal opinion. That being said, I can give you my opinion, and I guess I already have. But first, a quick run-down.
KF1 - The very first one was only released commercially in Japan, in Japanese. There is a translated version, as you mention. This game is great, but being the first in the series, and one of the first games to come out on the original playstation, it's much shorter than its descendents and has simpler-looking graphics, etc.
KF2 (KF in US) - This was the first title in the series commercially released in English. For that reason, the US et al. call this one King's Field, while in Japan it's called King's Field 2. This one has a much larger world, a more foreboding and immersive feel (due partly to the great music and environments). Also, this one starts to give you a lot more of the lore. You really feel like you're in another world in this one. Game mechanics are smoother, and magic is more developed. There are several more reasons why this one is a huge improvement, but I promised to keep it quick.
KF3 (KF II in US) - This game is a close sequel of KF2, and it's HUGE! Lots of wonderful exploration on your first play-through. Mechanics and gameplay are more or less the same as KF2 with some slight differences. There is a ton of lore in this one, and you really feel like you're on an epic journey.
KF4 (KFTAC in US) - Titled King's Field: The Ancient City in the English release, this was the first (and only) KF title on the PS2 - the others were all for the original playstation. Aside from the expected boost in graphics quality (it does look very pretty), I find this one quite different in style and feel of gameplay. In terms of plot, it's not a direct successor of the other three. This one feels almost like a stand-alone, parallel part of the series to me. That being said, it's still a great game that you should play.
Now, back to my opinions. As far as getting started in the game, it depends on what you want. Yeah, I know that's what everyone says about everything, so I'll break it down: if you're OCD (very guilty myself) and feel the need to go through things in the order they were made (not at all necessary for this series!), then start with the Japanese KF1. If you want the most modern graphics, start with KF4 (English KFTAC). If you want to start off with a "true KF experience", start with KF2 (English KF I). And again, I highly recommend starting with KF2!
Have fun!