Epic? Almost
This is one of those games you never forget if you make it through. It took me nearly 2 years of on-and-off playing to finally finish the end sequence. The puzzles were challenging, and diverse, and in many cases if you got past them and then didn't save it, you'd have a different set of puzzles next time through the same barrier. The graphics were typical Sierra OnLine for the era...this was between the original keyboard-only era and the soon-to-arrive mouse-only era, so you got to click on things, and type instructions, too! Much of the humor in these games came from typing in things and finding easter eggs or jokes put in by the development team.
For a 16 color game, the visual style was strong and effective. There weren't a lot of "die randomly now" things in this game: It rewarded you for intelligence, memory, and skill. There are even some action/adventure sequences that were challenging and fun. The soundtrack is phenomenal, and if you want to remember it, go check out Quest Studios to get your own copy.
This is a game full of clever puzzles, funny, and sometimes moving dialogue, and a story that really shines when you consider the medium. Make no mistake, though, there are some flaws.
There are 2 or 3 challenges that require the use of the manual, as they reference things like obscure flower meanings or Greek gods and their histories. It was a form of copy protection that wasn't too overbearing, and the book itself was actually pretty interesting.
Merlin acts as a sort of narrator throughout, giving you advice and comic relief. You will travel to a few places in Great Britain, and then into the Middle East for the Grail stuff.
The description here says "challenging" and I would have to agree. I was only 10 when this game came out, but I was almost 13 when I finished it. The final scene is somewhat epic, and tragic, and really beautiful. They captured the depth of the Arthurian magic in a pretty impressive way.