All things Broken Sword

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can write up your thoughts and opinions for Revolution Software's point and click adventure - Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars.

[Alex79]

There was a time in my life when I could honestly say that point and click adventures were my favourite types of games. A few years previously I’d gone though all the Lucas Arts classics, Sierra Quest series, even the Gabriel Knight games. I remember so clearly the day my mate came round one day after college, and said “Here, you like Monkey Island don’t you. Try this”, and thrust in to my hands a copy of Broken Sword on the Playstation. It didn’t look particularly interesting, a little straight laced really after the off the wall craziness of Sam & Max, Day Of The Tentacle and the ongoing adventures of everyone’s favourite pirate, Guybrush Threepwood.

Still, he sat next to me as I played the first hour or so, and from the moment the camera panned across that Paris skyline, coming down to rest on the little café where we are introduced to our hero, before the sense of lazy relaxation was brought to an explosive end by an accordion playing clown, I was hooked.

Broken Sword sees you trotting the globe as the ‘not entirely likeable at first’ George Stobbart, as he attempts to uncover the truth about the murder and becoming embroiled in a grand, historical conspiracy going all the way back to the Knights Templar. He doesn’t work alone of course, he teams up with the delightfully voiced Nicole Collard, a local journalist who is both stunning and sarcastic in equal measure. I love the story, it reminds me of old Indiana Jones tales, and the locations you visit in the game are all so beautifully realised that you can’t help but soak up the atmosphere oozing out of the screen. The graphics are so nice, indeed, that I remember playing the game on one occasion where after half an hour or so, someone else in the room commented that they’d only just realised I was actually playing a game and not watching an animated movie! A couple of my favorite places to visit were the Syrian market place and the Irish pub – both overladen with stereotypes, but so enjoyable just to walk around and interact with.

I really enjoyed the interaction between George and Nicole, watching their relationship grow as the story unfolds, completely playing on the ‘will they/won’t they’ aspect of their friendship before climaxing with a satisfying and story ending kiss during the games finalé. The characters range from the pure comical with Inspector Moue and the psychic chief Rosso to the cold steely stare of Khan as you gaze down the barrel of his gun before making a cliffside leap of faith to safety.

This is an adventure game, so you can’t talk about Broken Sword without discussing the puzzles. There are only two I want to mention here. Both in Ireland. First of all, the goat puzzle. I really don’t know what all the fuss is about! Any time anyone ever talks about Broken Sword they’ll bring up how annoying the goat puzzle was! I promise this is true, but I did it first time without any trouble at all! No, the puzzle that really irritated me was the one were you had to wet the bar towel and get it back up the hill in time before it dried up. That must have taken me about 10 attempts before managing to do it with success!

Apologies this has been such a long post, but I’m winding up now. I played this whole game with my aforementioned friend. We sat side by side and went through the entire thing. Well – not the entire thing. About ten minutes before the very end of the game I had some food cooking in the oven. I went down to get it out and serve it up, and when I got back to my room I couldn’t believe what had happened. He’d finished it. THE BASTARD!! I was so pissed off!! Hours and hours we had sat and worked out the puzzles together, and he didn’t wait ten minutes for me to get back and see the ending with him. I’ve never quite forgiven him for that. Fortunately, we’d saved not long before the end, and I did it myself later that night. But still – what a git!

Ok, last bit, I promise now! I’ve played this game through many times, on PS1, PC, using ScummVM I’ve played it on my PSP, and I’ve played the GBA version (which was pretty good) and I’ve played the more recent Directors Cut through twice. I love this game. I thought the Directors Cut was a really nice update to the game. The new puzzles were good, playing as Nicole was a new interesting aspect to the game, and I really feel like it offered enough for anyone familiar with the game to give it another go.

Thanks George, thanks Nicole – I’m sure it won’t be too long until I see you both again!

THREE WORD REVIEW : First, and best.

[seansthomas]

Quick question. Are you planning on covering the sequels too and should we leave brief thoughts on those as well? Ta!

[ratsoalbion]

Just the original for now.

[seansthomas]

Just the original for now.

Cool. I'll save my thoughts on the series transition to 3D for another time then!

[Alex79]

I think the third game was treated a little unfairly - I really liked it. The fourth game I gave up after about an hour or so though, despite it being a turn back to more traditional pointing and clicking.

[ratsoalbion]

Broken Sword III got a 9 in EDGE if I recall correctly.
I've still yet to play it.

[seansthomas]

Broken Sword III got a 9 in EDGE if I recall correctly.
I've still yet to play it.

Its not THAT good I'd personally say, but its better than some make out. Made the jump to 3D quite successfully in general.

[Alex79]

Better than Monkey Island, anyway!

[Alex79]

Broken Sword III got a 9 in EDGE if I recall correctly.
I've still yet to play it.

I didn't know that, in fact on closer inspection it has over 80% metacritic rating so it can't have been anywhere near as badly received as I'd thought it was!

[ratsoalbion]

It's often the case!

[seansthomas]

Point and click adventures were my favourite types of game when I was growing up, but the genre hadn't fared well post-Amiga.

After several failed attempts to make this ilk of game work in 3D, I recall seeing Broken Sword in Official PlayStation Magazine and knowing there and then I needed it.

I recall it being a delightful game, though I haven't replayed it in a decade or so to know if those holds true. But it looks magical even now; its art style rendering it timeless a la Wind Waker. The scenes had a palapable atmosphere, the characters felt well written, the sparse music was eerie, the voice acting broadly great, the plot riveting and the puzzles intelligent.

I loved the interplay between the two leads and that twist at the end was chilling. I remember how much the intro sequence shocked me too. Bomb blasts were common at the time and to see one open a videogame felt like a massive statement of intent that this was a title for grown ups.

On that point, it also shares that rarest of traits for videogames, in that it seemed educational.

Few games have managed it: Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?, 80 days and The Last Express being a handful I can recall. All of these experiences left me with some residual knowledge of a country, historical period or person. I felt Broken Sword did this too. I became interested in the Templars and when I went to France years later, it felt more like the scenes in this game than in any film I'd seen set in Paris.

Overall, Broken Sword is one of the genre's greatest moments and looks like a real labour of love even now.

Oh, and yes. I got stuck on that goat puzzle for hours too.


Three word review: Paris in fall

[genuinebrag]

The first Broken Sword game might be my favourite point and click game ever. My history with it goes back quite some way, to the Playstation version, twenty years ago. I'd grown up watching my older sister play through the Sierra and Lucasarts games on the family PC, but I'd recently gotten a PS1 and a 14 inch TV in my room, so this might have been the first time I played one of these games on my own. I remember the wonderfully atmospheric opening, with George Stobbart waxing lyrical about 'Paris in the fall', and looking at the staggering visuals and getting a real sense that I was playing through a cartoon. It might be one of my favourite openings in a video game, in short order setting up the protagonist and the villain and giving the former his motivation through the shocking explosion and death of Plantard. I only got as far as Ireland the first time through, coming unstuck, as so many others did, at the dreaded Goat of Lochmarne.

Years later I moved to Japan and was without consoles to play games on, so was searching GOG.com for games to play on my underpowered laptop. I saw Broken Sword and jumped on it immediately. There was an overwhelming sense of nostalgia as I booted it up. It was the Director's Cut edition, so it wasn't exactly how I remembered it, but after getting back into it I was hooked. I distinctly remember my girlfriend at the time waking up at 4am and asking me why I was still up playing it. Loved all of the characters, especially George and Nico, and loved the globe trotting adventure, the still beautiful graphics, and the wonderful music. Still hated that goat. Managed to complete it this time, then went on to the second one, and finished that too. Not so keen on the third and fourth games, but the fifth was a real return to form. Nothing will ever top the original though.