Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars

[scotland171]

A mid 90s point and click adventure set in contemporary Europe. It was originally a Windows 95 game I think, but its made the rounds to consoles, portables, and mobile platforms. This is a genre where mobile touch screenworks as well as a mouse, if not better.

The game often makes lists of best such games. Its not my favorite genre, but it has its place in the toolbox.

This is an updated version, as discussion of prices in euros makes clear. Animation has a nice 80s feel.

Wish me luck...it has already begun with a ne'er do well mime spoiling an interview, and getting a cup of coffee in Paris seems hazardous to ones health...

[Sut1]

This is one of my favourite games, I played through the original PS1 version years ago, chronic load times included. I obtained this again for iOS (Director's Cut) and had even more of a blast. They did make that damn goat puzzle easier in the updated version though - it took me weeks to figure that one out on the PS1!

Love the humour in Broken Sword, the kebab man in Syria being particularly memorable. Keep us updated with your thoughts as you progress. Also check out Broken Sword 2 once you've completed this, more of the same (which is a good thing).

Enjoy !

[ActRaiser1]

I played it on the Gameboy Advance and loved it!

I bought 5 for the Vita.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting dumber with age and need a walkthrough to make much progress in it.

Regardless, I've been smitten by Nico as well.  

This week's Humble Bundle is offering up adventure gaming options for those interested.

https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly

Pay what you want for Detective Grimioure, Broken Sword I and II, The Whispered World.  If you pay more than the average, $4.50, get 3 more games.  Pay $10 and get Broken Sword 5.

[scotland171]

About a quarter of the way through and its lots of fun. The scenery can be very well done, e.g., the costume shop. It auto journals important information, discussions work well, and there is a hint system. I needed a hint for a scooby doo kind of puzzle with a moveable cross, a sliding panel, and a broken secret door. An old English Lady in a hotel has been a source of great snarky humor. Unlike RPGs where NPCs usually just say the same thing every time, here you have to return and talk to people again and again.

I like that its not one those games where you die a shocking death, reload the last save file, then try something else until you blunder into the answer.

I picked this game up based on Suts recommendation awhile back to someone else. I also checked out the humble bundle, so thanks to both Actraiser and Sut. Any recommendations?

(actually, while I have the cart, I have never played Actraiser on the SNES. It probably needs a new battery. I have the replacement battery but have not risked the cart on my iffy soldering skills yet)

[scotland171]

Finished up. The cutscenes in particular reminded me of the animation style of the 80s movie Heavy Metal. Neither Harry the cabbie nor the Lochnar would have been out of place. The story, which begins as a wacky murder she wrote gets the Michael Chrichton meets Dan Brown treatment up to the elevens.

The middle eastern adventure is a low point; you could say they were scrapping the bottom of the bowl there.The protagonist has no money issues until suddenly for no reason he is so broke he cant rent a taxi, resolves puzzle he should have been able to brush aside, then never again has money issues. The resolution to that chapter was ludicrous outside of a comic book.

The Spanish adventure was better (could be a neat ghost story on its own), but also had you stealing from a friend on the off chance the item would be useful. Of course, its not just useful but vital. Steal everything. Its like breaking barrels in other games.

The game did not benefit from the additional directors cut prologue, as it establishes a protagonist who is idle most of the game. One instance of dialogue warns against showing a hard won object to a particular person, but otherwise the protagonist continues to ignore suspicions. One puzzle involving a phone, a bar of soap, and grey paint was basically a vaudeville routine and very strict on the order of things. It also involved a toilet. Maybe a different person did those con game puzzles instead of more deductive puzzles.

All in all, I enjoyed it. while it suffers from some issues, they tend to be genre issues. The far out plot is only far out relative to detective fiction, not video game science fiction. I will have to remember that when I look for others in the series.

Also note that an American tourist in Paris has to move heaven and earth to score points with local french girls.

[Sut1]

In retrospect I agree the puzzles in the Middle Eastern section are amongst the weakest, but I found the games humour strongest at this point. The kebab seller with the toilet basting brush, the taxi driver's enthusiastic sales pitch (and George's resigned replies), the American tourists and of course the young market trader -
Toodle pip sir !

Conversely I found the Spanish part of George's adventure a bit dry, I didn't enjoy the chess or the water well finding puzzles. But the story did get deeper in this section.

Agreed on the Directors Cut additions they add little to the experience apart from maybe fleshing Nicole out a bit more.

Do you plan on playing Smoking Mirror ? I've just started replaying it would like to get your thoughts on the
sequel.

[ActRaiser1]

[QUOTE=scotland17] Also note that an American tourist in Paris has to move heaven and earth to score points with local french girls.[/QUOTE]

I LOLed

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=scotland17]The story, which begins as a wacky murder she wrote gets the Michael Chrichton meets Dan Brown treatment up to the elevens. [/QUOTE]
You had me interested until right here.  Dan Brown is to writing what being eaten alive by army ants is to a fun evening.  I (really, honestly, 100%) believe the only capital offense should be book burning.  However, I'd go happily to the chair to see that man's writing (if you can call what he does "writing") expunged from history. 

[Vexer1]

Atarifever- What about Stephanie Meyer?  She's a trillion times worse then Brown.

[ActRaiser1]

[QUOTE=Atarifever][QUOTE=scotland17]The story, which begins as a wacky murder she wrote gets the Michael Chrichton meets Dan Brown treatment up to the elevens. [/QUOTE]
You had me interested until right here.  Dan Brown is to writing what being eaten alive by army ants is to a fun evening.  I (really, honestly, 100%) believe the only capital offense should be book burning.  However, I'd go happily to the chair to see that man's writing (if you can call what he does "writing") expunged from history. [/QUOTE]

It's been a good 13 years since I played the game but I think the Dan Brown reference may be in regards to history lessons referring to the Knights Templar similar to Dan Brown's books revolving history, art, and religion.  

The game does a great job at giving a fun, adventure yarn based on historical fiction.  The writing style works for the medium quite well. Heck, I loved the game and played it on the Gameboy Advance before trying it out on the Wii several years later.

Of course, if you don't like point and click adventures, you'll hate the game.  It's an acquired taste.