One major sound component missing in this game is voice acting. Strings are the dominant instrument of choice for most of the compositions. The title theme in particular is excellent and the in-game music adds atmosphere to the various locations. Music is not played often in the game, but the classical style music that is present is good. Making an already great-looking game look even better are the beautifully drawn and animated portraits by celebrated comic book artist Dave Gibbons, who may be best known for his work on graphic novel “The Watchmen.” The fully animated intro sequence and cutscenes throughout look fantastic, and the whole package makes me feel as if I have truly stepped into one of those great European cartoon series like The Adventures of Tintin. The environments evoke the je ne sais quois of their real-life counterparts. I thought the game looked great then and looks good even now. The main portion of the game looks like its 1996 counterpart with its nicely animated sprites and detailed, prerendered landscapes that look hand drawn. The coolness of the game is enhanced by the slick visuals. The added content featuring Nicole adds another dimension to an already great story. Her story integrates beautifully with George’s and feels as if it was always meant to be there. New to this version of Broken Sword are playable scenarios as Nicole interspersed throughout the game. They really bring out the hammiest actors in people.” I loved the game’s story back in the day and it still remains one of my all-time favorite video game stories. Some of George’s internal comments about people and situations are quite amusing, such as, “Regret and remorse are strange emotions. The plot itself is a good murder mystery conspiracy with fantastic dialogue and memorable characters. Anyway, George’s adventure not only takes him all over Paris, but also to other countries such as Spain, Morocco, and Ireland. I know the Knights Templar is currently a trendy “flavor of the month” in storytelling thanks to books like The DaVinci Code or games like Hellgate: London, but Broken Sword came out well before any of that. What they eventually uncover is a massive conspiracy plot by cult-like followers of the Knights Templar. Being the curious sort, he wants to know what’s going on and soon finds himself working with investigative reporter Nicole Collard to uncover the truth behind this crime. George survives the blast by shielding his body with one of the outdoor umbrellas.
While dining al fresco at a Parisian cafe, he notices a clown walk into the cafe with an accordion, walk back out with a briefcase, then the whole place blows up. I did try out the DS version of Broken Sword and unlike the halfhearted DS ports of Myst and Syberia, Broken Sword made a solid transition from PC to DS.īroken Sword is the debut adventure of George Stobbart, a law student vacationing in Paris. The Wii’s control scheme is made for the genre, but various graphic adventure ports for that platform have been sub par. Since I do not own a Wii, I could not verify how well that version of the game played. They feature updated character art by Dave Gibbons (The Watchmen) and added playable scenes featuring George Stobbart’s companion, the lovely French photojournalist Nicole Collard. These are not mere ports, but reworked versions of the originals optimized for the DS and Wii hardware. It has since evolved into one of the most beloved series in the genre and currently has four main installments: 1996’s Shadow of the Templars, 1997’s The Smoking Mirror, 2003’s The Sleeping Dragon, and 2006’s Secrets of the Ark (a.k.a The Angel of Death.) Every Broken Sword game has been good and George Stobbart is an enduring and beloved protagonist among genre fans.Ĭut now to 2009 and the new Director’s Cut versions of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars for the DS and Wii. The story is compelling, the characters are memorable, the visuals are stunning, and the challenging puzzles are never needlessly obtuse. It remains one of my all time favorite graphic adventures. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars was originally released for the PC in 1996, but has also been released on the PlayStation and the Game Boy Advance.
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