Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - GBA

Also known as: Baphomets Fluch', 'Circle of Blood

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Also for: PC, PlayStation
Viewed: 2D Side-on, Flick screen Genre:
Adventure: Point and Click
Arcade origin:No
Developer: Revolution Soft. Co.: Revolution
Publishers: BAM! (GB/US)
Released: 2002 (US)
22 Mar 2002 (GB)
Ratings: 11+, ESRB Teen 13+ (T)
No Accessories: No Accessories

Summary

Broken Sword, originally released in 1996, was one of PlayStation’s surprise hits. It was very much an exploratory title, lacking the onscreen action that so many gamers seek, but its character development and strong story made the game compelling. It intrigued players as opposed to exciting them, and with handheld technology moving forward, Broken Sword has now been released on Game Boy Advance.

Assuming the role of the lead character, George Stobbart, an American on holiday in Paris, you witness the theft of an ancient manuscript whilst enjoying a coffee at a cafe. Your investigative talents are brought to life and you are engrossed in a quest that could change the course of mankind forever.

Amazingly, developer Revolution has managed to retain almost all of the pre-rendered quality of the original game. The hand-drawn environments look just as good as they did back in PSX times, and the 2D character animation is also fluid.

In a similar fashion to old school text-based adventures and the Monkey Island games, you must move around the environments looking for clues, collect seemingly useless items and figure out where to use them to progress. Broken Sword will no doubt have many players struggling, but it’s all part of the game’s learning curve. Once you become accustomed to how the game works, the challenges and mysteries become more difficult. One thing is guaranteed, by the time you finish this 20-hour marathon of a game, you’ll think you’re better investigator than Sherlock Holmes himself.