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Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse |OT| Paris in the spring
- Thread starter Tizoc
- Start date
Gangxxter
Member
They said "anspruchslos" which is a term often used in German reviews when a game is too easy.
They criticized that the puzzles are very simple and they never got stuck for a longer time while reviewing the game.
It's not a very good review because on the other hand they praise BS 1&2 for their hard puzzles. To be honest, the puzzles in BS 1&2 were not that hard, especially in BS1. Most of the puzzles there were dialogue based and you can solve any dialogue puzzle by talking to everyone about everything.
BS2 had better puzzles but I think they were also not very hard (first time I played through BS2 was with a walkthrough).
Personally I want to be challenged by a p&c adventure game with hard puzzles. The longer I get stuck on a puzzle, the longer the fun lasts with the game. See my fail above, I'm only 10 % in the game and have already played 5 hours.
They criticized that the puzzles are very simple and they never got stuck for a longer time while reviewing the game.
It's not a very good review because on the other hand they praise BS 1&2 for their hard puzzles. To be honest, the puzzles in BS 1&2 were not that hard, especially in BS1. Most of the puzzles there were dialogue based and you can solve any dialogue puzzle by talking to everyone about everything.
BS2 had better puzzles but I think they were also not very hard (first time I played through BS2 was with a walkthrough).
Personally I want to be challenged by a p&c adventure game with hard puzzles. The longer I get stuck on a puzzle, the longer the fun lasts with the game. See my fail above, I'm only 10 % in the game and have already played 5 hours.
I don't get how this can be a bad thing. Puzzles have to be logical first and foremost. If you're stuck for a longer time because you can't replicate mental gymnastics developers went through while designing those puzzles (hello there cat mustache) I don't consider it to be fun time; I consider it to be frustrating.
I've noticed that as my understanding of adventure games has matured - it's very uncommon, these days, for me to get particularly stuck - not because games have necessarily got easier, but because I understand them better
Broken Sword itself is a good example. In the run-up to 5, I replayed it - for the first time since about 1997. I'd forgotten a lot in fifteen years, with only a few of the most memorable puzzles still in my memory. I'd completely forgotten Syria, Ireland other than the goat, the train, Spain, the hospital, parts of the Hotel Ubu.
And yet... I found it much easier than I recall back when I was in my late teens. Indeed, one bit I *did* remember was also a section I got stuck on (although that was an observation failure - the window control in the museum. I'd worked out the premise of the puzzle but hadn't seen *that* element to distract the guard, I was trying other methods of distracting him.)
So... I'll be very curious to hear if this *is* actually easier, or adventure fans are just smarter now.
(As an aside: I think the toughest puzzle I've ever encountered that I'd still regard as reasonably fair is the Fire Marble puzzle from Riven. It's logical and meaningful - provided you accept a little of Myst-universe logic - but requires understanding and interpreting quite a lot of distinct pieces of information. Similarly, it was the most rewarding to solve!)
I wonder those reviewers who think BS5 is too easy have ever played a broken sword game before.BS is always about dialogue and characters,most puzzles are inventory-based.You can't add too much difficulty if its inventory-based.
They should play games like Nancy drew or Safe cracker or something like that,those games are not easy.
They should play games like Nancy drew or Safe cracker or something like that,those games are not easy.
Broken Sword 1 & 2 were both pretty easy and I've always considered that to be a good thing because hard puzzles usually mean that they either don't make much sense or that you are being overwhelmed by locations and items which hurts the pacing of the story.
Putting the hamster into the microwave was fun in a LucasArts game but it wouldn't really work for an adventure game that is grounded in reality.
Putting the hamster into the microwave was fun in a LucasArts game but it wouldn't really work for an adventure game that is grounded in reality.
Given what happened to that hamster, it would work really well for an adventure game grounded in reality
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Yeah I was 10 when I first played BS. It's definitely a factor.
Gangxxter
Member
Well nearly all puzzles in BS1 are dialogue based with only a handful of inventory based puzzles.
BS2 had a nice balance between dialogue and inventory based puzzles that's why I prefer BS2 over BS1.
IMHO dialogue based puzzles are much easier than inventory based ones. I also think inventory puzzles are the best kind of puzzles because they can be difficult without being frustrating.
I finished it in 5.6 hours according to Steam. It was great to play a 2D Broken Sword again. The story and characters were quite memorable although the janky and slow animations hindered the game a little. I always had to wait for the character to finish moving their arms or move into a pose before they'd say the line of dialogue. It needs to be quicker with less pauses when chatting with characters.
I understand some of the complaints about difficulty. There were only a few places where I didn't immediately know what to do.
My other complaint is why they released the game now instead of waiting for the second half. The story is not self contained in the first episode, it is clearly the first part of the game which cuts off at the end and you continue it in the second episode. Why not just wait another month or two and release the whole thing? That would've been a better experience in my opinion.
Still, it's a great game and if you're a fan of Broken Sword you'll love it.
I understand some of the complaints about difficulty. There were only a few places where I didn't immediately know what to do.
My other complaint is why they released the game now instead of waiting for the second half. The story is not self contained in the first episode, it is clearly the first part of the game which cuts off at the end and you continue it in the second episode. Why not just wait another month or two and release the whole thing? That would've been a better experience in my opinion.
Still, it's a great game and if you're a fan of Broken Sword you'll love it.
Christmas, twice over.
* They want to be on sale prior to Christmas to get some Christmas sales - would the market really have noticed a game released in January?
* They promised backers the game before Christmas and this allowed them to give them something concrete to work with while delaying a bit.
My bad :/ .I got two mixed,I always have the impression that dialogue between characters are mostly base on the items they have,its actually dialogue-based.
You can click once to skip one dialogue.It will make the movement of characters seem lack of coherence though.
Gangxxter
Member
Maybe I got it wrong
Personally I use those definitions:Dialogue based puzzle: Talk to a specific person about a specific topic at a specific time in order to progress
Inventory based puzzle: Combine a specific item from your inventory with another specific item (either in your inventory or in the game world) at a specific time in order to progress
Finished it a couple of minutes ago and i really enjoyed it. The puzzles weren't the hardest but that was fine.
The whole game gave me the familiar feeling of the old Broken Sword games and the overflowing nostalgia drew me completely in. Love how they brought back some of the old characters and I hope that others will return as well in the next episodes.
There is also lots of stuff to discover so keep your eyes open.
Played it stoned, so hard puzzles would have been catastrophic.
The whole game gave me the familiar feeling of the old Broken Sword games and the overflowing nostalgia drew me completely in. Love how they brought back some of the old characters and I hope that others will return as well in the next episodes.
There is also lots of stuff to discover so keep your eyes open.
There is also lots of stuff to discover so keep your eyes open.
That explains why some people are Raving and Drooling for this
AlteredForms
Banned
I quite enjoyed the 3D installments. Especially Broken Sword 4: Angel Of Death.
AlteredForms
Banned
I suggest reading the Adventure Gamers review. There's happens to be the most robust.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Finished it! Really very solid. Puzzles were a little easy/abstract, but I still liked them enough. Some very BS1 style creepy feelings towards the end, which I appreciate.
Going to go ahead and download Broken Sword 2.5: Return of the Templars now. It's a fan-made sequel that Charles namedropped on the livestream, supposed to be quite good!
Going to go ahead and download Broken Sword 2.5: Return of the Templars now. It's a fan-made sequel that Charles namedropped on the livestream, supposed to be quite good!
Gangxxter
Member
I have to admit the game has a looooong and boring start, but I'm about 41 % in and it's starting to get really exciting now!
Just noticed this: http://picpar.com/K91 (spoiler image after you've solved the neon sign puzzle).
The game really rubs salt into the wound now
I had exactly the same problem with that, but I used the hints section as I don't play games to be frustrated.
Now at 25%, the game is a blast.
Edit: I feel relieved, in German it is spelt with just a single of those characters.
Gangxxter
Member
But the Walt Disney movie is spelled with two D's in German too
Gangxxter
Member
There seems to be a known bug towards the end. You can only reload an older savegame for now or wait for a patch. I didn' have this bug and could finish the game without a problem.
Seriously? It's not that hard to
remember four symbols without taking notes/screenshots. Besides that you can always take handwritten notes if you're really struggling
Huh? Why would it be more difficult on Vita?
Finally got through the final part without a crash. Really enjoyed episode 1, can't wait for part 2.
QuicheFontaine
Member
Finished this yesterday! I don't consider myself the best at point 'n' click games (although I have played a lot of them) but I found it pretty easy, and never got stuck.
Spoiler stuff:
Overall, I wasn't disappointed and I'm hungry for the next instalment. Normally I abhor episodic games, but since the next chapter is only a month away it actually doesn't feel too bad here. Actually, it helps to stretch the experience out a bit, as normally I just binge
Spoiler stuff:
I had a moment of pre-empting the solution when I first got Henri's glasses and flower. I kept trying to put them on to convince Bijou I was him, not knowing I had to get the song first and then sit down at her dressing table.
When climbing the drainpipe to get into the art studio, I thought what universe am I in where Nico is stood right there watching as I repeatedly honk the horn and then quickly try to climb the drainpipe before the seagull comes back? Stop messing with your phone and help me out woman! (I must have tried to rush it three times before I thought to talk to her while on the pipe).
When climbing the drainpipe to get into the art studio, I thought what universe am I in where Nico is stood right there watching as I repeatedly honk the horn and then quickly try to climb the drainpipe before the seagull comes back? Stop messing with your phone and help me out woman! (I must have tried to rush it three times before I thought to talk to her while on the pipe).
Overall, I wasn't disappointed and I'm hungry for the next instalment. Normally I abhor episodic games, but since the next chapter is only a month away it actually doesn't feel too bad here. Actually, it helps to stretch the experience out a bit, as normally I just binge
Ivan
Member
Man, I somehow forgot this is out! I'll try it TONIGHT.
Next period is going to be really awesome, we're finally gonna start getting those crowd funded games. Pure fact that there is new 2D Broken Sword is mindblowing.
And it's nice to see so many gaffers of similar age who liked it back in the day. I was 13 when Shadow of the Templars came out...good times.
Next period is going to be really awesome, we're finally gonna start getting those crowd funded games. Pure fact that there is new 2D Broken Sword is mindblowing.
And it's nice to see so many gaffers of similar age who liked it back in the day
. I was 13 when Shadow of the Templars came out...good times.25% in and I'm loving this. The dialogue is good, the puzzles are rarely frustrating and there's a bunch of Look At objects on each screen. You can even show all sorts of worthless crap to NPCs and they almost always comment on it. It's just like old times!
The production values aren't up to the first game's but they did a great job with their relatively limited Kickstarter budget.
The production values aren't up to the first game's but they did a great job with their relatively limited Kickstarter budget.
OlympicTechno
Neo Member
Real throwback to the first games, absolutely loved the first episode. Can't wait for the next. I had been so let down by 3 and 4 but now Revolution has returned to their roots I couldn't be happier! And the music! Amazing all round.
Gangxxter
Member
Yeah.
At least we know it pretty precisely for BS5: it had a budget of about 3.3 Million USD. 820,000 USD where raised through Kickstarter, 500,000 USD were self-funded before the Kickstarter started and the rest (2 Million USD) were raised through "traditional means" (I assume through some kind of investor or bank credit).
Tizoc
Member
Keep in mind that the prices of stuff during the 90s and 80s are different to current times, what cost 1 million then might not be much be today's comparison.
Gangxxter
Member
Maxwood
Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
Just a heads-up, I discovered a bug at 43% completion, when talking to
the game might crash.
The solution? Changing the UI from Modern to Classic...
...yeah.
Atleast it's easier to fix then the infamous Syria/Spain bug.
Loving the game and how it builds up. The
puzzle was especially great.
Fleur
The solution? Changing the UI from Modern to Classic...
...yeah.
Atleast it's easier to fix then the infamous Syria/Spain bug.
Loving the game and how it builds up. The
russian typewriter
Gangxxter
Member
A patch addressing this crash will be released late this week.Just a heads-up, I discovered a bug at 43% completion, when talking tothe game might crash.Fleur
The solution? Changing the UI from Modern to Classic...
...yeah.
Atleast it's easier to fix then the infamous Syria/Spain bug.
Loving the game and how it builds up. Thepuzzle was especially great.russian typewriter
I've read on the Revolution forum that the
typewriter
you're able to read Cyrillic/fluent in Russian. In fact, in Russia they use Arabic numerals just like we do. I've also read that some letters on the typewriter "went extinct centuries before the invention of typewriters"
Go get it if you enjoyed BS 1&2. Personally I think it's not as good as the old games, but this might be because of nostalgia. At least BS5 is very, very close to be as good as BS 1&2. Perhaps I think so because only the first half of the game has been released so far. If I had played BS2 only up until the point where the shaman tells you about the other 2 stones, I also wouldn't have rated the game to be as good as BS1^^
Only negative point: the puzzles are very easy, hopefully they'll get harder in Episode 2.
After all, BS5 is way, WAY better than BS 3&4.
Another review:
Strategy Informer: 8/10
Gangxxter
Member
I strongly recommend you to play with game hints turned off (go to Options -> Game Settings)! If you play with hints turned on you won't be able to combine any item with any other item in your inventory, only with those items that make sense. This greatly reduces the fun of finding the right solutions for puzzles.
If you're really stuck you can always turn on the hints anytime midgame and use the hint system then.
If you're really stuck you can always turn on the hints anytime midgame and use the hint system then.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
I finished it the other day.
-The story is ok.
-Dialogue is good.
-Characters are good but do tend to fall a bit into caricature (the waiter for one...)
-Puzzles are ok, but a bit too easy.
-Animation is pretty bad. Budget thing I guess, there's not enough unique movement.
All in all, far better then 3 or 4, but not as good as 1 & 2. Bit disappointed that it's not as good as 2, as 2 felt helluva rushed - but the story was better then 5 at least. That 6/10 from metro is looking close, I'd probably give it 7/10 myself. Thankfully they were wrong about nico's voice; it's rather nice - better then 4 for sure, about on par with 1, though not as good as 2.
I hope they can roll some of the feedback into making part 2 better, but it's not long to go now. Hopefully the story threads pulling together will make it feel more coherent.
-The story is ok.
-Dialogue is good.
-Characters are good but do tend to fall a bit into caricature (the waiter for one...)
-Puzzles are ok, but a bit too easy.
-Animation is pretty bad. Budget thing I guess, there's not enough unique movement.
All in all, far better then 3 or 4, but not as good as 1 & 2. Bit disappointed that it's not as good as 2, as 2 felt helluva rushed - but the story was better then 5 at least. That 6/10 from metro is looking close, I'd probably give it 7/10 myself. Thankfully they were wrong about nico's voice; it's rather nice - better then 4 for sure, about on par with 1, though not as good as 2.
I hope they can roll some of the feedback into making part 2 better, but it's not long to go now. Hopefully the story threads pulling together will make it feel more coherent.
Gangxxter
Member
Have to disagree, the animations are really nice. And there are tons of unique animations, just watch carefully when characters talk to each other. They often gesticulate while talking which was completely absent in BS 1&2. Also when combining/using items there are always custom animations for that.
Furthermore there are a lot of idle animations for the characters which are also very nice.
I've played other P&C games where the screen just fades to black only to cut down complex animations.
CosmicGroinPull
Member
Woot! Purchased and downloading.... . Haven't played an adventure game for ages.
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