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[Gangxxter]

Woot! Purchased and downloading.... . Haven't played an adventure game for ages.

Have fun
Remember to turn off the Hints in the Game Settings, otherwise it's way too easy, even for point&click beginners


EDIT: Another German review.

Giga.de (German): 7/10

I grinned several times like a Cheshire cat when I came across another recurring character from the first game in the series. "Broken Sword 5" is pure fan service. Newcomers can also wait until next year, when the second part hopefully brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

EDIT2: Another one:

Hooked Gamers: 8.5/10

A perfect mix of humour and intrigue is what separates Broken Sword from other games out there. It's not as foreign and “silly” as Deponia, not as serious as Gabriel Knight and Agatha Christie, not as incredible (in the literal meaning of the word), as The Next Big Thing. Broken Sword is just Broken Sword. There is no comparison. Except perhaps in technical terms like interface and complexity, but those things are trivial when compared to the story in games of this genre. Brilliant story evolution and plot complexity will keep you locked in your seat playing this game. Of course, this is only half the story. As an episodic game it ends on a cliff hanger, but it does reveal enough to give you a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. Episode 2 will be released early next year and I'm already itching to get it. That does mean, though, that nothing can be said about the quality of the game as a whole in literary terms, and the score attached to this review is therefore subject to change upon release of the second episode. All I can say is: “so far, so good”.

 

[Nightengale]

Classic Broken Sword. Yum.

I guess if there's one thing I miss, it's the way the remake versions of BS1/2 had George/Nico face panels to showcase their facial expression on stuff. That Stobbard grin was infectious.

I really liked the pacing for the story this time round. I've always enjoyed the more subdued side of BS's storytelling, and the fact that it kept itself well-grounded with the development of those aspects + the typical mystical stuff was great.

 

[Gangxxter]

Official support FAQ by Revolution: http://www.revolution.co.uk/support/bs5/

I'd also like to add some points:

- Zone Alarm seems to make problems with that game, only solution is to uninstall Zone Alarm.
- If the game fails to launch on Steam without error message, you should try to run the game's executable directly (on Windows “BS5.exe”). In some cases that shows an error message which can help to troubleshoot the issue.
- Make also sure that your sound card drivers are correctly installed and up to date.

In other news, another review by Edge:
Edge Magazine: 6/10

As a reminder of the old days of the series, The Serpent’s Curse just about serves its purpose; it sounds the same, works the same and, mostly, looks the same. But as a contender on the modern point-and-click landscape it offers little to drag players away from the new age of superior soirees.

EDIT: more reviews:
Invision Game Community: 5/5

I give Broken Sword 5: The Serpents Curse a 5/5, a great addition to the series and a wonderful call back to old style Point and Click Adventure games. With things to entice both old and new players to the game, this is definitely worth a purchase at the asking price. Time to feed my pet Cockroach Trevor.

JeuxActu (French): 14/20

It's a real pleasure to meet again with George Stobbart et Nico, above all when it's in a 2D game, which cleverly comes back to the origins. But let's face the truth : Broken Sword 5 is a very nice point'n click, but it's still not perfect. Puzzles are too easy and the game is technically old fashioned.

EDIT 2:
Eurogamer (German): 6/10

This brings us to the real crux of "Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse". The title seems unfinished, the well-researched plot picks up pace too late and the sudden episodic end feels far from satisfactory for a 20 Euro game (Steam). Even though I can ignore plot/logic or animation blunders: Three to four tricky and a few easy-peasy puzzles aren't worth the money to me. Nostalgic feelings or not. The first episode remains mild mediocrity on its own. Only the total package next year might pull the adventure out again. Very impatient fans can get the game now of course, if the haven't backed the project on Kickstarter anyway. After all the second part will be free for buyers of episode one. Furthermore, ports for iOS, Android and PS Vita will follow soon.

 

[Splatt]

Just completed it. Much better than BS4.

 

[CosmicGroinPull]

Finished. That was too short, even for half a game. That was a nice nostalgia gaming trip, but then I went back and played Broken Sword 1 (the only one I hadn't) and found George/Nico more interesting and fleshed out there. They shouldn't have neglected that in BS5.

I enjoyed the

Spoiler

troll 'proposal' though...

Have fun
Remember to turn off the Hints in the Game Settings, otherwise it's way too easy, even for point&click beginners

Thanks (too late though...). Well, I was rusty anyway

 

[Gangxxter]

I enjoyed the

Spoiler

troll 'proposal' though...

Ah yeah, that was so great

GameSpot review:

GameSpot: 8/10

Smart, occasionally funny, and immediately charming, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse is easy to recommend based on its strong narrative, memorable characters, and artistic merit. The game is a vibrant return to form for the series, and should easily please the series' and point-and-click adventure game fans alike.

 

[bj00rn_]

Switched to the classic interface because the game kept crashing at a particular place (and no more crashes after that), and it's so much more efficient. Wish I had played it like that from the beginning..

 

[Gangxxter]

^True that. And the classic speech text looks also so much better.

We should add some general tips to the OP, like using the classic UI and classic speech text and turning off the tips because the game is otherwise way too easy.

 

[Morfeo]

Any chance of this gettin a physical release? I think I might have asked already, but I cant remember the answer lol.

 

[a secret-boss]

Ah yeah, that was so great

GameSpot review:

GameSpot: 8/10

Broken Sword doing what Double Fine still need to deliver

 

[Tizoc]

I'll update the first post later with the tips and hints as well as the reviews

 

[Gangxxter]

Any chance of this gettin a physical release? I think I might have asked already, but I cant remember the answer lol.

Physical PC release once Episode 2 is out is pretty much a given now, Triona (Community Manager at Revolution) has recently confirmed this.
Physical release for Vita is still uncertain.

I'll update the first post later with the tips and hints as well as the reviews

Cool, nice

 

[Morfeo]

Physical PC release once Episode 2 is out is pretty much a given now, Triona (Community Manager at Revolution) has recently confirmed this.
Physical release for Vita is still uncertain.

Awesome! Will get that when it comes out then. Really looking forward to playing it!

 

[Tizoc]

Just beat the game, I need Ep. 2 already lol. Feel kinda silly for not figuring out the last 'puzzle' =_=

 

[Acquiescence]

I wonder if the Vita version will appear on PSN next week.

 

[Gangxxter]

I wonder if the Vita version will appear on PSN next week.

Honestly? I doubt it unfortunately.

New review:
Alternative Magazine Online: 9/10

Regardless of what 2014 brings, this first step into the world of Broken Sword 5 delivers not only an excellent new instalment in the series, but an excellent adventure game full stop. Congratulations to Charles Cecil and the Revolution Software team for bringing George and Nico back to life in vivid HD with not a publisher in sight – it turns out that happiness really is an inside job!

 

[Gangxxter]

Another review:
Multiplayer.it (Italian): 7.7/10

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse - Episode 1 is only half of the whole game: when it finally catches our attention, the story ends abruptly.

 

[Stuart444]

So I'm at

Spoiler

hobbs

, how long roughly til I finish it?

 

[Gangxxter]

So I'm at

Spoiler

hobbs

, how long roughly til I finish it?

When you've completed Episode 1 the savegame will be at 50%.

 

[Gangxxter]

Bunch of other reviews:
Pxlbyte: 7.5/10

A worthy successor to the beloved classics of old, The Serpent's Curse is well worth playing if you love adventure games.

IndieGameMagazine: 80/100

All in all then, Broken Sword: The Serpents Curse – Episode 1 is a lovely game. A couple of very slight niggles with the mix of art-styles not always blending as seamlessly as they should, a few spelling errors and a slim running time stand out, but never threaten to take the shine off of what is otherwise a lovely package. It’s a great start to what we hope is a bright future for Broken Sword – we just hope that the second half is a little more generous in both length and content.

GamingBolt: 8/10

Broken Sword 5 is a satisfying game at best and the simplistic nature of its control scheme will be great at reaching a wide audience across multiple platforms. The real strengths however lie in its sound design and a visual differences that set it apart from other genres of games.

GameZebo: 4/5

Despite a rough edge here and there, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse – Episode 1 sets up an enjoyable reunion between George and Nico. Feel free to jump in even if you're not familiar with the duo. The more brains we have fixated on this mystery, the better.

So, for all those Easter Egg hunters out there, have you...

- ...found out yet how to change the phone icon of George/Nico?
- ...examined the mysterious "Stretch goal" object closely?
- ...found the goat Easter Egg?

I'm not sure about the second one, need to pay more attention to it on my next playthrough.

 

[Gangxxter]

Spoiler

Sorry for triple post

New patch is out now on Steam, I'm currently downloading a 616 MB update.

 

[epmode]

I feel like these reviews are strangely low for one of the best adventure games in a while. Not that 8/10 is particularly bad but I've seen similar scores for far worse Daedalic games.

New patch is out now on Steam, I'm currently downloading a 616 MB update.

They fixed the broken aspect ratio thing. Now I no longer have to force 720p to keep it from looking hideous.

 

[Gangxxter]

They fixed the broken aspect ratio thing. Now I no longer have to force 720p to keep it from looking hideous.

I still have this bug, just tried it on my old 5:4 monitor and the image is totally stretched. What's your operating system and graphics card? I use Windows 7 with a Nvidia GeForce GT 540M.
Well this bug doesn't bother me at all since all my main displays are 16:9.

What I did notice though is that the bug is fixed, which let you click outside the game if you are in fullscreen mode and have a multi monitor setup.

EDIT: Changelog: http://tonyrevdev.tumblr.com/post/70012537849/v1-01-update-out-on-steam-windows-mac-linux

v1.01 update out on Steam (Windows/Mac/Linux).

Lots of fixes and improvements, including:

- Crash fixes (modern inventory combine bug)
- Several script bug fixes
- Better fullscreen support
- Performance improvements (movies on OSX)
- English translation improvements
- Backer credits

GoG versions to follow - we update, but they push it out…

DRM free linux version available from our website, probably Monday

 

[epmode]

I still have this bug, just tried it on my old 5:4 monitor and the image is totally stretched. What's your operating system and graphics card? I use Windows 7 with a Nvidia GeForce GT 540M.
Well this bug doesn't bother me at all since all my main displays are 16:9.

I have a 16:10 monitor and prior to this patch it was stretching everything to my native resolution. After the patch it defaults to 720p exactly (with black bars). Much better than before.

I don't know how it affects other aspect ratios, sorry.

 

[Gangxxter]

I have a 16:10 monitor and prior to this patch it was stretching everything to my native resolution. After the patch it defaults to 720p exactly (with black bars). Much better than before.

I don't know how it affects other aspect ratios, sorry.

Turns out it actually runs at 720p on my 5:4 monitor, but it's my driver/monitor settings which stretched it to fullscreen.
That means it works exactly like the Beta now: resolution is forced to 720p.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I've got the gog version so I can't try this yet.

Would be interested to know if they've fixed the spelling of magdeline and judas on the photo though

 

[jonnyp]

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.

Think the animation is just fine. But damn was it short. I hope part 2 is twice as long at least.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I think it's because the puzzles were too easy. I didn't really get stuck anywhere, it only took me a few hours to complete.

 

[Gangxxter]

Think the animation is just fine. But damn was it short. I hope part 2 is twice as long at least.

I'm sorry, but Episode 2 will be slightly shorter, maybe 5 hours. But I think the length is fine, Eposode 1 is about 6-7 hours, which makes a total playtime of 11-12 hours, which is a very decent playtime (BS1 was also 12 hours).

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

The full-screen stretching still hasn't been fixed in the mac version, I see. What the hell are they playing at?

 

[Shin-Ra]

No 1080p+ art update yet? I'd like it if the classic top and bottom bar interfaces only opened when the mouse pointer's pushed all the way to the edge, but it's not a biggie. In the OSX version I was getting very brief flashes of beachballing on the pointer which gives the impression you're scrolling over an interactive hotspot. Hope Rev do fix that.

The Russian numbers puzzle was my favourite. Multi-step with clear clues.

Spoiler

But first I tried putting all the numbers in 1-9, then I remembered the book date.

 

[Gangxxter]

The full-screen stretching still hasn't been fixed in the mac version, I see. What the hell are they playing at?

Windowed mode, lol.

Spoiler

Sad but true

1080p patch should come next week.

 

[Coop]

Windowed mode, lol.

Spoiler

Sad but true

1080p patch should come next week.

I think I'll hold off playing then. I started playing today but if the 1080p patch is coming in a week or two I can wait.

 

[Aklamarth]

Finished it a few days ago. Overall it was pretty good......a return to form. Especially liked the beautifully hand drawn backgrounds.

Kind of dissapointed that there were only a handful of locations though.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I'm sorry, but Episode 2 will be slightly shorter, maybe 5 hours. But I think the length is fine, Eposode 1 is about 6-7 hours

I didn't even get half that. Hope the puzzles are much more difficult.

 

[Gangxxter]

I didn't even get half that. Hope the puzzles are much more difficult.

Then you clearly skipped and missed a lot of funny dialogue and lines by George & Nico.
Most of the content of BS5 lies in its "optional" stuff. Talking to NPCs about everything, carefully examining every hotspot or even combining useless items often yields surprising results.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Then you clearly skipped and missed a lot of funny dialogue and lines by George & Nico.
Most of the content of BS5 lies in its "optional" stuff. Talking to NPCs about everything, carefully examining every hotspot or even combining useless items often yields surprising results.

You're kidding, right? I exhausted just about every dialogue option in the game, which isn't difficult given the small cast and linear progression.

 

[dc89]

Hmm Mac or Vita (when it launches) this is a tough call.

 

[Gangxxter]

You're kidding, right? I exhausted just about every dialogue option in the game, which isn't difficult given the small cast and linear progression.

It took me 10 hours to complete Episode 1 and I didn't get stuck anywhere for very long (plus 3 hours on the damn neon sign puzzle, 13 hours in total then).
You must have skipped dialogues then. Or you still missed many things (have you shown the diamond ring to Nico?)
Besides that, each hotspot in the game offers at least two different comments from George/Nico (so clicking everything twice is advised^^) Talking to characters about certain topics multiple times also gives you more information because the characters often have more to say.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

It took me 10 hours to complete Episode 1 and I didn't get stuck anywhere for very long (plus 3 hours on the damn neon sign puzzle, 13 hours in total then).
You must have skipped dialogues then. Or you still missed many things (have you shown the diamond ring to Nico?)
Besides that, each hotspot in the game offers at least two different comments from George/Nico (so clicking everything twice is advised^^) Talking to characters about certain topics multiple times also gives you more information because the characters often have more to say.

Yes I did the proposal. Please stop assuming things. The neon puzzle took me less then a minute. The game is just so amazingly easy that dialogue and inventory is pretty much all I did.

I'm currently doing a replay of Broken Sword 1, and I just completed Ireland. One of the main puzzles there was a dialogue one, and there were seven people to talk to.
I'm not even sure there's any point in BS5 part 1 where you just walk around and talk to seven different people...

 

[Gangxxter]

BS5 has been nominated as Best Adventure 2013 on IncGamers.com

You can vote here: http://www.incgamers.com/incgamers-2013-pc-gaming-readers-awards

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Primordia really deserves that, but it was released at about the worst time possible to qualify for either 2012 or 2013 awards. :/

 

[Sloane]

It took me 10 hours to complete Episode 1 and I didn't get stuck anywhere for very long (plus 3 hours on the damn neon sign puzzle, 13 hours in total then).

How the hell did it take you 13 hours? Steam says I finished it in 5 and I tried most of the unnecessary dialogue options without skipping anything.

If the second episode actually is shorter, that would be pretty disappointing since the story doesn't really get going until the very end of episode one.

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

How the hell did it take you 13 hours? Steam says I finished it in 5 and I tried most of the unnecessary dialogue options without skipping anything.

If the second episode actually is shorter, that would be pretty disappointing since the story doesn't really get going until the very end of episode one.

Some of the kickstarter stretch goals extra locations and characters, weren't they? Makes you wonder how small the game might have been.

 

[Knurek]

- English translation improvements

Huh? Wasn't the game developed by a British company and written by a British person? Why would it need English translation improvements? O_O

 

[Ivan]

I must say I'm a little disappointed...

Maybe it's production values, maybe something else, but this game doesn't give me Broken Sword feelings I expected.

I really dislike this new and cheap animation system, that old Disneyesque animation from '96 looks much, much better and more "humane" and warm. This is just too robotic.

Backgrounds are too low res and they lack detail and life. They are too static.

It's good enough as a game, but aesthetics are not even close to being good for me and for 2013.

Now I'm not even sure I want other legendary games to be remade cheaply on kickstarter, do it the right way or leave it alone.

I wanted beautiful 2D Broken Sword game, this just isn't that, sorry.

But it's still nice to see it existing and people liking it.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Huh? Wasn't the game developed by a British company and written by a British person? Why would it need English translation improvements? O_O

Well at one point there's a photo with notes scrawled on it by a spaniard. George reads them out, and they're all slightly different versions of names of biblical figures. Not sure if the notes he scrawled on were supposed to be spanish versions of biblical names or ancient names but for some reason they appear on the photo with their modern english names, which is obviously a goof. Could be that they changed, but I don't feel like playing through again to find out.

 

[Tizoc]

Vita ver is up on eu psn. Complete ver is 12.79£ for plus members.

 

[ZeroX03]

Complete version with Plus discount is not too bad. Think I'll grab that.

Single episode w/o Plus is an absolute rip-off though.

 

[jon bones]

so eu folk: how does the vita version run??