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Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is 20 Cane & Rinse retrospective
- Thread starter Caipirinha
- Start date
Wait what? Which part did it cut out? I only ever played the originals through. I started the remaster if 1 and ended up turning it off in disgust before I even got through the new prologue.
I recall the GBA port had another game breaking bug where you could go to some of the countries out of order, but when you got there you were stuck as you didn't have an item you needed to progress, and you couldn't leave.
I love this game to bits. Fantastic story, great voice work and the animations and illustrations are lovely.
I first played it on the PS1 (got stuck at the goat in Ireland - maybe something to do with using a controller made this harder) and then completed it some years later on PC.
I can still remember so many moments in the game, and the piano tune that the lady plays in the hotel is etched into my brain.
It's my favourite point & click game of all time and one of my favourite games of all time too.
I first played it on the PS1 (got stuck at the goat in Ireland - maybe something to do with using a controller made this harder) and then completed it some years later on PC.
I can still remember so many moments in the game, and the piano tune that the lady plays in the hotel is etched into my brain.
It's my favourite point & click game of all time and one of my favourite games of all time too.
Guys, I assume that the italian translation and dub is a big part of what made me dislike the game, as it's seriously atrocius.
However it's still one of my less liked point and click adventure games, this is my top ten:
In general I think that Broken Sword has a great atmosphere, great setting, beautiful graphics, but one-dimensional characters, boring plot and sub-standard puzzles.
Guybrush is pretty assholish and feigns stupidity most of the times, since he has quite a few brilliant ideas in the 2D trilogy, George as far as I remember is an insufferable bona fide moron with no redeeming qualities.
However it's still one of my less liked point and click adventure games, this is my top ten:
In general I think that Broken Sword has a great atmosphere, great setting, beautiful graphics, but one-dimensional characters, boring plot and sub-standard puzzles.
Guybrush is pretty assholish and feigns stupidity most of the times, since he has quite a few brilliant ideas in the 2D trilogy, George as far as I remember is an insufferable bona fide moron with no redeeming qualities.
CosmicRomancer
Member
I don't know about that. I think Monkey Island easily being on a different level is stretching it a bit. They're both great games. I'm just surprised because Axass has polar opposite views of each game, games which share a lot of good similarities.
Main difference is that Broken Sword takes itself way more seriously than Monkey Island, yet doesn't have a good enough plot and characters to back up that seriousness. I can laugh when Guybrush does something stupid or crazy, because it's in line with the setting and comedic atmosphere, not so much when the same happens in Broken Sword, because it contrasts with the more serious tone of the game.
However I don't want to go on a tirade on how bad BS is, I'm sure my experience is tainted by having played it too many years down the line, remastered and with a dreadful translation; I'm glad you guys love it.
This is a really weak argument.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
The worst example is George's opening scene - There's no "Paris in the fall", and no "changed my life forever" George monologues. Basically everything George said either side of the animated cafe video is gone, and replaced by a stupid joke.
Charles Cecil doesn't get what people liked about his own damn series.
Ugh, what were they thinking? That opening monologue is absolutely necessary to set up the tone for the entire damned plot. How the hell do you cut it?
Why?
Caipirinha
Member
With the remasters, I just took them as a different take on BS, I was so familiar with the original by then that I just appreciated the prologue. That said I can see your point re people who play the game for the first time via the remasters... Everyone's first experience of Broken Sword should be "Paris in the fall', there is zero doubt about that.
But the Cecil hate is unnecessary. There might be something missing without the original writer in terms of humour, but that doesn't mean Cecil didn't and doesn't still bring the other half of what makes BS great and that's the themes and settings and premises - he's a history buff and, for example, BS5 is set in a region of the world he knows well and links in to history he is knowledgable and passionate about and that really really shows.
The game doesn't start there anymore. It opens with an entirely new Nico section, so she now gets the opening monologue.
Because humour can exist within a narrative that is more serious and work well, like in Broken Sword?
Humour like that sits well within a more serious story. There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think the mix of seriousness and humour in Broken Sword is what makes it more multi-faceted than Monkey Island.
I guess I just don't understand how you could not find something funny said through dialogue or someone's actions just because the overall narrative has a more serious tone, unless it is you yourself who is being too serious.
CosmicRomancer
Member
I don't think Broken Sword does take itself too seriously at all. It does have its dark moments, but it does extremely well to pick its light-hearted ones. Like skypunch has just said, those two qualities can co-exist and when it does it works really well.
Replayed them all (even the fan made one) it a few years ago and I loved it just as much as the first time. Wow I was 12 back then. I was so delighted to hear they were making 5.
I hope they make more, the only issue I had with the recent game was a lot of scenes felt empty and void of anything but either George or Nico; sometimes the game needs background characters, even one's you can't interact with the bring scenes alive.
I hope they make more, the only issue I had with the recent game was a lot of scenes felt empty and void of anything but either George or Nico; sometimes the game needs background characters, even one's you can't interact with the bring scenes alive.
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
Just bought the first two games again on GOG just so I can play them in their original form. Cheers again Croc
Caipirinha
Member
CalhounBurns
Neo Member
I replay the first game every 2-3 years, it's one of me favourites. Speaking of goats.. damn I remember being stuck on that for so long. Weeks. I played through the game with my best mate so we used to alternate playing it my place or his and would transfer the save game around on a floppy disk. I have such good memories of that time.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
There a funny thing with the spanish dub of this games. The guy who voices George (Tomas Rubio) is fucking terrible, has this super nassal voice and terrible acting (he was even kicked out of videogame voice acting because of some terrible practices, like being voice director of a game and giving himself and his friends the best roles, even if they fit to the voice like shit, something its illegal with spanich voice acting unions). Every time you hear him (and one his friends or his brother, that were terrible too) in a game, you felt terrible and tried to look fast for an english voice patch.
But funnily, hew was a GREAT George. Its the only role he could nail. The nassal voice worked, the dry sarcasm fit perfectly with his acting.
People want him to stay as far as he can (he and his shitty voice acting friends) from any voice acting, but if a new Broken Sword comes, people clamour for his return lol
GOAT indeed
But funnily, hew was a GREAT George. Its the only role he could nail. The nassal voice worked, the dry sarcasm fit perfectly with his acting.
People want him to stay as far as he can (he and his shitty voice acting friends) from any voice acting, but if a new Broken Sword comes, people clamour for his return lol
GOAT indeed
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
GOAT indeed
Triggered.
Paperboy
Member
You can get the fifth instalment for just 1.09 at the moment:
https://www.bundlestars.com/en/promotions/dollar-dash-2
https://www.bundlestars.com/en/promotions/dollar-dash-2
Caipirinha
Member
99.9999% sure it won't be, although I think they're working on Beneath a Steel Sky 2 atm.
paperspace
Member
Never finished it back in the day, but I think about it now and then.
Are the Steam versions fine? I have them all on Steam, but not sure about GoG.
Are the Steam versions fine? I have them all on Steam, but not sure about GoG.
Infernostew
Member
Definitely a top 10 P&C adventure in my book. George and Nico are unforgettable characters and the world trotting nature of the game is always super fun.
I played the IOS versions of 1 and 2 a couple years ago, and really liked the first one. The 2nd one was not as good as the first, and I can't really pinpoint why. From what I've heard, none of the other ones are good, which is kind of sad tbh. Those two are really the only point and click adventure games I've ever played.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Don't want to carry this on as the thread is about BS and not Monkey Island but Monkey Island feels like Americans trying to do Monty Python humour and failing spectacularly.
GOAT indeed
Tbh i was expecting this pic at the first page of the thread lol
CecilRousso
Member
I thought they were doing something Beneath a Steel Sky related, but it's been long since there was any information about it.
I do hope that they something new instead of sequels, but I doubt they dare to turn away from those with them being much safer project.s
Broken Sword 5 was fine, but not very exciting. Rather then a proper sequel that moved the series forwards, it felt like an isolated case, that brought nothing new to the table.
Daffy Duck
Member
Wow, will buy that for sure.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
My issue with him isn't the quality of the later games(which, yes, I don't think were very good), it's that he went back to BS1, took out one of the best parts of the game, and very deliberately replaced it with a horrible joke about justice and law which simultaneously ruined the atmosphere of the early game, and called it a director's cut.
I can't fathom what was going through his mind when he did that
Acquiescence
Member
Gutting one of the most iconic video game openings like that was a borderline sin. Yeah, to this day I still can't believe they decided on that. It's why I'll always opt for the original version over the remaster whenever I want to revisit the game again.
PapaJustify
Member
One of my all-time favorite games. So many childhood memories. The GOAT sequence is legendary.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Thanks for the heads up, got Borken Sword 5.
No Tomas Rubio as Geroge Stobbart in the spanish version, but I can deal with it (its the only good thing he did in his whole voice acting career), seem they got the same guy as the expanded scenes of the directors cut, he sounds completly different but what are you going to do when Tomas Rubio was actually a piece of shit with the rest of voice actors (and our ears lol)
RedAssedApe
Banned
Is the iOS version broken for anyone else? Was trying to start a new game and the app just always crashes on my iPad mini 4. Wanted to play it on a flight to no avail. :[
Yeah, this is a game. 20 years goddamn.
I really don't have a whole lot to add (especially on top of that great podcast episode of Cane and Rinse - hadn't even heard of these guys but they seem to have a whole lot to dive into that I'm definitely gonna give a listen now. Really good stuff) but I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to one of my favourite games.
I actually played BS2 first and it's where I initially fell in love with the series. I remember playing the demo first - the Marseilles docks were just enchanting. The rest of the game was beautiful, an absolute delight. Then I played BS3 - I guess I enjoyed it way more than most? Yeah, it was a pretty big departure with a slight emphasis on agility-based puzzles, and George and the game itself definitely took a large step towards Indiana Jones-esque aesthetic, but it's not as though BS hasn't always had its toes dipped in it. The locations themselves still imbued a sense of awe in me, not as much as the previous two games, but that's what you get with 2003 graphics.
I think it was BS1 that escalated the series into a minor obsession. I played it for the first time in 2005, I believe. Just a gorgeous game, exuding warmth and passion. Paris is jaw-dropping, even to this day. It's a shame there aren't any higher resolution assets lying around somewhere, because the original game, bumped to 1920x1080, would be almost too much to handle. Every single shot in the game could be hung on a wall if available. The first shot of the game. The hospital. Rue Jarry. Nico's apartment. Montfaucon. The Spanish gardens. Lochmarne castle. Syrian markets. The train. Such a shockingly thick atmosphere especially considering its meagre budget and age. Like, large AAA expansive video games that painstakingly render worlds from 2016 can't conjure up the specific emotions Broken Sword does.
And it would be a crime to mention its thick atmosphere without mentioning the music. Just, so warm and iconic. Obviously a capacity-limitation of the time, the use of sparse, intermittently short tracks was a great move. Allows the player to soak in the atmos of the world around them, then accentuate it with a sting of delicate notes.
The story itself, in the grand scheme of things, is fine. As a video game, especially a video game from 1996, it's pretty incredible. As was mentioned in the podcast, the decision to slightly exaggerate the voice acting and the animations of the characters to counteract the tech-limitations was a really good move. It does feel like a stage-play in that regard, and the distance and fixed nature of the camera in relation to the characters drives this home. It's a clever design decision. George and Nico are really warm presences. George in particular, voiced by Rolf Saxon, is such a winner. Absolutely up there with Guybrush. Khan as the constant hitman villain popping up throughout the story works really well. The story is nicely contained in that way.
Now, we all always talk about The Da Vinci Code as a source of comparison to Broken Sword, but I want to share a toast with my other favourite American/French couple sightseeing around Europe:
Both abbreviate to 'BS.' Coincidence? I think not.
I really don't have a whole lot to add (especially on top of that great podcast episode of Cane and Rinse - hadn't even heard of these guys but they seem to have a whole lot to dive into that I'm definitely gonna give a listen now. Really good stuff) but I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to one of my favourite games.
I actually played BS2 first and it's where I initially fell in love with the series. I remember playing the demo first - the Marseilles docks were just enchanting. The rest of the game was beautiful, an absolute delight. Then I played BS3 - I guess I enjoyed it way more than most? Yeah, it was a pretty big departure with a slight emphasis on agility-based puzzles, and George and the game itself definitely took a large step towards Indiana Jones-esque aesthetic, but it's not as though BS hasn't always had its toes dipped in it. The locations themselves still imbued a sense of awe in me, not as much as the previous two games, but that's what you get with 2003 graphics.
I think it was BS1 that escalated the series into a minor obsession. I played it for the first time in 2005, I believe. Just a gorgeous game, exuding warmth and passion. Paris is jaw-dropping, even to this day. It's a shame there aren't any higher resolution assets lying around somewhere, because the original game, bumped to 1920x1080, would be almost too much to handle. Every single shot in the game could be hung on a wall if available. The first shot of the game. The hospital. Rue Jarry. Nico's apartment. Montfaucon. The Spanish gardens. Lochmarne castle. Syrian markets. The train. Such a shockingly thick atmosphere especially considering its meagre budget and age. Like, large AAA expansive video games that painstakingly render worlds from 2016 can't conjure up the specific emotions Broken Sword does.
And it would be a crime to mention its thick atmosphere without mentioning the music. Just, so warm and iconic. Obviously a capacity-limitation of the time, the use of sparse, intermittently short tracks was a great move. Allows the player to soak in the atmos of the world around them, then accentuate it with a sting of delicate notes.
The story itself, in the grand scheme of things, is fine. As a video game, especially a video game from 1996, it's pretty incredible. As was mentioned in the podcast, the decision to slightly exaggerate the voice acting and the animations of the characters to counteract the tech-limitations was a really good move. It does feel like a stage-play in that regard, and the distance and fixed nature of the camera in relation to the characters drives this home. It's a clever design decision. George and Nico are really warm presences. George in particular, voiced by Rolf Saxon, is such a winner. Absolutely up there with Guybrush. Khan as the constant hitman villain popping up throughout the story works really well. The story is nicely contained in that way.
Now, we all always talk about The Da Vinci Code as a source of comparison to Broken Sword, but I want to share a toast with my other favourite American/French couple sightseeing around Europe:
Both abbreviate to 'BS.' Coincidence? I think not.
I'm doing a bit of a research about the changes in Director's Cut, since I plan on replaying the game, and it's staggering how much animation and dialogue is cut from the original.
Just compare both opening gameplay sections:
Director's Cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Z5hRdlevw
Original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8EAuuGi9s
One example: when George is being interrogated inside the cafe, some part of the dialogue between the detective and the police officer is removed. Also, in the original, when the officer goes to the waitress to take her testimony, she stands up and starts talking with him. In the DC, she never recovers and the officer just stands there.
I guess I'll get the GOG version and replay the original. It's a shame, since I kind of like the portraits (even if they don't quite fit the style).
Just compare both opening gameplay sections:
Director's Cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Z5hRdlevw
Original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8EAuuGi9s
One example: when George is being interrogated inside the cafe, some part of the dialogue between the detective and the police officer is removed. Also, in the original, when the officer goes to the waitress to take her testimony, she stands up and starts talking with him. In the DC, she never recovers and the officer just stands there.
I guess I'll get the GOG version and replay the original. It's a shame, since I kind of like the portraits (even if they don't quite fit the style).
CoffeeExpress
Member
All the games are on sale on Steam, bought all of them for 10 bucks thanks to this thread. Love me some broken sword.
blacklotus
Member
My favourite game of all time!
Loved it! And it has a personal story:
Back then i was just a kid and internet was kind a novelty in Portugal. So i got stuck at the goat part of the game and for the life of me i couldn't figure out how to get pass that part.
So my 13 year old self faxed a nicely written letter to Virgin about how i loved the game but couldn't get pass the goat section.
... couple of days later i receive a letter with the solution, from Virgin.
Was ecstatic.
Fucking love this game.
Loved it! And it has a personal story:
Back then i was just a kid and internet was kind a novelty in Portugal. So i got stuck at the goat part of the game and for the life of me i couldn't figure out how to get pass that part.
So my 13 year old self faxed a nicely written letter to Virgin about how i loved the game but couldn't get pass the goat section.
... couple of days later i receive a letter with the solution, from Virgin.
Was ecstatic.
Fucking love this game.
Both Broken Sword 1 and Broken Sword 2 are still my favourite games of all time (up there with FF7).
I remember first playing it on PSX and was blow away by the sense of adventure, atmosphere and the incredibly well done music.
Both games have been released on iOS and I really enjoyed playing them on a big touch screen - highly recommended.
Also, the original game trailer was pretty dope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73IaO6EVOaU
I remember first playing it on PSX and was blow away by the sense of adventure, atmosphere and the incredibly well done music.
Both games have been released on iOS and I really enjoyed playing them on a big touch screen - highly recommended.
Also, the original game trailer was pretty dope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73IaO6EVOaU
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