The Broken Sword series has always held a special place in the hearts of many gamers. I still vividly remember the first time I played it in the 90s, and the experience has stayed with me ever since. Since then, five games in the series have been released, as well as a variety of remasters and versions for almost every platform imaginable. According to Charles Cecil, the man behind Revolution, who develops the games, this wide availability is the reason the studio has been able to survive for so long. It has allowed new generations of gamers to experience this classic. Now we once again have the pleasure of returning to the first and most popular game in the series, this time with a new and updated version. I was lucky enough to receive the physical collector’s edition, so I want to tell you if this edition is still worth investing in 28 years after its original release.
There are many versions of the first game in the series. This latest version, Broken Sword – The Legend of the Templars: Reforged, does not have the same prologue as the “Director’s Cut” version, in which Nico was involved in the story from the beginning. This prologue was significantly different from the rest of the game and seemed a bit out of place, especially due to the technical differences in sound quality. The voice acting in the prologue was of higher quality than in the rest of the game, making the transition to the original part very clear and almost breaking the experience. So I’m very glad that this prologue was removed in the Reforged remake. This means the game launches in the same way as the original, while retaining the nostalgic feel.
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The game begins with George Stobbart sitting outside a Parisian café when a rather scary clown appears and enters the café. Shortly afterwards, a bomb explodes and the windows of the café shatter as George is thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion. He rises from the ruins, where everything has fallen silent, and enters the café to investigate what has happened. He finds a dead old man and a shaken waitress, whom he begins to interrogate. Everything about the situation is mysterious and George decides to find out what’s behind this sudden act of violence. The opening sequence quickly sets the stage for a grand adventure in which George is drawn into a world of secrets and conspiracies that stretches across Europe. The story includes encounters with historical figures and events, particularly relating to the Knights Templar, which has always been the appeal of the series.
For many fans, this premise is ingrained in their memories, and for those of us who have played the game many times, it’s almost like coming home. It’s refreshing to see that the Reforged edition has retained that iconic beginning and atmosphere. The story is still relevant today and it’s still a joy to follow George as he tries to find out why the cafe was bombed, taking him to some of Europe’s most famous and mysterious locations. Even though I know the game almost by heart, it’s still a pleasure to play it again and delve into the world of conspiracies and secrets. It’s a perfect blend of historical fact and fiction, making the experience both entertaining and thought-provoking. As a history teacher, I particularly appreciate how the game incorporates the history of the Templars into the narrative, which makes it even more exciting for me personally.
But what makes the Reforged Edition so special? Firstly, the graphics have been greatly improved. The original graphics were nice but rough and lacked a bit of detail. In Reforged, everything has been updated and the backgrounds have been hand-redrawn in beautiful 4K resolution. This means you can now see details that were previously hidden or very difficult to distinguish. At the same time, Revolution made sure that the new graphics remained true to the original, which is incredibly important to me as a fan. You often see remasters where the developers make too many changes and remove some of what made the original game special. Fortunately, this is not the case here. The graphics have been modernized but the nostalgic atmosphere is retained, making Reforged feel like a perfect balance of old and new.
I was one of the fans who backed the game on Kickstarter, and Revolution has been very open about the development process over time. Among other things, they said that they had to create all the animations from scratch, which allowed them to add more detail than in the original. This is particularly noticeable on George’s face, where you can now see small nuances and features that were previously difficult to capture. This gives the characters more depth and makes the game even more visually impressive. The animations look smoother and the entire game has a touch of the signature Don Bluth style that fits the cartoon aesthetic perfectly.
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Although many things have been improved, there are still some aspects of the game that have not changed. The puzzles the game is known for remain as cryptic as ever. For example, The infamous goat puzzle is still part of the game. This puzzle has become somewhat of a meme among fans of the series, as it is notoriously difficult to decipher. But despite its frustrating nature, it’s part of the original experience, and I’m glad Revolution decided to keep it, for better or worse. It’s part of what makes the game what it is, and I wouldn’t have seen fit to remove or change it.
Another big improvement in the Reforged edition is synchronization. In the original game, the sound was heavily compressed, resulting in the voice actors often sounding as if they were speaking through a sock. This issue has been resolved in Reforged, where the voice acting is now much clearer and crisper. While the sound still isn’t what we’re used to in modern games, it’s a significant improvement over the original and makes the dialogue much more pleasant to listen to. This is especially important since dialogue is a big part of the game’s charm and personality.
The controls have also been updated. Reforged can now be played with a controller, mouse and keyboard, making the game accessible to both PC and console players. The controls are smooth and responsive, and it’s clear that great effort has been made to ensure the gaming experience is just as good regardless of the platform you play on. I played it with both a controller and a mouse and they both work really well, which is a big plus point of the game.
Reforged’s music has also been updated and is one of the things that really takes the game to new levels. Barrington Pheloung’s iconic soundtrack has been re-recorded and the result is fantastic. In the original the music was very compressed so it wasn’t noticeable. However, in Reforged the music has been remastered, resulting in a much more nuanced and atmospheric experience. Pheloung, who is unfortunately no longer with us, would no doubt have been proud of how his compositions sound in this version. The music is an important part of the game’s identity and it’s great to hear it in such high quality.
So is Broken Sword – Legend of the Templars: Reforged worth playing almost 30 years after its original release? Without doubt. The game managed to retain everything that made the original special while giving it the updates it needed to appeal to a modern audience. The story, characters and atmosphere remain as compelling as ever, and technical improvements make the experience even better. For old fans, it’s a nostalgic trip to a time when adventure games were at their peak, and for new players, it’s a perfect opportunity to experience a true classic in an updated version. I can only recommend it.