Analysis Broken Sword: The Legend of the Templars Director's Cut

What memories of the golden age of graphic adventures this game brings me. I didn’t try it until 1998, but I can assure you that it was one of the games that kept me hooked until I finished it. Maybe I don’t remember it as fondly as I do The Secret of Monkey Island, but it’s pretty close.

It’s a shame that graphic adventures of this style are no longer in fashion, and have been gradually disappearing from the video game catalogue. To the delight of fans of this type of adventure, lately a movement of companies to reissue the most famous graphic adventures of the 90s seems to have begun. And, at least I, I greatly appreciate it, since it is one of my favorite genres.

The truth is that I bought this edition when I was lucky enough to receive an iPad as a Christmas gift, and of course, a few days later Apple gave it away in its 12 days of gifts promotion… Long live my luck! (By the way, the comparison between the gifts that Apple has given in the UK and here in Spain would be enough to talk at length) It is not that the game has an abusive price, but for 5.95 euros it is not that it is a gift. If you have been lucky enough to download it for free, congratulations.

This reissue is available on many platforms, iPad, iPod/iPhone, Nintendo DS, PC and Wii. In the case of this analysis I will talk about the HD version of the game for iPad.

The game slightly improves the 1996 graphics, but adds a new feature: vignettes with the characters’ faces when they speak or interact, which even change their expression depending on what we do. I really liked these vignettes and they seem like a great addition to the original game. They also have great quality since they are drawn by Dave Gibbons (co-creator of Watchmen). In terms of graphic details, for a supposedly HD version it has some flaws, for example: the backgrounds show a lot of saw teeth on some edges, and the characters, especially their faces, can sometimes be quite improved. Even so, the game is generally pleasant to look at, especially in its HD version.

The difference between the HD iPad version and the iPhone/iPod version is really notable when analyzing the screenshot of both, as you can see below.

[caption id=”attachment_4690” align=”aligncenter” width=”640” caption=”Capture of the iPod/iPhone version”][/caption]

[caption id=”attachment_4691” align=”aligncenter” width=”640” caption=”Capture of the HD version for iPad”][/caption]

The main great addition of this director’s cut is the introduction of Nico’s story into the plot, linking perfectly with the original story. This part is quite long and is especially located at the beginning of the game. In addition to being able to experience Nico’s point of view and his journeys in the story of the murder, we will also see a personal story that will reveal to Nico a lot about his past. Unfortunately, this new contribution decreases throughout the story, leaving Nico in the last parts as a mere link between the phases of the game.

Another great addition is the aid. By pressing the question mark on the interface, we can see clues that are displayed helping us solve the current puzzle. The clues range from the most generic to solving the puzzle completely, passing through intermediate clues. It is of great help if you are blocked avoiding having to resort to looking for a guide, since the truth is, some puzzle brings them to you. I know several people who got stuck on the first lock puzzle…

The voices in Spanish (in the case of the iPad, downloadable for free from the [Revolution Software] website (https://www.revolution.co.uk/)) are a delight although there is something that I found unpleasant: George’s voice change throughout the story, especially at the end. It’s clear that they couldn’t or didn’t want to find George’s original voice actor and put in that patch, but it greatly spoils the narration. Although better that than losing the original narrator completely.

Another small problem is the accuracy errors when pointing, for example in the Templar scroll, every time I wanted to see an image up close it was a torment to touch the eye, since it was almost never detected. Also in some puzzle in which two things were very close to each other, I had problems selecting the one I wanted.

As the last flaw I see in the game, I don’t like the character immortality in the conversation system. It is true that in the original this was probably the case due to limitations of the time, but being a Director’s cut it did not cost anything for George or Nico to be killed in some bad response, or simply for something different to happen than expected. Furthermore, it should not be difficult to do so since the system for lying or being mean in certain answers is implemented.

Note

• Presentation: The game adds the story of Nico, so although we already know the outcome, the beginning is a new and highly recommended part. It’s a shame they didn’t give Nico more prominence. 7.5
• Graphics: Although they are not perfect, the truth is that the graphics are careful, the vignettes add a lot of quality to the narration and are of good quality. 7
• Duration and Engagement: The game lasted me approximately 7 hours although in many puzzles, much to my regret, my memory played tricks on me, helping me too much to solve them, the engagement is assured until the end. 8
• Final Note: Although it seems a little expensive to me for a game from 1996, I must admit that the game is well taken care of, the interface is very comfortable, and the additions are generally very convenient. I recommend the purchase to all those who, like me, love good graphic adventures. 7.5