Bard to the Future

About

Bard to the Future is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Battlebard Games and was released on February 27, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Bard to the Future" is a side-scrolling 2D platformer where a battlebard travels through time to race against a cyborg pirate to find a lost treasure. The game features 7 time periods, 26 levels, and unique enemies in each era, as well as challenging boss fights and Steam Cloud Save. It also includes an original soundtrack and voice work in Story Mode and Time Trial modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

44%

Audience ScoreBased on 45 reviews

story6 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features a fun storyline and humorous writing that keeps players engaged.
The graphics and art style are charming, fitting well with the game's theme.
Some players found the gameplay enjoyable and appreciated the challenge it offers.

The controls are imprecise and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Hitboxes are inconsistent, making it difficult to predict interactions with enemies.
Many players reported issues with voice acting quality and overall game polish, making it feel amateurish.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay of this title has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the controls, platforming mechanics, and unpredictable hitboxes, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the game enjoyable and fun, praising its music and humor, others feel that the gameplay is frustrating and repetitive, suggesting that improvements in mechanics could elevate the game significantly. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a major flaw that overshadows the game's potential.
- “When I got this game, I didn't touch it for a bit, but I decided to play it, and it turns out to be really fun! It has good gameplay and good music, and it's just a great game to play. I recommend you add it to your Steam library.”
- “I really enjoy this game; the story is funny, and the gameplay is fairly simple.”
- “I love the gameplay style; it's simplistic.”
- “This one seemed promising, but the controls and platforming mechanics are awful!”
- “If the mechanics were cleaned up, hitboxes revamped, and abilities of the character made at least reliable to use, if not fun or varied, then you could slog through the 25 mini levels and see if there is a funny narrative in this title.”
- “As for the gameplay, it's buggy, it's frustrating, and it commits the ultimate platforming sin: the hitboxes are unpredictable, which makes it impossible to tell whether you'll stomp on one of the swift, erratically-moving enemies or be killed by it.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's story is a mix of humor and absurdity, featuring a battle bard from medieval times transported to the modern world via a portable toilet, which some players find entertaining and enjoyable. While the narrative is described as fun and comedic, opinions vary on its overall quality, with some noting it as short but engaging. Overall, the story adds a lighthearted charm to the gameplay experience.
- “The game does have a fun storyline and characters which wouldn't make your purchase a total waste.”
- “This game has a good story, an amount of difficulty, and fun.”
- “Great storyline and finding it really enjoyable so far!”
- “The story seems to be about some kind of battle bard from real medieval times being somehow teleported to modern times by the use of a modern portable toilet they use at construction sites.”
- “The story isn't good either.”
- “Quite a short story mode.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as somewhat hit-or-miss; while some players find the characters and writing amusing, others feel the humor is overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics. Overall, the humor is appreciated by some for its charm and wit, but it may not be enough to compensate for the game's shortcomings.
- “Great game with great humor; it's very nice to play with a wide skill improvement.”
- “I really enjoy this game; the story is funny, and the gameplay is fairly simple.”
- “Very funny and fun.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming 2D art style and character portraits, while others criticize inconsistencies in pixel size and overall quality. While the visuals are deemed better than average by some, they are not enough to compensate for shortcomings in gameplay and other areas. Overall, the graphics are seen as a positive aspect but not a standout feature that elevates the game.
- “The graphics style perfectly fits the game, in my opinion.”
- “I appreciate the art style.”
- “It gets some style points for the graphics.”
- “The humor is not spectacular enough to justify going through the aggravation, and the cutesy 2D graphics are charming enough not to condemn this game on looks, but certainly won't be pretty enough to encourage anyone to overlook other areas where the game is deficient.”
- “Okayish idea for a game with acceptable graphics and sound, killed by utterly frustrating gameplay.”
- “Graphically, the game would be much better if it picked a pixel size and stuck with it.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and fitting, while others criticize it for being repetitive and poorly looped, leading to an annoying experience. Overall, the soundtrack is described as average, with some moments of enjoyment overshadowed by technical issues.
- “When I got this game, I didn't touch it for a bit, but I did install it and decided to play it. It turns out to be really fun! It has good gameplay and great music, making it a good game to play. I recommend you add it to your Steam library.”
- “Its character portraits, writing, music, and voice acting are great; its in-game graphics and actual gameplay are seriously lacking.”
- “+ music is engaging.”
- “The music can be acceptable at best and annoying at worst.”
- “The loop is so unclean it plays over itself while transitioning back to the beginning of the song, so it sounds like a DJ mixing two songs who's way off beat.”
- “Annoying music - it's always the same loop over and over again.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, user experiences with stability are mixed; while some report smooth controls, others encounter significant gameplay bugs, particularly with unpredictable hitboxes and frequent freezing during dialogue. This inconsistency can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.
- “I don't know about the others, but the controls weren't buggy at all for me.”
- “As for the gameplay, it's buggy, it's frustrating, and it commits the ultimate platforming sin: the hitboxes are unpredictable, which makes it impossible to tell whether you'll stomp on one of Bard to the Future's swift, erratically moving enemies or be killed by it.”
- “The game often freezes when skipping dialogue.”