Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged
- September 19, 2024
- Revolution Software Ltd
- 4h median play time
Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged makes a classic point-and-click worth playing almost thirty years on, with stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreThe classic multi-award winning adventure "Broken Sword - the Shadow of the Templars" returns with glorious 4K visuals and iconic remastered audio, pitching intrepid American George Stobbart and fearless journalist Nico Collard into a journey of perilous adventures and ancient conspiracies.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- The remastered graphics are stunning, providing a fresh and vibrant look while maintaining the charm of the original game.
- The gameplay remains faithful to the classic point-and-click mechanics, with added quality-of-life improvements like an optional hint system.
- The nostalgia factor is strong, as the game successfully evokes memories of the original while introducing modern enhancements.
- The audio quality is inconsistent, with some voice lines sounding muffled and not matching the high-quality visuals.
- The new mouse interaction system has issues, such as cursor snapping to interactable objects, which can detract from the experience.
- Some players were disappointed by the removal of content from the Director's Cut, feeling that it could have added more depth to the game.
- graphics63 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The remastered graphics of "Shadows of the Templars: Reforged" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning detail and vibrant colors, significantly enhancing the original game's aesthetic. Players appreciate the seamless ability to switch between the new and classic graphics, allowing for a nostalgic experience while enjoying modern visuals. Overall, the game's artwork is celebrated as a faithful and beautiful reimagining that retains the charm of the original while elevating it to contemporary standards.
“The remastered graphics are nice, but what is even better is the seamless changing between the old and new graphics.”
“Broken Sword: Reforged brings players back to the thrilling world of mystery, conspiracy, and ancient secrets, revitalizing the classic adventure with stunning, hand-drawn artwork that enhances its nostalgic charm.”
“The visuals look amazing and I'm so glad they kept the original art style in the settings, allowing you to switch over at any time.”
“The reforged graphics look like a 'GoAnimate' project.”
“Appreciate the graphics and detail that's gone through the game, but hearing the audio sounds so terrible it doesn't match very well with the visual quality combined within the game; it doesn't make any sense.”
“Too expensive for what you get; the graphic updates are not worth 30 euros. I also detest the new mouse interaction, and the sound is the same as the original version, so no update there.”
- story30 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its intriguing mystery, well-paced narrative, and engaging characters, often compared to classic adventure tales like Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Players appreciate the humor and nostalgic elements, noting that the dialogue and voice acting hold up remarkably well over time. Overall, the combination of a compelling plot, clever writing, and memorable characters makes it a standout experience in the adventure game genre.
“The game's story is incredibly interesting and revolves around an ordinary American lawyer on holiday in Paris, who gets caught up in an adventure full of murder, laughter, and intrigue, with a mystery involving the medieval Knights Templars and their hidden treasures.”
“The story is fantastic and well-paced, with consistently funny dialogue that makes the world feel real.”
“The combination of the story, funny characters, and conspiracies makes 'Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars' so special, making it one of the craziest and greatest adventures ever!”
“This is a very character-driven game that attempts to feel like a deep investigation into a hidden conspiracy, so you often find yourself following vague leads that often bring you to surprising revelations, rather than linearly following a predictable story.”
“That means it comes complete with a bonkers plot and a host of silly characters and ludicrous events.”
“Play Broken Sword, a game made almost 30 years ago - and if your animations look worse, if your story is worse, if your puzzles are worse, if your characters are worse, if your humor is worse, ... then ask yourself, what on earth are you doing?”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, quirky character interactions, and consistent comedic tone, which enhances the overall immersive experience. Players appreciate the nostalgic charm of the original voice acting and the humorous portrayal of characters, particularly in the context of the story's pacing and engaging dialogue. Overall, the humor is seen as a key element that elevates the game, making it a standout in the adventure genre.
“I thought that some of the characters were hilarious, especially the typecasting of the Geordie passengers on the train.”
“The writing is fantastic and especially the humor is very well done, without it distracting too much from a great story; it has its own quirky and clever style.”
“The combination of the story, funny characters, and conspiracies makes Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars so special, making it one of the craziest and greatest adventures ever!”
- music12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and high quality, with many reviewers highlighting the incredible remastered soundtrack that enhances the nostalgic experience. However, some users noted issues with dialogue clarity, mentioning that it can be muffled and inconsistent in volume compared to the music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
“10/10 - fantastic game with an amazing soundtrack and a perfect story with nice humour.”
“The soundtrack is incredible, and I like that the audio was remastered too.”
“The classic soundtrack has also been beautifully remastered, taking you back to those memorable moments of intrigue and discovery.”
“I was also disappointed the game didn't come with the soundtrack (at least I didn't see it in the library or in the game's folder) and/or a concept art album, as re-releases of great classics often do.”
“- music vs dialogue volumes are also very off sometimes (must fix for me)”
“I do not agree with the opinions regarding the quality of the soundtrack.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay retains the beloved point-and-click mechanics and puzzle-solving elements of the original, offering a polished update without altering the core experience. While it introduces an optional help guide, it avoids the controversial changes from the director's cut, maintaining a sensible gameplay logic. Overall, it runs smoothly on handheld devices, providing an optimized experience that appeals to fans of the series.
“The game retains the beloved point-and-click mechanics and puzzle-solving elements that made the original so iconic, while giving them a polished update.”
“Broken Sword: Reforged is a love letter to fans of the original series, seamlessly blending its gorgeous new artwork with the classic gameplay that sparked countless hours of exploration.”
“Well optimized, smooth gameplay and low power consumption for handheld devices like the Steam Deck.”
“This is a reforged version, not a remake; they chose not to change the gameplay of the original game.”
“It ditches the often maligned director's cut changes (more mechanical puzzles, extra chapters played as Nico) - though they could make a return in some form later (an alternative new game mode or a separate Nico campaign, perhaps).”
“Surprisingly, however, the gameplay logic is much more sensible than many similar games from that era.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally praised for providing smooth gameplay and low power consumption on handheld devices like the Steam Deck. However, there are notable inconsistencies in the quality and volume of voice lines, raising questions about the effectiveness of AI in improving this aspect, potentially due to budget constraints or legal concerns.
“+ Well optimized, smooth gameplay and low power consumption for handheld devices like Steam Deck.”
“Voice lines still swing wildly across a broad range of sound quality and volume; I wonder what stopped the AI from being employed more effectively here: unwillingness to tamper with the original too much, budget concerns, or potential legal issues arising from re-generating real-life performances?”
“The game's performance is inconsistent, with frequent frame drops and stuttering, making it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”
“Despite the potential for a rich environment, the optimization issues lead to long loading times and frequent crashes, severely impacting gameplay.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "The One That Remains" and "Shadow of the Templars" is highly praised for its nostalgic charm, effectively capturing the essence of their respective time periods while blending humor and mystery to create an engaging experience.
“The game creates a great atmosphere that truly captures the essence of those times.”
“I first played 'The Shadow of the Templars' as a kid back in 1996 and immediately fell in love with its atmosphere, humor, and mystery.”
Critic Reviews
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged Review – A classic adventure
Despite some small grievances, I do think that Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Reforged is the best way to play the game. It makes plenty of quality-of-life improvements to the gameplay and even adds a story mode for those daunted by old-fashioned point-and-clicks. The visual nit-picks I have aren’t enough to ruin the experience, and the moments that have been fully updated are beautifully animated and full of character. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go figure out what to do with this dirty tissue I found in the sewer.
80%Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged [PC]
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a wonderful remaster that really does spark new life in a point-and-click classic. The visuals are gorgeous, the gameplay is more intuitive than before, whilst the additional Story Mode goes a long way in making the experience more accessible for newcomers to the genre. Add to that the excellent puzzling and storytelling from the original that has certainly stood the test of time, and you’ll quicky find that this is one remastered release you won’t want to miss out on.
90%Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged review
Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged makes a classic point-and-click worth playing almost thirty years on, with stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.
80%
