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.
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Reviews
- The remastered graphics are stunning, providing a vibrant and detailed visual experience that enhances the original game's charm.
- The gameplay retains the beloved point-and-click mechanics while introducing quality-of-life improvements, including a new Story Mode for newcomers.
- The nostalgic elements, including the original voice actors and the ability to switch between old and new graphics, make it a heartfelt tribute to fans of the series.
- The audio quality, particularly the voice acting, is inconsistent and often sounds muffled, detracting from the overall experience.
- The new mouse interaction system has issues, such as cursor snapping over interactable objects, which can be frustrating for players.
- Some players feel that the price is too high for the remaster, especially given the lack of additional content compared to previous versions.
- graphics131 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The remastered graphics of "Broken Sword: Shadow 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 updated visuals and the classic graphics, allowing for a nostalgic experience while showcasing the improvements. Overall, the graphics are described as a faithful and beautiful reimagining that retains the charm of the original while modernizing the visual experience.
“The artwork is sublime and stunningly realized in this version, with particular mention going to the shadows and light ray effects that were not in the original.”
“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.”
“Whether you’re strolling through Parisian streets, visiting glorious stunning Spanish estates, or uncovering ancient ruins, the visuals provide a stunning backdrop that makes the world come alive.”
“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.”
- story68 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its engaging mystery, well-paced narrative, and humorous dialogue, making it a standout in the point-and-click genre. Players appreciate the character-driven plot that revolves around an American lawyer embroiled in a conspiracy involving the Knights Templar, with nostalgic elements and clever writing that resonate even decades after its original release. The remastered version enhances accessibility with a new story mode while maintaining the charm and depth of the original storyline, appealing to both newcomers and long-time fans.
“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 surrounding 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.”
“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?”
“If you are just getting into Broken Sword, I would start with The Serpent's Curse (like I did, back in 2013), which is far more polished than this, and I really liked the story in that, as well.”
- humor24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and consistency, enhancing the overall experience without overshadowing the story. Players appreciate the quirky character portrayals, particularly the comedic accents, and the original voice acting adds to the immersive and humorous atmosphere. Overall, the humor is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“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.”
“Unlike others disliking the voice acting, I prefer it this way with the original voice actors with no alteration, as what made this game even better was the nonchalant, sarcastic humorous tone of the original.”
- music24 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and high quality, with many noting the impressive remastering of the classic soundtrack that enhances the nostalgic experience. However, some users have pointed out issues with the dialogue clarity, particularly with certain consonants sounding muffled or lisped, and there are complaints about the balance between music and dialogue volumes. 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.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - Reforged" retains the classic point-and-click mechanics and puzzle-solving elements that fans love, while introducing quality-of-life improvements and an optional help guide for accessibility. The game features polished visuals and intuitive gameplay, making it more accessible to newcomers, and runs smoothly on handheld devices like the Steam Deck. Overall, it successfully modernizes the original experience without altering its core gameplay.
“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: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged faithfully remakes the beloved point-and-click classic with improved animations, streamlined gameplay, and modernized features.”
“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.”
“This is a reforged version, not a remake; they chose to not 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.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game is generally well-optimized, offering 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 addressing these issues, 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?”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "The One That Remains" is highly praised for its nostalgic evocation of past eras, blending humor and mystery to create an engaging experience. Players appreciate how it captures the essence of earlier games, particularly recalling fond memories from titles like "The Shadow of the Templars."
“The one that remains gives a great atmosphere 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%
