Broken Sword: The Angel of Death
- November 4, 2014
- Sumo Digital Ltd
- 40h median play time
Get on SteamIn Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, detective George Stobbart investigates a series of murders linked to an ancient artifact, accompanied by journalist Nico Collard. Their journey takes them through a thrilling adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, and danger as they uncover a sinister conspiracy. The game features classic point-and-click gameplay, stunning visuals, and a gripping storyline that will keep players engaged until the very end.
PC
Phone
Windows
Gog Com
Tablet
Reviews
- The game retains the charm of the Broken Sword series with familiar characters like George and Nico.
- Some puzzles are challenging and engaging, providing a sense of accomplishment when solved.
- The graphics and voice acting are decent, contributing to an immersive atmosphere.
- The controls are clunky and frustrating, making navigation and interaction difficult.
- The story feels rushed and lacks coherence, with many plot points not fully developed.
- Several puzzles are illogical or poorly presented, leading to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
- story262 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers describing it as uninteresting, poorly executed, and filled with nonsensical twists. While some elements show potential and a few moments are engaging, the overall narrative is criticized for being meandering, lacking focus, and failing to connect with previous entries in the series. Many players found themselves disengaged, often resorting to walkthroughs to understand the plot, which ultimately detracted from their enjoyment of the game.
“The actual storyline and scenery are top notch and kept me plugging away.”
“Interesting story, nice characters and great adventure.”
“I enjoyed this game a lot, the story was somewhat interesting, loved the music and locations probably the most.”
“The story is what kills this game - there's some completely nonsensical slapstick stuff mixed in and the characters as a whole suffered from severe character assassination.”
“The story ends very abruptly, leaving you wondering what just happened.”
“It’s like the writers got drunk and decided to read some of Dan Brown's horrible books, watched only the lame parts of The Godfather Part III, and vomited out a story that is simply bad and a steep drop from the previous three titles.”
- graphics88 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game show noticeable improvements over its predecessor, Broken Sword 3, with crisper textures and a more polished 3D presentation, though opinions vary on their overall quality. While some players appreciate the visuals as decent for a 2006 title, others criticize them for being bland, aging poorly, and suffering from graphical errors. Overall, the game maintains a level of visual appeal, but many fans express a desire for a return to the original art style of the earlier entries in the series.
“This game generally has a good storyline, likeable characters, beautiful graphics, and a good soundtrack - like the other Broken Sword games released so far.”
“To this game's credit, the graphics are very nice (and still hold up nicely) and the voice acting is top-notch as usual… so some standards have been maintained.”
“The graphics have improved considerably since the previous episode and it is one of the most interesting stories in the series.”
“Plenty of graphical errors even in cut scenes with characters getting stuck or clipping.”
“While the textures are crisper than BS3, the overall aesthetic is worse than its predecessor as it is bland and has aged poorly.”
“Graphically, the game looks like absolute trash now.”
- gameplay62 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players criticizing its clunky controls, poor puzzle design, and a confusing hybrid system that fails to integrate traditional mechanics effectively. While some improvements in graphics were noted, they do not compensate for the frustrating gameplay experience, which many found to be a significant downgrade from earlier titles in the series. Overall, the game struggles with execution, leaving players disappointed, especially those who appreciated the classic point-and-click style.
“"Broken Sword 4" is an adventure that has excellent gameplay (it allows the user to use both the set of directional buttons and the traditional point-and-click with the mouse) and a very good story, with some very nice moments (especially in New York, Rome, Vatican, and Istanbul).”
“And to get even more gameplay variety, you sometimes have to play a hacker game on your PDA to gain access to certain computer systems.”
“The gameplay is clunky and a complete frustration to control at times, where the previous game used a control scheme for gaming consoles but still made it work somehow; this one failed miserably, making it frustrating to play regardless of whether you use the keyboard or mouse when controlling your character.”
“I am always more than forgiving of a game's minor bugs and annoyances, but Broken Sword 4 - Angel of Death is actually a 'broken game - angel of bugs and exasperating gameplay'.”
“The gameplay is a hybrid between WASD controls and mouse, and it mostly doesn't work properly - especially on time-bound game sequences.”
- humor50 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant decline compared to previous entries in the series. While some moments and characters provide laughs, overall, the dialogue is often described as unfunny or lacking the charm that fans expect from the franchise. The game's attempt at a darker tone further detracts from its comedic elements, leaving players feeling that the humor is sparse and inconsistent.
“Broken Sword is about funny dialogue, funny solutions, visiting colorful locations, and historical secrets.”
“Voice acting is also as humorous as usual and really got me smiling many times.”
“He is laugh out loud funny.”
“Humor is mostly terrible and unfunny.”
“The story is not that interesting, and while some jokes land, most are not funny. Character personality and development can be bland.”
“The humor is mostly terrible and unfunny.”
- music36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many praising the soundtrack as fitting and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted that certain background tracks play infrequently, and there were mixed feelings about the absence of series composer Barrington Pheloung. Overall, while the music is considered a highlight, it is suggested that fans might prefer to enjoy the soundtrack separately from the game.
“This game generally has a good storyline, likable characters, beautiful graphics, and a good soundtrack - like the other Broken Sword games released so far.”
“The background music was good and matched with the locations and tone of the scenes.”
“The music score is remarkable.”
“Often times, the background music in the game will play once and then never again.”
“However, do yourself a favor and just get the soundtrack without the game (you can find it on iTunes and such).”
“Bad controls, bad animations, annoying loopy music; the PDA puzzles are frustrating and add nothing to the story.”
- stability30 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by severe stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and low frame rates that significantly hinder gameplay. Players report instances of freezing, character blockages, and problematic camera controls, making the experience frustrating and often unplayable. Overall, the game's instability detracts from enjoyment, leading many to recommend avoiding it unless one is a dedicated fan prepared to navigate its numerous technical problems.
“Very buggy to the level of almost unplayable. The character got blocked more than 10 times during the game.”
“This game is extremely buggy and glitchy, especially in terms of sound and video.”
“Sometimes, the game just freezes in the middle of a cinematic, and there is nothing you can do except reload a previous save, if you thought to make one.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious, with repetitive puzzles and mini-games that lack originality and logic. Many reviewers noted that the game recycles frustrating mechanics from previous titles, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from character development and overall enjoyment. Overall, the grinding elements are seen as a significant drawback, making the gameplay feel boring and unengaging.
“The puzzles and story sequence are repetitive and tedious, seems to be repeating the same things in different places, lacking a lot of originality and mystery the other games offered... character development and styles seem bland too.”
“Some of the puzzles were just ridiculously tedious.”
“Couldn't continue because it was so boring and tedious.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its nostalgic elements reminiscent of the earlier titles in the series, enhanced by a captivating guitar soundtrack. While some aspects may differ from previous entries, the overall ambiance remains engaging and visually appealing, showcasing improved graphics and a consistent thematic presence.
“While she is there, there is a great guitar soundtrack that really enhances the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is still there.”
“Everything about this game was broken sword, from the story, the music, the atmosphere, the locations and of course the humour.”
“Something in the general atmosphere reminds the first two games, something else just don't.”
“Graphics/atmosphere: the angel of death continues to use the 3D perspective first established in BS3, but it looks much better.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received largely negative feedback, with users reporting significant stuttering and worsening audio issues during extended play. While some aspects are deemed well-optimized for PC, players still encounter problems that require manual adjustments for smoother performance, particularly with mouse controls and interaction zones.
“Utterly optimized for PC -- my CPU fan shrieks during gameplay.”
“In certain situations, the mouse might not be optimized as it should be, as some hot zones, like ledges you might want to grab onto, are not adequately covered.”
“You need to tweak the settings to make it run smoothly without frame drops.”
“This version is a stuttering mess with audio problems that get worse the more that you play it.”
“Utterly unoptimized for PC -- my CPU fan shrieks during gameplay.”
“In those same situations, the mouse might not be optimized as it should be because some hot zones, like ledges you might want to grab onto, are not adequately covered.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for lacking depth, particularly due to poor voice acting that fails to convey genuine feelings. Reviewers express frustration over the absence of meaningful explanations for the characters' sacrifices, undermining the intended emotional impact.
“And there will be no decent explanation to the heartfelt sacrifices they've been making to protect humankind!”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as bland and uninspired, with players noting a lack of originality and depth. The repetitive nature of the puzzles and story further detracts from the overall engagement with the characters, making it difficult for players to connect with them.
“The puzzles and story sequence are repetitive and tedious, seeming to repeat the same things in different places, lacking a lot of originality and mystery that other games offered. Character development and styles seem bland too.”
