Broken Sword: The Angel of Death

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In 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.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

43%

Audience ScoreBased on 183 reviews

story34 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

The game retains the charm of the Broken Sword series with familiar characters like George and Nico, and some humorous dialogue.
The graphics are improved compared to the previous installment, providing a more visually appealing experience.
The story, while flawed, offers intriguing elements and connections to previous games in the series.

The controls are clunky and frustrating, making navigation and interaction difficult, which detracts from the overall experience.
Many puzzles lack logic and clarity, leading to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs to progress.
The story feels rushed and incomplete, with an unsatisfying ending that leaves many plot points unresolved.

story
131 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 enjoyable, the overall narrative is criticized for being meandering, lacking focus, and failing to engage players, ultimately making it the weakest entry in the series. Despite some redeeming qualities, such as character interactions and intriguing settings, the story's abrupt ending and inconsistencies leave many players feeling dissatisfied.
- “The actual storyline and scenery are top notch and kept me plugging away.”
- “Interesting story, nice characters and great adventure.”
- “The story is very in style with the Broken Sword series and one of the few good aspects of the game; however, the ending comes pretty abruptly without giving the game an epilogue to the events.”
- “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 is the weakest of the series by far, it fails to grip you and by the end you're just hoping it'll end.”
- “The story ends very abruptly, leaving you wondering what just happened.”
graphics
44 mentions
34 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game show notable 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 and aging poorly, with several reporting graphical errors and clunky controls. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, appealing to some fans of the series while disappointing others who preferred the earlier art style.
- “The graphics are very nice (and still hold up nicely) and the sound and voice acting are top-notch as usual… so some standards have been maintained.”
- “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 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.”
gameplay
31 mentions
10 % positive mentions
81 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users 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 previous titles in the series. Overall, players expressed disappointment, particularly those who appreciated the classic point-and-click style of earlier games.
- “The gameplay is a hybrid between WASD controls and mouse, and it mostly doesn't work properly - especially on time-bound game sequences.”
- “Fortunately the story, writing, and voice acting are still stellar, but it is very hard to enjoy a game while gritting your teeth over the gameplay.”
- “"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).”
- “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.”
- “The graphics are significantly improved from Broken Sword 3, but the weird hybrid gameplay between traditional Broken Sword gameplay and Broken Sword 3 gameplay is worse than Broken Sword 3's already terrible gameplay.”
- “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.'”
humor
25 mentions
92 % positive mentions
-4 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The humor in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant decline in the witty dialogue and comedic elements that characterized earlier entries in the series. While some found moments of humor, particularly in character interactions and voice acting, others criticized the overall writing as dull and lacking the charm of previous installments. The game's attempt at humor often feels out of place, especially given its darker tone, leading to a generally underwhelming comedic experience.
- “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.”
- “Even if everything else were to fail, you could always count on humor in the Broken Sword series.”
- “The humor is mostly terrible and unfunny.”
- “The story isn't that interesting, and while some jokes land, many are just not funny.”
- “Character personalities and development can be bland, which doesn't help the humor.”
music
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many praising its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere and match the game's tone. However, some players noted that certain tracks play infrequently, and there were mixed feelings about the absence of series composer Barrington Pheloung. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its charm and immersion.
- “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).”
- “I missed Barrington Pheloung - he did the music for the rest of the series, this is the only exception - and it shows.”
stability
15 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, including character freezing, camera problems, and low frame rates. Players report that these technical problems make the game nearly unplayable, often requiring frequent saves to avoid losing progress. Overall, the instability detracts heavily from the experience, leading many to recommend avoiding the game unless they are dedicated fans willing to navigate its flaws.
- “The game is buggy as hell and also does not really play well.”
- “Very buggy .. to the level of almost unplayable .. character got blocked about more than 10 times during the game.”
- “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.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its repetitive and tedious puzzles, which lack originality and logic, making the gameplay feel monotonous. Players find the character development uninspired and the mini-games, particularly those involving hacking and crate shoving, to be overly tedious, detracting from the overall experience.
- “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.”
- “The crate shoving is still there as well as ledge climbing and tedious mini games involving hacking computers.”
- “Some of the puzzles were just ridiculously tedious.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its engaging elements, including a captivating guitar soundtrack and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the earlier titles in the series. While some aspects may differ from previous games, the overall ambiance remains interesting and visually appealing, enhanced by improved graphics in the 3D perspective.
- “Everything about this game was broken sword, from the story, the music, the atmosphere, the locations, and of course the humor.”
- “While she is there, there is a great guitar soundtrack that really enhances the atmosphere.”
- “Everything about this game was broken, from the story, the music, the atmosphere, the locations, and of course the humor.”
- “Something in the general atmosphere reminds me of the first two games, while something else just doesn't.”
- “The atmosphere is still there.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant stuttering and audio issues that worsen over time, while others note that it runs well on PC but requires adjustments for smoother performance. Additionally, there are concerns about mouse sensitivity and hit detection, particularly around interactive elements like ledges.
- “You need to tweak the settings to make it run smoothly without frame drops.”
- “Utterly optimized for PC -- my CPU fan shrieks during gameplay.”
- “In certain situations, the mouse controls might not be optimized as they should be, as some hot zones, like ledges you might want to grab onto, are not adequately covered.”
- “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.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a significant dissatisfaction with the emotional depth of the characters, particularly criticizing the voice acting as lacking nuance and failing to convey genuine feelings. Additionally, the narrative's portrayal of sacrifices made for humanity is seen as inadequate and unconvincing, detracting from the overall emotional impact of the game.
- “The heartfelt sacrifices they've made to protect humankind resonate deeply throughout the game.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % 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.
- “The puzzles and story sequence are repetitive and tedious, seeming to repeat the same things in different places. It lacks a lot of originality and mystery that other games offered, and the character development and styles seem bland too.”