The Bard's Tale

About

In "The Bard's Tale," players control a selfish bard who summons characters through song to complete quests. The game now includes the original classic trilogy, with updated features like high-resolution and widescreen support, improved performance, and various language options. Players can use full keyboard and mouse controls or controllers to explore dungeons, battle enemies, and discover treasure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 949 reviews

humor410 positive mentions

graphics23 negative mentions

The game features hilarious writing and voice acting, particularly from Cary Elwes and Tony Jay.
It offers a unique summoning system where players can call allies to aid in combat, adding a fun twist to gameplay.
The humor and satire throughout the game provide a refreshing take on traditional RPG tropes.

The combat mechanics are clunky and can feel repetitive, leading to a tedious gameplay experience.
The game suffers from technical issues, especially on Linux, including crashes and unresponsive controls.
Graphics and overall design feel dated, which may deter modern players looking for a polished experience.

humor
416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "The Bard's Tale" is widely praised for its cleverness, wit, and satirical take on RPG tropes, often delivering laugh-out-loud moments through engaging dialogue and musical numbers. While some find the humor to be crude or repetitive, many appreciate its charm and nostalgic appeal, particularly the interactions between the bard and the narrator. Overall, the game is considered a delightful blend of humor and adventure, making it a standout choice for fans of comedic storytelling in gaming.
- “The main reason to play this game is for its humor and wit, which are still enjoyable.”
- “The humor is not as witty nor funny as advertised, though it did make me giggle a few times, so I'll give it that.”
- “The writing is top level and very, very funny.”
- “The writing is just very self-indulgent and there is a lot of humor that is absolutely beaten into the ground at times, including summons repeating the same voice lines over and over and over constantly and this absolutely unfunny, way too dragged out, repetitious gags with the 'bodhs' in Kirkwall.”
- “It became kind of charming in the last 2-3 hours, but previously it was just incredibly dull, repetitive, and unfunny.”
- “The bard is unfunny and obnoxious, and he is written in a 'witty' way that he keeps responding with unfunny things after every single NPC line just to mock how traditional RPGs are.”
story
296 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The story of "The Bard's Tale" is a humorous and satirical take on traditional RPG tropes, featuring a self-serving bard on a quest for wealth and romance. While the narrative is often predictable and filled with clichés, it is elevated by witty dialogue, engaging voice acting, and a playful tone that mocks the genre. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and pacing, many players find the story's charm and comedic elements to be its standout features, making it a memorable experience.
- “The story, characters, dialogue, songs - everything like that is just amazing.”
- “The story is the highlight of this game; it's sarcastic, funny, and clever.”
- “The bard's tale is a hilarious RPG where you play the bard, a guy on a quest for coin and cleavage, making all the wrong decisions along the way, creating worse situations than there are, and having an enormous ego.”
- “The story is stupid and enjoyable; I would love to see this remastered rather than ported.”
- “The story is basically an excuse for dick jokes and pop culture references.”
- “The story is unappealing and the main character is unlikeable.”
gameplay
220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
54%
17%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its outdated mechanics and repetitive nature, making it difficult to recommend to modern audiences. While some appreciate the classic RPG elements and humorous writing, others find the combat clunky and the overall experience lacking depth. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for its charm and humor, but the gameplay itself is often described as dull and unremarkable.
- “On the plus side, the game features some classic RPG elements, such as expanding the bard’s inventory with new weapons and armor, each with distinct visual and mechanical characteristics.”
- “The gameplay utilized an interesting summon mechanic where the bard could call warriors, mages, mystical monsters, and the odd rat to his disposal with a high degree of abilities.”
- “The humor, charm, and gameplay are all still there.”
- “It’s hard to recommend to most players because of its age and the often obtuse mechanics that will likely turn off many newcomers.”
- “The gameplay itself feels outdated.”
- “The gameplay is soulless.”
music
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The music in the game is a mixed bag; while it features a few catchy and humorous songs that players enjoy, such as the "beer song" and various sing-along numbers, many reviewers express disappointment over the lack of background music throughout most of the game. Despite the bard's musical theme, the overall soundtrack is sparse, leading to a sense of irony given the game's premise. However, the comedic and engaging nature of the songs, along with strong voice acting, contributes positively to the game's charm.
- “The songs that play throughout the game are not only hilarious but also very catchy; you'll no doubt find yourself singing at least one of them at some point after playing.”
- “The writing, voice acting, and the music make this a worthy purchase in my opinion.”
- “With the amazing vocal talents, excellent music, laugh-out-loud funny comments, asides, and conversations, this game will forever give me a smile.”
- “For a game with a musical hero who literally wields an instrument, the music is surprisingly absent.”
- “There are many areas of the game with no music at all, and others where it is very unnoticeable.”
- “Overall, for a game that has an emphasis on music, the game has very little emphasis on music, which boggles my mind and leaves me very disappointed.”
graphics
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many reviewers noting that they have not aged well since its original release in the early 2000s. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and humor that the game offers, the visuals are often described as clunky and lacking polish, making it difficult for modern players to overlook their shortcomings. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not impress, the engaging story and humor can still provide an enjoyable experience for those willing to look past the visuals.
- “The graphics have aged surprisingly well, and given a slight upgrade, the game passes very well for something that you could buy as a cheaply priced 'arcade' title today.”
- “It looks good, even for a 2004/2005 game (I wouldn't say it is even a stretch to say it feels 2007), and either way, its art style, writing, and gameplay hold up extremely well today.”
- “Despite this being a game from 2005, graphically it does a good job.”
- “The graphics are outdated; the combat is rather bland, the story is shallow and linear... but you know what?”
- “The graphics weren't cutting edge for 2004 and certainly are now; the mechanics are good but not the most complex or involving.”
- “While the graphics or the gameplay haven't really stood the test of time, the snarky storytelling of a horny drunkard's adventure is top notch.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game, particularly on the Linux version, has been widely criticized for being plagued with numerous bugs and glitches, including freezing issues, unresponsive controls, and graphical errors. Many users report that the Linux port is essentially unplayable, with frequent crashes and a lack of fixes for longstanding issues. Overall, the game's stability is considered a significant drawback, detracting from the overall experience.
- “I would not recommend buying this game if you use Linux as it doesn't work and freezes.”
- “The game itself seems nice enough and funny, but at least the Linux port is an unplayable, buggy mess.”
- “Overall the game is a buggy mess and until it is fixed it is just too much trouble trying to play it.”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessive and tedious, with many players noting that it detracts from the overall experience. Combat is often described as clunky and repetitive, requiring significant backtracking and farming, which can lead to frustration. While some players find enjoyment in the game's charm and humor, the grinding is generally seen as a major drawback that can make progression feel laborious.
- “The balance of this game is non-existent and it requires extreme grinding and min-maxing even on the easiest difficulty.”
- “90% of the game is combat and thus grinding too; it's extremely clunky, awkward, and tedious.”
- “Unfortunately, one main thing made this game tedious to play through: you are required to revisit several maps at least twice (this doesn't seem bad, but backtracking takes so long it becomes extremely tedious).”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it virtually nonexistent due to a lack of meaningful choices and variety, while others appreciate the humor and multiple endings that encourage revisiting the game. While a few reviews highlight strong replay value stemming from different interactions and outcomes, many agree that it has limited replayability, making it more of a one-time experience for most players.
- “The comedy, replayability, and the twists are, for me, worth all the frustrating parts of this otherwise great game.”
- “Tremendous replay value.”
- “The game has replay value because almost every interaction you have has a different outcome on the path you take to completing the game.”
- “This is a one trick pony game with no replayability.”
- “Replay value: virtually none.”
- “There isn't any crafting, not many secrets, not a huge store variety to buy stuff (you are given most of your gear as you play), and absolutely no replay value to the game at all.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
38%
38%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, poor performance, and constant stuttering during gameplay and cutscenes. Many recommend avoiding it, especially on Linux or for those expecting modern performance standards, although some find it enjoyable if played at a low price. Despite its age and optimization issues, the voice acting has received some praise.
- “It's also very well optimized.”
- “Poor optimization aside, it's quite a fun game, with the ability to surprise you should you give it a chance.”
- “>enhanced performance but even with 60 fps it still feels like the game has some kind of constant stuttering and slowdowns.”
- “Performance is utterly dire and not worth anyone's time or energy.”
- “In any case, I'm not recommending this game to any Linux owner or anyone who values this decade's performance standards for their games.”
- “Only recommended if you can find the game for 1-2 dollars, mainly as it's over 10 years old, not optimized for anything about lower res screens, and lags with a 1080 Ti card in 2017!”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a magical medieval setting filled with humor and quirky characters, enhanced by sparse yet captivating music and atmospheric sounds that complement the gameplay. While the remastered version improves visuals, the overall experience hinges on the player's appreciation of its unique tone and humor; those who don't connect with the atmosphere may find the gameplay lacking. Despite some dated mechanics, the blend of humor and a relatively pleasant environment creates an engaging and nostalgic experience.
- “The remastered version is visually better than the original, while keeping the same feel and atmosphere as it originally had.”
- “The atmospheric sounds are also a very nice fit for the different levels in the game.”
- “In a magical medieval atmosphere, you play the adventures of a misogynist bon vivant that can get only a little better when you choose to be nice with others, which is not always the best choice in a miserable world filled with mischievous characters.”
- “If the jokes aren't funny to you or you don't like the atmosphere the title tries to establish, then the gameplay will not be enough to hold your attention.”
- “Of music, which does take away from the atmosphere somewhat.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as limited, with players primarily choosing between a sword or bow and focusing on maximizing those options. While the character designs are visually appealing, the overall depth of character progression is considered meager and simplistic.
- “Deep character development.”
- “The character designs are still pleasing to the eye.”
- “Character development is meager; choose sword or bow and then max it out.”
- “Deep character development?”
- “Intuitive, simple character development.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, combining humor and heartbreak in a snarky, heart-warming narrative filled with twists and engaging characters. Players appreciate the dramatic storytelling and memorable music, which enhance the overall experience, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics.
- “A dramatic, heartbreaking, humorous, and truly epic RPG full of twists, women, banter, and music based on an old school classic that I've never played because it's like twice my age.”
- “Narrated by the sultry Tony Jay, this snarky, heart-warming tale of adventure will have you singing in bloody stitches.”