REVIEW – This time it’s a bit interesting, because it’s a remaster, not of the expanded version, but of the original 1996 release, which Revolution Software has touched up, and while the result is mostly excellent, in one aspect the point-and-click adventure game is surprisingly bad, so from this perspective the quality of the raw material was probably not good enough…

So instead of the Director’s Cut (released for Wii, DS, PC, iOS, Android and Linux), the original 1996 version (PC, Mac, PS1) was remastered with a slightly expanded story…

The Parisian Adventures of George Stobbart

Stobbart is an American tourist who gets caught up in a huge adventure that he controls. The story concerns Nicole Collard, who was on her way to meet the old man (Plantard, from whom a suitcase is stolen by a killer dressed as a clown who blows him up…) who was investigating a serial killer. The same one who killed many people in different costumes. This turns out to be a great adventure, and the story remains intact, which is a good thing, because it was excellent. The remaster has tinkered with the graphics, though, so we don’t get the 1996 visuals, but something nicer. Revolution Software’s work is also available for new platforms, and that is perhaps the most important point. Of course, we can also be happy about the fact that the character models have been very nicely restored (you can really feel that this was not a quick money-making project…) and the environments look detailed. Considering the genre, this is certainly important, and we can’t see any weak elements here either. If you want the old visuals, fortunately you can switch to them in the settings, and it really shows how far Shadow of the Templars has come in almost three decades. The point-and-click controls have been retained.

You use the left analog stick to move the cursor around (if you’re playing with a controller, of course), and a button press sends George wherever you point. When you select an object or person, you’re given several options: either George can form an opinion about the object or character, or a dialog can start, or our protagonist can pick up whatever we’re pointing at. One of the weaknesses of the genre could be the controls, but that’s not the case here, because accessing the inventory and using objects from there is child’s play. A lot of people have bled to death here over time, but that’s not the case here. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that this is a remaster, and one might expect it to offer something extra beyond the base game. This is where the other flaw comes in, and that is that the same cannot really be said for Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged. This would be perhaps its other weakness, because although there are features that help beginners, there are gaps in content. Let’s see what we have to think about here…

George and Nicole’s shortcomings

So there are gameplay styles in the remaster. For those who want the original, untouched experience (gameplay-wise), go for Classic mode. And those who want to experience the story without more of a challenge, go for Story. This will give you constant hints and simplify things by removing interactions that are not story-related. The necessity of this is questionable, as it was not that hard to follow in Broken Sword, so you don’t have to spend hours wondering what to do about it. The shortcoming relates to the fact that the remaster doesn’t really celebrate the improvement. There’s no behind-the-scenes insight, even though this game deserved it.

There’s no gallery to take a closer look at the artwork. There’s no way to listen to the soundtrack, and if anywhere, there’s plenty of room for that little extra. What was also disturbing was the quality of the audio. We don’t mean the execution (it was great back then), but the poor sound. The raw recording itself may not have been of outstanding quality, but a layman can hear how poor it sounds. It’s odd that it should slip right on the sound, but that’s really the case this time. No matter what you play, you will notice that the voice acting’s quality is a bit unusual. However, we understand that Revolution Software didn’t want to re-record the whole thing because it’s the most authentic experience…

George’s story still holds up today

It’s hard to judge at times like this. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars was originally excellent and deserves a 9/10. The quality of the remaster, however, deserves a 7/10 at best due to its shortcomings and weaknesses in sound. Averaged over the two, it gets an 8/10 because it’s not bad, but there are some objectionable things about the execution. If you like the point-and-click genre, you should definitely pick it up. If you liked the original, play it for the modern graphics. And beginners have nothing to fear. So it’s great.

-V-

Publisher: Revolution Software
Developer: Revolution Software
Style: point-and-click
Release: September 19, 2024.