Broken Sword: Director's Cut

[toblix]

This has been out on Steam for quite a while now, and if there's even a sliver of love for great, classic adventure games left in you, you should get it. Immediately I'm drawn back into the fantastic mood Revolution managed to set with their Broken Sword games however many years ago. The combination of art, ambient sound and music is fantastic, and I really hope this is successful enough to warrant more releases like this, maybe even some original content?

[Irishjohn]

Sounds cool, I must confess that this wasn't on my radar at all. I've never played the Broken Sword games.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I've been playing this myself. It's still really wonderful. The atmosphere, as you say, is really something else. I also love the dialogue and humour. It's very subtle and, I guess, British. For its time Broken Sword was probably the most sophisticated and mature adventure game around and, to be honest, I'm not sure if anything has overtaken it.

It was serious without being stuffy, and funny without being puerile. And neither the seriousness or the comedy compromised the characters, ever. I really can't think of another adventure game that managed that so well. (The Last Express, maybe?)

It was also great how it mixed in historical facts about The Templars long before the Da Vinci Code made it cool to do such things.

I do love those old Revolution games. *sigh*

French policeman: [Pulls a gun] Freeze! Hold it right there!

George Stobbart: Don't shoot! I'm innocent! I'm an American!

French policeman: Can't make up your mind, eh?

Classic.

Everyone should give themselves a treat and check it out: Broken Sword: Director's Cut

[Erkki]

I recently played Broken Sword on the iPhone, but the new content is tempting.

[Noyb]

Only played the third game, which I recall as having more sokoban puzzles and stealth than adventuring. Might pick this up after working on my backlog a bit.

[toblix]

Yeah, the two first games are pure adventures. I don't know which one of them is the best, but they're both really excellent. The sequels are all right, maybe – I played them because I love the series, and they have some nice qualities, like the voice work and music, but they really suffer from the jump to 3D. Apparently they want to do a 2D Broken Sword 5 at some point, which is great news.

From what I've read about Broken Sword: Director's Cut, they've made some terrible changes throughout, cutting out and simplifying stuff. Also, they changed the musical cues, which sounds awful. Maybe I'll have to go back and play the original after this, just to get my memory straight.

[Grufff]

Have they simplified the goat puzzle? I hope not. It's only fair that people playing this game for the first time suffer the same frustration that I did.

Honestly though, anyone that likes adventure games and has never played the first two should do so immediately. Everything about them is great.

I tried playing BS3 but could never get far with it as the switch to 3D ruined it for me

[dibs]

I played this on the DS. Lots of fun:)

[Thrik]

Yeah I'm definitely interested in this. I consider the original two Broken Sword games two of the finest adventures I've played, alongside Monkey Island and Grim Fandango. Just excellent in all ways (unlike the third and fourth instalments).

I've heard a fair bit of hearsay alluding to the director's cut having taken things out, but not seen much in the way of actual comparing or researching this. All I've been able to gather for sure is that the intro that pans over Paris has been redrawn to reflect the new beginning point, and the cutscene with the clown bomb has been extended.

I've heard it mentioned that the director's cut may be based on the older console re-releases which took a number of non-vital hotspots out the game to streamline things a bit (would be a shame), but no confirmation of this applying to the PC director's cut.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I've heard a fair bit of hearsay alluding to the director's cut having taken things out, but not seen much in the way of actual comparing or researching this. All I've been able to gather for sure is that the intro that pans over Paris has been redrawn to reflect the new beginning point, and the cutscene with the clown bomb has been extended.

I've heard it mentioned that the director's cut may be based on the older console re-releases which took a number of non-vital hotspots out the game to streamline things a bit (would be a shame), but no confirmation of this applying to the PC director's cut.

Yeah, not sure where this stuff has come from? I haven't noticed anything missing, only changed. Certainly nothing has been removed to the game's detriment, to my knowledge.

[toblix]

Yeah, not sure where this stuff has come from? I haven't noticed anything missing, only changed. Certainly nothing has been removed to the game's detriment, to my knowledge.

There's a death scene they took out. Could it be at the hospital, or was that BS2?

[Thrik]

Hmm, I've got a vague memory of hiding in a wardrobe or something in the hospital and potentially being caught/killed there. Is that gone?

[dibs]

you hide in a wardrobe at the hotel and the baddie comes in.

I don't know how to do spoilers

[Patters]

There's a death scene they took out. Could it be at the hospital, or was that BS2?

If you leave the hotel carrying the manuscript

[ThunderPeel2001]

There's a death scene they took out. Could it be at the hospital, or was that BS2?

Oh man, if Patters is right, then it's a teeny tiny change.

It's just now that George is a little smarter and says something like, "I bet this manuscript is what those dangerous looking guys outside are looking for!", and refuses to go. I can easily live without some animation that resulted in the same event: User learns that that path is closed to them.

[Patters]

Oh man, if Patters is right, then it's a teeny tiny change.

It's just now that George is a little smarter and says something like, "I bet this manuscript is what those dangerous looking guys outside are looking for!", and refuses to go. I can easily live without some animation that resulted in the same event: User learns that that path is closed to them.

I am right.

[Squid Division]

The DS version is fun too. I can't speak to how it was originally, but the DS doesn't detract any playability.

[Tanukitsune]

I think they removed another death scene

in the well where you have to put your hand into a lion's head, I could swear that it could kill you before...

Also Goerge hides automatically in the wardrobe when he sees the killer in the hotel...

I think you can only die in Bull's head and the ending part?

Also it seems they changed the puzzles and they are more annoying now... In the new areas you have decode something, and once you crack the code and get another message.... You have to crack the code AGAIN even though it's the SAME CODE!

I'm pretty sure they dumbed down a few things, and the "remastered" audio is actually dreadful in some places, the pub kid sounds like he has a five dollar mic...

And the extra stuff, it's very convenient that it's an extra storyline that kinda ties in with the story, but if you skipped it you wouldn't notice at all, it doesn't affect the story at all except for some convenient internal monologues....

There was only two new cutscenes and I kinda preferred their mildly toony look they had before, so I'm hesitant to say it, but... I think I like the original better?

[ThunderPeel2001]

It's a different code, not the same.

My biggest complaints are the fact that Nico's puzzles are just one screen Professor Leyton style ones. Still, I do enjoy such puzzles, so it's not a massive complaint. I also don't like the pre-rendered 3D animation of the new characters, it really doesn't look as good as the original hand-drawn stuff.

The new dialogue definitely sounds clearer, so far, not sure why you mean about the kid at the pub as I haven't gotten there yet.

The new parts are definitely a little rough around the edges, but I still think they're good. As for which is better? I don't think they add or remove that much from the game (so far). Maybe as I get further on they'll add more.

[Tanukitsune]

Are you sure? Every letter I still remembered had the same symbol?

[ThunderPeel2001]

Are you sure? Every letter I still remembered had the same symbol?

Mine didn't, maybe it's randomized? Hmm.

[Tanukitsune]

Mine didn't, maybe it's randomized? Hmm.

Hmm... Maybe it's randomized, but only for some letters? I could have been a bizarre coincidence that the letters I remembered stayed the same? It was only two or three?

[ThunderPeel2001]

Hmm... Maybe it's randomized, but only for some letters? I could have been a bizarre coincidence that the letters I remembered stayed the same? It was only two or three?

Mine were definitely different because, like you, I immediately went "you're kidding me?!" and started entering all the same ones in again... but they didn't work for me. *shrugs*

[Patters]

Mine didn't, maybe it's randomized? Hmm.

They were both set puzzles, I can't remember if the cipher was the same though.

[ThunderPeel2001]

They were both set puzzles, I can't remember if the cipher was the same though.

? The discussion is about whether the cipher was the same or not, lol.