Broken Sword 5 - the Serpent's Curse

An excellent point & click game with wonderful art, solid puzzles and characters that I love. Story-wise it hits the same beats as BS1, with very similar themes, that's why I docked a star.

Having played all the Broken Sword parts, I can say that the fifth iteration is the true successor to Broken Sword I and II. I've felt any connection to the 3D editions, and going back to 2D concept made the series shine again. From the beginning you'll find yourself in love with the beautiful painted graphics and backgrounds in which the 3D models fit just fine and sometimes you get the feeling every move of George Stobbart was drawn carefully. The puzzles are logical although a bit to local, you'll find everything you need to in the current area. This doesn't have to be a bad thing but makes the game a taddy bit easier to complete. I can see this move from the developers in order to make the game attractive to a wider no-hardcore adventure gamers. The hint system is very well implemented and doesn't spoil your satisfaction when completing the puzzle. The end of the first part came as a shocker and too fast, but that even more adds to the excitement and I can't wait for the second part to hit the selves. All in all, even there are some minor things that I'd love to be different (mainly the puzzles a bit harder) this game still deserves 5 stars and I can not recommend it too much. Worth every penny...

Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse is a beautiful and visually appealing interactive story and just a shadow of what Broken Sword games used to be. The plot is too linear and unsophisticated, puzzles are either simple or meaningless and boring, and the game is full of clichés and stereotypes about different nations. I played BS 1 and 2 back in the times and liked them a lot; never played BS 3 and 4 because of ugly 3D graphics. So I had high expectations for BS 5 when I found it. Unfortunately, the game was just too plain and boring and I finished it only for the sake of finishing. Perhaps, BS 5 can be an enjoyable game for someone who is transitioning from Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga type games. For players who are looking for an intriguing story and challenging puzzles, there are much better games available. For example, Gabriel Knight - Sins of the Fathers (1993 original version) is a great game if you like mysteries, and Beneath the Steel Sky if you are more into Si-Fi.

It was worth all the waiting. A great game, nice graphics, good story and some nice puzzels. The game caught me in the first second, and I couldn't stop untill I finished the first episode. The only thing I am sad about is that I waited till 31. Jan for episode 2 and now it's moved to 31. Mar, that is a big disappointment. But apart from that fact it's great.

I loved the first 'Broken Sword' game, and I admittedly gave 'Broken Sword 2' a harsher review and rating than it truly deserved on GoG. However, I do stand by my comment that a sequel to 'Broken Sword' needs to meet some level of standard, which was set quite high by the first game. Some people on Internet forums have recommended or advocated for playing only the first two 'Broken Sword' games, skipping the third and fourth ones, and jumping right into 'Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse'. Given my disappointment with 'BS2', I began to question the reportedly quality of 'BS5'. Thankfully, 'BS5' is WAY better than 'BS2'. In fact, it is an excellent point-and-click adventure game and a worthy sequel to the first 'Broken Sword' game. The tone and beat of 'BS5' are very similar to 'BS1', with some form of exploration within city of Paris in the first part, and more linear adventuring in the second. The graphics and art design may be new, but still evoke some familiarity to that by Eoghan Cahill and Neil Breen from 'BS1'. 'BS5' is definitely beautiful to look at, with vibrant colours and clean lines in its characters and backgrounds. Current technology allows for better character animation, photography and cinematography, most of which are done by the game engine and not pre-rendered. What makes 'BS5' excellent, however, is the solid writing. There are layers of mystery in the story that you get to uncover, intertwined with European history and religion to provide some grounding to George and Nico's adventures. Also, Nico gets to do a bit more this time around, though I still wish she gets to get her hands dirty instead of letting George do most of the work. I still find shoehorning a couple of characters unnecessary. It's nice to see the 'Broken Sword' series return to form with 'BS5'. The puzzles are fun, and at times challenging (more so during the second part); the story is intriguing and funny; and voice acting is convincing. The game did crash on me a few times, and it got annoying near the end of the game. However, it did not affect my overall enjoyment and appreciation of 'BS5'. I hope to see more of 'Broken Sword' games like 'BS5' in the future.