Posted on: February 27, 2015

Anohren

Games: Reviews: 21

The first game I ever bought

It would have received five stars if ONLY the original were included. The fact that people probably are going to play the "director's cut" when given the choice is worth at least -2 stars. Here's what's wrong with the new version: - It's babysitting your ass by pointing out everything you can click on. Looking around for yourself is seriously 50% OF THE GAME. They just removed 50%. If you're sharp you could probably finish the game with only audio and black backgrounds, as long as you see the blinking dots and their descriptions. Solving the newly added parts isn't satisfying in the least. - Puzzles have been dumbed down. That's fine if you want less of a challenge. - Seems like you can't die anymore, because you can't make fatal mistakes. Not forcing you to start over from the beginning is sensible in a modern game, but this isn't how you do it. The right way is to allow for mistakes and then offer the player to load a checkpoint just before they made the mistake. - They've removed some animations, but kept sounds from them. All in the name of dumbing down the puzzles. - The "speaking faces" are just a collection of still images of generic facial expressions. It further distracts from the beautiful original environment art. Better if they were only one unchanging image, then at least they wouldn't attract as much attention. - The Nico story is squeezed in between the original parts, and isn't mentioned in them for obvious reasons. - Predictable jokes. - The new journal looks just awful. Ten year olds can make better judgment calls on font and text size. On the bright side: + The new animations are in the same style as the old ones. + The cursors have gotten facelifts. I appreciated that more than all the other changes combined. + There are probably some changes that aren't noticeable and that just work. Like it should be. + Easy install!

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Posted on: May 25, 2022

jtrippy

Verified owner

Games: 427 Reviews: 10

Great production, questionable design

Years ago I enjoyed the original Broken Sword and decided to refresh myself on it with the Director's Cut. The new content met with mixed reception, although I took no issue. I enjoyed Nico's character and appreciated seeing her background fleshed out. Her puzzles were fun and logical. None of the same can be said for the original George segments. George is a rather unpleasant character -- nosy, needy, pushy, and immature. He lacks motivation and character arc, and by the end we know absolutely nothing about him, except for his name, that he's a writer from America, and that he likes Nico. That's really it. Revolution is usually compared more favorably to Sierra in terms of puzzle design, but this game is as baffling as they come. Giving a ball to distract a boy to pet a cat on a table then ringing a bell to open a door to divert the ball to hit a Newton's cradle to startle the cat to jump back onto the table to knock over a statuette that was in reach the whole time is just one example of this game's oxygen-deprived moon logic. It's not the worst the genre gets, but it's well in league. The original animation is stunning and still shines through the questionable graphical updates and clashy added content. Still, the original looks better. My biggest issue with Sword is its tonal inconsistency and character development. Its dark story is undercut by ceaseless slapstick. George channels Guybrush Threepwood, surrounded by caricatures and ethnic stereotypes who insult him nonstop. Supposedly emotional moments earn no pathos, danger is treated with almost no tension or stakes. Musical cues are head-scratching (ex. the same swelling, uplifting intro music is played when George is knocked off a cliff by the antagonist). There IS plenty to love for genre fans. The premise and mystery are intriguing, and the unfolding map of exotic international locations to explore feels like a true adventure. Still it feels like the parts don't quite add up to a bona fide classic.

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Posted on: July 14, 2022

siphr

Verified owner

Games: 114 Reviews: 1

You play this, Revolution has you...

This game, I played when I was mid-teens. A fun fact: it was originally named Circle of Blood. To this day (and I'm now middle-aged) I quote this game and this series as an icon, a model of wonderful storytelling with just the right amount of technological assist needed to convey the subject-matter and impart valuable knowledge as it went along! The opening scene was Epic! for its time, the direction was first class, if you played it back then, I'm sure you cannot forget the clown. The creepiest clown after penny wise! I found this and its sequel to be the best of the series. Do yourself a favour if you have no qualms about the genre or the medium or anything else, do not miss out on this artistic masterpiece!

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Posted on: May 16, 2023

RotTeufel

Verified owner

Games: 285 Reviews: 15

I don't like and understand censorship

I like the fact they have enhanched the game with some parts excludeded on original version and made it playable on modern system. Anyway i feel that Nico new parts has opened some open question never explained later in game. The big con for me, it's censorship. No more death scenes (hotel, museum, underground, desert, well, train), cutted blood from cutscenes and some were shortened with no reason... Another con, it's inconsistency in some animation. It happens quite a lot that you can see a huge difference between old and new sprites. And the font used for subtitles are so small than probabily the original ones will be more readable still today. I mean, i'm greateful i can play it on modern system, but i would like to have a great quality dc/remake like has been done with Full Throttle and Day of the Tentacle. It's a shame that a so great mature game released in 1994 can't be played with a proper version that will bring justice to the original work.

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Posted on: November 20, 2011

Hoya84

Verified owner

Games: 17 Reviews: 1

A slight dissapointment

I've loved BS:TSOTT ever since I first played it in the mid 90's so I was all excited when I coulddownload it for basically no money at all. After a rather quick play through my emotions are kinda mixed. I am delighted the graphics haven't been improved, at least not so much one notices. I am dissapointed in the new puzzles that just get frustrating as it requires a sort of thinking that I, personally, don't like in the BS-games. I am also dissapointed in the way the rmake guides me to areas of interest. What I enjoyed the most in the original game (that is included in the purchase thank the saints) was to click on random objects and hear George say something witty about it. This is impossible now. I don't mind the added introduction with Nico per se, but when you get tired of the puzzles (the locks and the coded messages) and find a walkthrough there's something wrong. That's not what I'm after in a Broken Sword game, as been mentioned before. I also don't mind the little avatar like characther picture during conversations but it doesn't go with the story. Why not lip sync or at least add appropriate expressions? Now it's just a cosmetic change so that theplayers will notice that something is new. To sum it up, they've taken a classic and made it a little bit worse. Just a tad though and I was balancing between 4 or 5 stars. So even though I finally put 4 it actually means 4.5. And after all, you do get the original game aswell as some other goodies so I really shouldn't complain.

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