Posted on: August 14, 2018
TheAvatar.783
Verified ownerGames: 1282 Reviews: 4
Disappointing on Release
I have to say, I am somewhat disappointed. I bought this game as soon as I saw it on GOG. I have fond memories of playing the originals back in the day, but have largely avoided them since then because of the old graphics, awful sound and old-school interface just make playing the game such a chore. A remastered version of the game should be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, what I got was anything but. First of all, although it is currently being sold as "The Bard's Tale Trilogy", right now only the first game is available (Bards Tale II and III are due in Fall 2018 and Winter 2018 respectively). I found that a bit disingenuous (yes, it's mentioned in the description, but it wasn't made at all obvious and I missed it. It should have been made much more clear this is a game still under development). Even the "Legacy Mode" for the original Bards Tale isn't available yet. No goodies included with the release, not even a manual. Or, for that matter, the map of Skara Brae that came with the original game, which is almost essential for navigating the city. The 3D view is ridiculously small. I know this is true to the original, but it could have been made larger, especially since they re-did all the graphics in proper 3D. Optionally, a "full-screen" toggle might have been a nice addition. The interface - while making some nods to the mouse - is largely unchanged from the original, much to its detriment. You have to do a lot of niggling extra steps even for simplest thing. On the plus side, the addition of the automap is a really nice feature, and I expect my adventures into the dungeons - with all those awful spinner traps - will be less of an annoyance. The modernized graphics nicely capture the old-school feel without being too much of an eyestrain. There's a journal too, but - let's face it - the story and quests of the Bards Tale aren't so complex that a journal is really needed. The intro is a bit poor, though (largely because I prefer the tune from the Apple II version), but it's a nice addition. And the core gameplay is absolutely the same as the original 1985 edition, in all its brutal difficulty. InXile didn't compromise on that in the least. Essentially, this is a graphical patch laid on top of the original game (I'm half-surprised they didn't have a toggle allowing you to switch between the two game modes, that's how similar it is). It's not a bad game - I mean, it is the original Bard's Tale - but it definitely doesn't feel worth the $15 I paid. The additions are too minor and the lack of Bards Tale II and III borders on dishonest. Die-hard fans may enjoy it, but everyone else should wait until the other two games are included in this package.
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