The problem I have with this game is that it's shallow. It's a bunch of different genres in one, meaning that there are a lot of things to do, but nothing is particularly complex or refined. I can totally see the appeal, it's a very unique game, and it's fun for a few hours, but it just became repetitive after a short while and I lost interest. If you're looking for a pirate game you can play casually, it might be the game for you. But if you're looking for something with more depth to it, it won't be.
I'd call myself a fan of the series, but I've only played this one once before (way back when it came out). Now I've tried to play it a second time, I'm remembering the reason it took me this long. The switch from 2D to 3D was, to put it bluntly, an uninspired decision based on trends at the time of release, that adds nothing of importance to the game, and takes a lot away. The visual style set up in the first two games was gone, and most of the series' charm went with it. The game was a little blocky and ugly even at the time of release, so today just imagine that amplified ten times over. The archaic 3D means that every area looks bland, is devoid of detail, and feels empty to explore, which was definitely not a problem with the detailed 2D style of the last two games. The simple point-and-click controls have been replaced by awkward tank controls with fixed cameras, Resident Evil style. All of this just feels... pointless. The series didn't need this. There's no value in this. What were they thinking? The puzzles in this game are mostly very simplistic compared to the last two, it feels like they really dumbed it down, and there are so. many. crate puzzles. Crate puzzles involve either monotonously pushing crates around, or restacking them into the right positions. You have to do it in almost every single area you visit. It's like they needed to find one thing that wasn't possible in 2D, and then use it over and over again to justify making the game 3D, regardless of how boring that thing is. There are also many more moments where it's possible to die in this game, which you avoid by doing a single-button-press quicktime event that you need almost precognitive reflexes to get right on the first try; and, you guessed it, it's not fun. On this playthrough, I got half way through the game when I realized I wasn't enjoying myself at all. I won't be finishing it, and I won't be playing this one again. Skip it.
I've never understood why this game wasn't as well-received as the first Broken Sword, as I actually like this one slightly more. It has more creative puzzles, more moments of humour, and more interesting locations and situations. I find it a little more charming and a little more memorable. To be fair though, this game was my introduction to the series, and I first played it when I was very young, so there's probably some nostalgia in effect. The game is considerably shorter than the original, but not extremely short. In the playthrough I just did, I finished it in 6 hours, but that's because I could remember the solutions to most of the puzzles off by heart, since I've played the game God-knows how many times. I found that in Broken Sword 1 you return to the same locations too often, and it can start to feel like filler; but in Broken Sword 2 you very rarely return to the same place twice and it just keeps sending you off to new locations, which keeps things feeling fresh. The art style is the same, still great, but improved by better character animations. The first game has awful sound quality for voices by modern standards, but the sound quality here is fine, and the music is perfectly atmospheric. The only ways I would say the game falters compared to the original game is firstly that the story is a little weaker, but it's by no means bad, and characters are more interesting and memorable. Secondly, you have to channel MacGyver a lot more now. "Adventure Game Logic" is in full force, and some of the solutions to puzzles can be ridiculous. It's a shame, but it's honestly no worse than many of the much more fondly-remembered adventure games of the era. The improvements of the remaster are very minimal, the graphics are the same resolution as back in '97. Conversations are presented a little differently with small comic panels in the screen corners which animates the dialogue a bit more, the UI is a little different and there's a hints system. That's about it.
A great game that spawned a great sequel and... some other ones. The added scenes in the Director's Cut are welcome, and flesh out the story a little, but the new sections at the beginning of the game where you play as Nico feel a little padded with unnecessary puzzles to extend the playtime. Ironically, a few things that were in the original game are missing here, like some pieces of dialogue and an option that used to result in a death and game over. Nothing very significant is gone though, much more has been added than has been lost, and some things were cut for good reason, so it's not a problem unless you're a purist. The Director's Cut has the same graphics, resolution and sound quality as the original, but newly recorded lines are of higher quality; which actually makes the rest of the sound much more jarring, as the old lines of dialogue are very low quality in comparison. For those who aren't familiar with the game at all... Well, two things make a good adventure game: story and puzzles. On the story side, it's a globe-trotting kind of adventure about finding ancient clues, exploring ruins and mausoleums, uncovering murder plots, and a little bit of magic and mysticism. Although it sounds quite serious, it's actually a pretty vibrant and light-hearted game with some good humour and exaggerated characters. Overall it's pretty grounded though, and rarely laugh-out-loud funny. The story makes me think of a mix between Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code. On the puzzle side, it doesn't indulge too much in the typical "adventure game logic", puzzles usually make sense (with a few exceptions), and you don't have to roleplay MacGyver that much (again, with a few exceptions). So overall, great. Not every puzzle is entertaining though, and some are a little obtuse or long-winded. I almost forgot to mention the music. I love the music in this game! Very atmospheric soundtrack, kind of minimalistic but soothing, and always fits well with the scene.
I absolutely love this game, but the PC port is just not worth the effort, especially on modern systems. It was a shoddy port that's only gotten worse with age. This game isn't designed for keyboard and mouse, and it shows. It feels so much better with a controller, but there is no controller support at all. So you're either stuck with the janky KB&M controls, or you can use software in the background to awkwardly hack controller support into the game, which is never ideal. There are some glaring graphical bugs on modern systems, such as flickering textures and effects, which can *sometimes* be fixed, but it's hit-and-miss. I was able to fix them on my old PC, but the same method doesn't work on my newer gaming laptop, so there's nothing I can do about it, and the game looks completely broken. I also experienced framerate drops today, which should NOT be happening with a game from 2003 playing on a 960M. If you have a PS3 or an Xbox 360, do yourself a favour and get the HD edition of the game that was released for those systems. It's undoubtedly the best version of the game which will give you the best experience possible. This is a wonderful game that deserves to played in a better environment. The PC version doesn't cut it.
Welcome to a world where trucks have developed sentience and gone rogue, intent on the destruction of each other and everything in their path. Where the floor, walls, and pretty much everything other than trucks is basically lava; and sometimes also has sentience and will move specifically to get in your way. It's just you: an invisible.. bouncy... thing... Against this world. Yep the game makes no sense at all, and it's not supposed to. The weirdness got a laugh or two from me at first but the novelty wore off quickly, and I realized that while each section of the game might look different, the levels all play pretty much the same. Jump on some trucks, don’t touch anything else, and reach the finish line without dying. It got repetitive. The gameplay also has a lot of randomness to it that didn’t appeal to me. This isn't the type of game where you can memorize a good path and then master it in order to finish a level quicker and with more points. The trucks seem to be given a set direction to drive forward, but then the wacky physics do the rest and set everything in motion in unexpected ways, so you have to rely on your reflexes in the moment. Meaning there’s really no “getting better” at this game. Once you’ve got used to the controls and how everything works, you’ve reached the limit of your own potential, and anywhere your abilities are lacking can only be helped by sheer luck. Not really my thing. At first I thought I’d like this one, but the randomness and lack of variety in the gameplay turned me off after a few hours.
Probably the most impressive thing this game has to offer is the way it uses sound. They obviously devoted a lot of time to the sound in this game, and it really shows. The voices in Senua's (and your) head are important not just for the story, but also for the way that the game is played. You'll need to listen carefully to them, and the world around you. This game MUST be played with headphones, both for atmosphere and for gameplay purposes. The game can be most aptly described as an Action Puzzle game. Apart from a few maze puzzles, the rest of the puzzles are about matching shapes on the screen to the environment around you. Most of the time they aren't difficult to figure out. But occasionally they can become more ambiguous, and well, annoying. The game really would have benefited from some more traditional puzzle solving too, just to mix things up and throw some more variety in there. Sadly, I have mixed feelings about the combat too. Sometimes it can be intense - but when it doesn't go your way it can be infuriating. The reason for this is because although it's very "cinematic", it's not very dynamic. It's actually fairly simplistic, stiff, and repetitive; and it feels pretty clunky, especially when you're surrounded. This was likely intentional, as a way to make the player feel vulnerable, but there are ways to do that without making them feel restricted. The atmosphere, the story, the art style and the sound are all totally on point. But both the puzzles and the combat leave something to be desired, and that's the whole "game" part of the game. So that’s unfortunate. I’d really love a sequel where they improved on these things, and despite my annoyances, I really hope this one sells well. You can tell it was made with care, with a lot of thought and a lot of heart, and though I do have mixed feelings, I'm glad I had this experience. Bad name though. I still don't know what a "Hellblade" is.
A humble but beautiful game, weathered considerably by the passage of time. Difficult to get into these days, as the gameplay has aged *very* poorly. In fact, it's aged badly enough that it's difficult even for me to get into now, and it was the first game I ever bought, which I played obsessively when I was 7. Despite any current feelings about it though, I can't help but still be in love with this game. At least give it a go! Maybe try hard to look past the awkward tank-like movement, lack of any targeting system, and constant infuriating knockback attacks - and instead try to enjoy the finer things in LBA 2. Like its weird and wonderful world, its charming lighthearted nature, and its absolutely incredible soundtrack.
Not the most complex of RTS's, but one of the most enjoyable and underrated of the 90s. It's addictive. Magic gives you such a sense of power, and it has a charming, intriguing visual and auditory style. I'm very fond of this game.
