FOR SCUMMVM USERS: The data files from this version CANNOT BE USED. If you intend buying this to rip the files and play the original this is not possible. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars is a fantastic game. It's easy one of the best adventure games ever made, one of the few that deserve to sit right next to the near flawless LucasArts adventures. It has a fantastic story, with brilliant writing and great gameplay. However as fantastic as the game might be, this review is going to concern the features brought in by the 'Director's Cut', since this is the version that GoG have decided to release. The Director's Cut differs from the original in that it has new sections that flesh out the story more. These are well done, they are greatly voiced and the puzzles are fine. The main point where the game disappoints is presentation. This game is probably the most shoddily done remake I've ever played. The art direction is a confused and muddled mess. The original game was more like a animated movie but the Director's Cut tries to turn the game into a comic. This horrible mish-mash of styles results in some terrible cutscenes, such as the introduction which has been butchered. Instead of being produced in an animation studio, like the old game, the new cutscenes look like they were created in flash. The game splices new and old cutscenes together and it just doesn't work. Another example of this shoddiness is the quality of the voice acting. I don't mean in terms of how good it is, it's wonderfully voiced, but in terms of sound quality. The old voice samples have not been re-recorded and so sound is horribly compressed and fuzzy. This would not be a problem if it were not for the new sections of the game which have brand new voice overs and show this problem off. Overall the more I play it, the more I want the original version. A remastered version of Broken Sword is a great idea but with low production values it just comes out as being inferior to the original. Which is a real shame, as I was looking forward to well done remake. (Or at least an option for CLASSIC MODE (which sadly isn't present)) So far it seems that nobody has pulled it off, MI:SE 1 & 2 were not that great either, but hopefully the Director's Cut of Broken Sword 2 will be better.
While it starts of slow, Outcast is really entertaining game. You play as Cutter Slade, an ex-FBI agent who has been assigned on a mission to fix a wormhole that threatens to swallow the Earth. Unfortunantly the mission backfires and you are teleported to the land of Adelphia, which is inhabitated by the Talan. The Talan believe you to be their saviour and you must help them defeat the evil Fae Rahn, as well find your human friends and stop the Earth from being destroyed! The gameplay is a mix of an adventure game and a 3rd person shooter. You are free to explore the world of Adelphia and the game is extremely open in this regard. You can complete the missions that you are assigned in the game in any order, and in any way. The very beginning of the game is quite slow however, as there is a lot of talking (this game uses it's own fantasy words and it can be quite hard to keep track in the beginning!) and you can only explore a tiny area. However after you leave the first part it really picks up. The story becomes really interesting, due to the well developed characters. While it may seem very samey at first, it soon becomes far more engrossing. The combat in the game is very well done but is slightly clunky. To fire a gun you must hold down an aim button which will decrease Slade's speed. This makes it hard to avoid bullets. Eventually though you will get the hang of it and it leads to some very tense and exiciting battles. The graphics in this game have not really aged that well. While the draw distance in the game is extremely impressive, as well as the sheer size of the maps you play on, the textures in this game are extremely pixelated. This is a shame as the art direction in the game is brilliant, it's a just a shame that characters and buildings look like a blocky mess at times. Due the game running only in software mode, it can only run at a resolution of 640x480 (which you need to download an extra patch for) or lower. This is dissapointing, as I'm sure it would have made a difference. The sound in this game however, is really awesome. The voiceovers for the characters are really well done. Each character (and you will encounter a LOT) has it's own voice which is extremely impressive. The soundtrack is incredible as well, being performed by Moscow Sympothy Orchestra. Outcast is a lot of fun however it is not perfect. A lot of the missions are fetching items and bringing them back to a person. This is OK but it does get annoying after a while. The game is kinda gltichy at times as well. With Slade cutting stuck in objects and certain characters either not giving the player certain items or not taking them to a certain area. There are long periods of time with not much happening as well, which can get boring. Overall Outcast is very fun game. It's probably not one of the best but it's definately one of the most memorable adventure games I have played.
This game is THE car combat game. For anyone who has played Twisted Metal this game is even better. It has a really awesome gameplay, a great soundtrack and a groovy plot. However this game is not properly compatible with modern systems! There are tons of bugs which the community has had to fix! This wasn't really what I hoped from GoG and seriously damages their reputation for games that work on modern PC's. I was considering gifting this game to my friends but I can't really give them a game in this state. The game is easily 5 stars but minus 3 stars for the trouble trying to get the game to work properly! :P
