Players of the PSX version will miss the voice acting. However, much of the animation & music has been well-pres
This means the hilarious jokes hit with perfect timing by the voice actors, are left to the eye of the reader.
Though much of the game's overall humor or feeling remain intact, certain jokes (for the veteran players; the kebob stand owner) were mostly funny for their actual vocal performance.
However, as a standalone title in the portable console's otherwise empty point-and-click genre, Broken Sword does a great job of bringing what is considered by replay-value-enthusiasts to be a dying breed, to the Game Boy Advance.
Replacing the Full Motion Vidoe sequences in this version are still pictures, edited with music that is surprisingly well-deriven and faithful to the Playstation release.
Things like mild violence, adult humor and references to alcohol, luckily aren't omitted in the port to the 32-bit handheld.
Broken Sword is the journey of a man named George Stobbart, whom after barely surviving a mysterious explosion, decides to become an unofficial detective, so to speak.
Waiting to help him uncover the killings related to a cult seeking an ancient power, is a young attractive reporter.
Based in France and branching out into other countries, the intriguing story surrounds an occult group seeking to retrieve a sword with the power to control the will of anyone.
Following the few clues left behind by the group, you play as wisecracking George Stobbart; asking around and finding unusual uses for items (remember MacGyver?) in the hopes of stopping the occultists' killing spree.
With dimensional, creative personalities for the characters, plenty of humor, and an increasingly intriguing plot, it's a must-have for those who love more relaxed, story-based Mystery/Adventure videogames.
Though the games has its laid-back moments as you follow the story, there are several points in which your character could be killed by a wrong or delayed choice.
For those who enjoyed this game, I also recommend the Sherlock Holmes series (such as The Serrated Scalpel, aka The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes on the 3DO) Deja Vu, Rise of the Dragon, Clock Tower, D, The Adventures of Willy Beamish, and Echo Night.
Likewise, those who enjoyed one of the above games are sure to enjoy Broken Sword.
When booting up the game, you are given a choice of three save slots.
This meaning for those who share games, there is no worry of accidentally saving over another's slot, since you choose a slot and, by hitting pause and then save, automatically save to your respective slot, in the tradition of videogames like Zelda and any Super Mario Bros. game with a save system.
You also input your name for the slot you are using to avoid confusion.
One thing, though- if you're a PSX or reverse-compatible PS2/PS3 owner, and can find an unscratched (a copy whose FMV/audio hasn't been compromised) Playstation copy of this game, I'd recommend playing it instead, and possibly purchasing the Game Boy Advance copy later on down the road when you've forgotten the story a bit and need to go on a long road trip.
The reason is that the voice acting is an important part of the game's humor, and the FMVs, though recreated very well in still-by-still music segments, are best seen, when seen for the first time, the way they were meant to be seen.
Like any game of its style, there is as much replay value as there is to a film; though there are little tidbits, unrelated to the story, that you might pick up on or try upon repeated playing, it's far from enough for an immediate replay.
Serious fans of the series, those who don't own a form of PSX, or those who are simply curious about its transition onto the GBA should pick up a copy of Broken Sword for the Game Boy Advance.
Blessed Be