User Rating: 6.8 | Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars GBA
If you're reading this, it's probably because you've seen it under the glass at the local used game store, and might be wondering if it's any good. Basically, it all comes down to whether or not you like the puzzle adventure genre. Most gamers will probably find the style a bit slow, and boring, but for those looking for story over action, and a slow pace for a change, Broken Sword "can be" a good choice. If you're wondering what the quotation marks are for, read on. The graphics are extremely detailed, and look very good on the GBA. The animation is among the best seen on the portable system, and all the characters seem to be full of life. The music is pretty good for the GBA, and fits well with the action on screen. One particular score sets a creepy mood, which makes you feel like something bad is going to happen. Gameplay is what you'd expect from the genre. You can walk around with the d-pad, as opposed to the "point-and-click" style normally found in this type of game. You will basically talk to everyone about everything to find clues, pick up items of interest that can later be used on puzzles, and read lots and lots of detailed story. The story is pretty good, but it should be in a game like this, especially since the gameplay takes a back seat to act of unfolding the plot. I won't give anything away, but you'll travel across Europe in a variety of locales. So you might be wondering about the "can be a good choice" statement that I said earlier. Well it turns out that early copies of Broken Sword are just that, broken. Apparently there are a few glitches I was unaware of, one of which caused me to write this review. These glitches are fatal, meaning you must start the game from the beginning. Basically, if you complete one area before going to another area, certain plot advances won't happen, and you won't get a certain item you need to finish the game. After feeling completely stuck, I consulted a faq, and it knew exactly where I was stuck. It wasn't hard to find out where I went wrong, and after reading the apologies stated by the faq creator, I turned off Broken Sword in anger. If you can imagine how monotonous it's going to be to start a dialogue-driven game from the start, you might even give this game a 1.5 out of 10 for having fatal glitches. If it wasn't for the fact that they supposedly fixed the glitches in newer copies of the game, I would not recommend this game by any means. If I had a glitch free version, I would have given the game about a 7.5. So if you're thinking about giving this game a try, see if you can find out if it's a newer or older version. If you can't, buy at your own risk, and read the faqs ahead of time, even if it means you spoil the story.
