What a bundle of laughs!! Maybe not a classic, but full credit for originality.
I am not really a fan of console RPG's, too much arcade hack 'n slash, little character interaction or story development, resulting in a mindless action game - not my thing (just so you know where I am coming from - I do NOT like Diablo or games of that ilk).
Right so back to The Bard's Tale. This game uses the same engine used for the Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance games on the Playstation. You can see the similarities immediately if you are familiar with those titles. Like in those games, you control a lone hero running around completing quests usually assigned by central non player characters (NPC's) scattered around the land. Unlike those games however you can summon a host of bizarre (and not so bizzare) uncouth misfits that accompany you throughout your travels
each with their own abilities.
Pros & Cons
The graphics - As mentioned, the engine used is from BGDA (Snowblind I believe it's called) and is now starting to show it's age. It does the job however and displays a nice array of effects for the spells you cast.
The Sound - Good sound effects and great sarcky/cheesy voice acting that goes well with the overall theme of the game. Above all, praise must be given to the whimsical humour of the designers for the inclusion of comically sung tunes (usually by goblin-like creatures with high pitched voices). These songs are paced by a little cursor almost in a Disney Sing-Along style and vary depending on your actions. The only downside is that no background music was included which would have been nice - this wasn't too detrimental to my overall enjoyment.
The Gameplay - I think the game works well overall. You are given the option to be nice/honest or sarcastic/rude in your conversations which actually does influence what transpires in the story and results in obtaining different items. The saving grace of the game however is in the humour - this sets it above the rest of it's type purely down to it's originality. Your character (the Bard) is an unsavoury fellow who cares not for doing the good deed or even evil stereotypical option - he simply does not care about anything other than Money, Cleavage and Beer and goes to great lengths to voice that impression in all his travels. Example: You meet the fair maiden you are to rescue - the Bard, with no remorse, can easily decide that women can't be trusted and prefer a beer at the local pub leaving the said maiden to rot in her prison .... the narrator of the game (who incidentally is the same voice talent used in Dungeon Keeper) continuously has a go at the bard for his dastardly behaviour, to which the bard often makes a sarcastic riposte - this all reminds me of the Monkey Island sense of humour.
The Combat is nothing special to talk of and can get a tad repetetive, you have a very limited selection of attacks and really the varietly lies in the small choice of weapons in your arsenal. The interesting part is the aforementioned summonings at your disposal. This troupe of characters is limited in number by the type of musical instrument the bard plays to summon them and vary greatly in abilities that will aid the bard in combat, exploration and enhacement.
With 3 endings, multiple optional quests, a non-linear format (it is linear to a point as far as main quests go, but does offer freedom on the main game map and optional quests), and varied conversation choices, this game is one I recommend on any platform even if just for the comedy value.
P.S. The part I don't understand is why the Dark Alliance games received such praise and this title is on a 6.7 rating when it has so much more to offer?!!? Very harsh from Gamespot.