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Broken Sword Director’s Cut Review: An oldie but a goodie

I had a Commodore 64 when I was a kid but didn’t get another PC until I was an adult in ‘99. I know for a fact that I missed a lot of great games in the gap between the two. There were games that covered all sorts of genres and play-styles and I missed the chance to play most of them. Luckily, mobile publishers have taken it upon themselves to reissue certain wonderful older titles that I would have never had the chance to play. One of the latest titles I came across in the Play Store is Broken Sword: The Director’s Cut. I do not remember anything about this title, but it did come out in ‘96 during my great computer-less period.

Name: Broken Sword: Director’s Cut | Developer: Revolution Software | Category: Adventure | Players: 1 | Version: Varies | Size: Varies | Price: $3.99 |

When I first downloaded the title I was unaware of just how much of an impact it made on many older gamers. I’ve been reading YouTube comments and wiki entries and it seems the line of games that started with Broken Sword was a pretty hefty one, both to critics and gamers. After playing the game off and on over the last week and a half I can see why there was such a passionate response to it.

You start off the game by playing Nicole Collard, a lovely, smart girl who rocks some late 90s hair and rarely changes outfits. She makes up for her lack of fashion sense with a certain nose for trouble and passion for butting into other people’s business. There were times during the game when I thought she was really just a petty thief who liked spying on people, but she always came back around and surprised me. After a while you’re introduced to George Stobbart, another very 90s-looking American who simply does not know the meaning of the word trespassing. Granted, Nicole is something of a news reporter and basically has a reason to be snooping around but George appeared to be a sort of slightly pushy, bored American in Paris. Even then both characters were often charming and funny.

I don’t plan on giving out too many spoilers because I’m sure there are players who will be new to the game. That’s one of the wonderful options about mobile gaming: there are many older games that are finding a new home on tablets and smartphones. I wouldn’t want a younger player to find the game only to have half of it spoiled by me. Anyway, I haven’t even finished it yet. There is quite a lot of content to go through although much of your time in game will be spent solving some basic puzzles and figuring out simply where to click in order to bring up an interaction menu.

Don’t get me wrong, I love point-and-click adventures. I wish they would return in a big way. In Broken Swords, however, I am reminded of how today’s player-base might find many of them boring or non-challenging. It’s unfortunate because adventures like Broken Sword encourage us to slow down, pay attention and become immersed in a story.

I can only imagine some players fumbling with trying to figure out where to go. There are moments in Broken Sword that I had to just stop, really think hard and then laugh at myself when the answer suddenly came to me. A few times I had to open up a browser and look up the solution on a website. I always felt stupid afterward, but I’ve never claimed to be the world’s most patient investigator. Broken Sword provides plenty of challenges but not so many as to take away from the real reason we are playing the game: to enjoy a cast of characters and to interact with a linear story.

I imagine a player could play through the story in different ways than initially imagined by the developers, but more often than not the game set me on a straight path and I rarely had a chance to steer off in any direction but forward. It doesn’t seem like the game would even allow my characters to progress until I found some precise clue or snuck into a certain area. I wonder if a game like Broken Sword was made today that technology would allow us to have more options, side quests or characters to interact with? Even with its age showing, Broken Swords is a relaxing linear romp, something a player like me needs once in a while. So many modern games have no strong story backbone or offer some basic lore that is tacked in only to qualify the game as featuring a story. Many games are just an excuse for forcing players to try a variation on tired mechanics. Sure, some of the puzzles in Broken Sword look really familiar, but it’s possible the developers were the ones to popularize many of them.

It’s refreshing to watch Nicole work her way around many of plot twists and odd ducks she comes across, rarely if ever mentioning her looks or sneering at those who notice how pretty she is. She’s confident but flawed, occasionally nervous but willing to take on a challenge and busy using her brain more than anything. I wish more games could take a note or two from Broken Sword and create female characters who were more than just good looking sidekicks or cliched people who were obviously created by some dorky male artist. It’s nothing short of shocking to realize, once again, that women in video game have not come a long way, baby. Seeing how Nicole basically remains the smartest character in the game (George can sort of dim-witted much of the time) is entertaining but a bittersweet. Not only do we need more modern adventure games, but we need more modern female leads.

I’ll leave Broken Sword on my Nexus 7 for a while. I enjoy sitting around my house, casually solving a new puzzle or two while in Paris during the 90s. Both the animations and sound design of the game are something you just don’t find anymore. Could you imagine any major studio releasing a point and click adventure game these days, one that features no superheroes of fantasy creatures? Luckily we have some indie titles and older ports like Broken Sword to enjoy.

The game currently runs for a few dollars on the Play Store and is well worth the price. If you like some challenging puzzles, good character development and actual animation, then check the game out. You can save at any point and come back to it as well. That’s a small amount of money for such an adventure!

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