Broken Sword
| Broken Sword | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Point-and-click adventure (1996-1999, 2006-present) Adventure (2003-2004) |
| Developer(s) | Revolution Software (1996-2004) Sumo Digital (2006-2007) |
| Creator(s) | Charles Cecil |
| Platform(s) | Windows/Mac PCs, various video game consoles, iOS |
| First release | Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars September 30, 1996 |
| Latest release | Broken Sword: The Angel of Death September 15, 2006 |
Broken Sword is a franchise centered on a series of adventure video games. The first game in the series, Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars, was released in 1996 by video game company Revolution Software. The first sequel, Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror, was released only a year later, in 1997, and was followed by two more direct sequels: Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon in 2003, and Broken Sword: The Angel of Death. A remake of the first game in the series, known as Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut, was released in 2009, and a remake of the second game in the series, known as Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror - Remastered. Revolution, the developer, has confirmed that there will be a new Broken Sword game in the future, but did not cofirm that it is currently in development.
The main protagonists of the series is are "George Stobbart", an American patent lawyer, and "Nicole Collard", a French freelance journalist, although Nicole does not appear as a playable character in the original The Shadow of the Templars.
The Broken Sword series was originally conceived in 1994 by Charles Cecil, Noirin Carmody and Sean Brennan, while talking about the mythology of the Knights Templar. The first three all games in the series were developed by Revolution Software while the fourth game was developed by Sumo Digital. The Shadow of the Templars and its sequels were critical and commercial successes, selling more than four million copies and earning over a hundred million pounds. The Shadow of the Templars appeared on several "top" adventure game lists. A comic book was produced for each remake of the first two Broken Sword games, and it has been confirmed that a Broken Sword movie is in its early stages of development.
Games
| Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release year | Developer | Platforms | ||
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars | 1996 | Revolution Software | PC, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Mobile phone, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Mac OS X | |
| Known as Circle of Blood in the US, it is the first game in the series, and developed by Revolution Software. Originally released in 1996 for PlayStation and PC platforms, the game was later ported to the Game Boy Advance and Mobile phone, and remade for Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, Wii and iOS as a director's cut. In The Shadow of the Templars, the player assumes the role of "George Stobbart"–a fictional young American patent lawyer, who is an eyewitness and victim of a bomb attack on a small Parisian cafe. It was a critical and comercial success, garning critical acclaim and selling around one million copies. Generation 4 awarded the game Best Adventure 1997. | ||||
| Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror | 1997 | Revolution Software | PC, PlayStation, iOS, Mac OS X | |
| Flush with the success of The Shadow of the Templars, Revolution began work on The Smoking Mirror, which was released only a year later, in 1997. Originally released for Windows and PlayStation, it was re-released to the iOS, Windows, and Mac OS X as a remastered edition. It is the only game in the series not to follow the Knights Templar story line. The Shadow of the Templars, The Smoking Mirror was a comercial success, selling around 1 million units, but was not as acclaimed as the first game, and received mixed to positive reviews. | ||||
| Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon | 2003 | Revolution Software | PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox | |
| The third game of the series, The Sleeping Dragon, was a departure from the previous games in the series, featuring 3D graphics, and the only game in the series to use a direct control interface. It continues on the story of The Shadow of the Templars. It was also the last game to be developed by Revolution Software. The game received highly positive reviews from critics and sold a few hundred thousand copies. It was nominated for 3 BAFTA awards. | ||||
| Broken Sword: The Angel of Death | 2006 | Sumo Digital | PC | |
| The latest installment in the series, The Angel of Death, was the first game in the series to be developed by two developers: Revolution and Sumo Digital. While the game featured 3D graphics, it returns to the point and click interface. It is the only game in the series not to be released on any console. It sold a few hundred thousand copies, but received mixed to positive reviews. | ||||
Development
The first game in the series was released on September 30, 1996, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment world wide. George Stobbart is an American tourist on holiday in Paris in the autumn. The story opens with George's quiet coffee at a café rudely interrupted by the explosion of a bomb planted by a man dressed up as a clown. He sets off investigating the explosion and, gradually, he and photo-journalist Nico Collard are drawn into a globe-trotting adventure involving conspiracies, cults and murder, all revolving around the Knights Templar.
The game, which was a critical and commercial success,[1] was released as Circle of Blood in the United States.
Ports of the game were released on the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance and Mobile phone.
The Director's Cut is a remake of the original Broken Sword by Ubisoft, and was released on the Wii and Nintendo DS in March 2009.[2]
The game includes extra story elements and settings dealing with Nico and her investigation of a murder and the truth about her father. It also features hand-drawn illustrations and animations by artist Dave Gibbons.
The game uses the Wii Remote and DS stylus respectively to deliver both point-and-click styles and new puzzle-solving elements specific to each platform.
In January 2010, the Director's Cut was released on the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. A PC release was announced simultaneously and was finally released on September 2, 2010 on various digital distribution services. In May 2010, a version with higher resolution graphics and a digital comic was released for iPad.
The second game in the series, released in 1997, opens with George Stobbart witnessing the kidnapping of his now girlfriend Nico Collard. It is up to George to break Nico out, and uncover a secret drug ring that relates to the redemption of a sinister Mayan god. It is also the only game in the series that does not follow the Knights Templar story line.
The game was released as Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror in North America.
Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror - Remastered is a remastered version of the original, it was announced by Revolution Software in December 2010 and is available for iOS.
The game includes an exclusive new interactive digital comic from Dave Gibbons. It will also feature fully animated facial expressions, enhanced graphics, high quality music as well as a context-sensitive hint system, and diary.
The game also features Dropbox integration which facilitates a unique cross-platform save-game feature, enabling players to enjoy the same adventure simultaneously on multiple devices, and full Game Centre integration – including in-game achievements.
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon, released in 2003, is the third game in the series. At the start of the game, George and Nico are no longer together. However, as the game progresses, George and Nico realise that they are uncovering the same mystery, and begin working together again to stop the evil that threatens the world once again.
Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, released 2006, is the fourth installment in the Broken Sword series. Since the events of the third game, George Stobbart has hit an incredible low in his life. He can no longer find decent work as a patent lawyer, and so he now works as a bail bonds clerk. When a mysterious woman, Anna Maria, enters George's life, he is thrown into another adventure. This fourth installment returns to the point 'n' click system used in the first two games.
The game was released as Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game in North America.
As a gaming first, the game allows the soundtrack to be purchased, from a direct link in the game to iTunes.
Legacy and reception
| Game | GameRankings | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars | (PC) 84.40%[3] (NDS) 80.87%[4] (PS1) 80.83%[5] (GBA) 80.67%[6] (Wii) 76.15%[7] |
(iOS) 91[8] (iOS) 84[9] (PC) 80[10] (GBA) 80[11] (NDS) 78[12] (Wii) 74[13] |
| Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror | (PS1) 73.09%[14] (PC) 70.50%[15] |
(iOS) 84[16] (PC) 69[17] |
| Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon | (PC) 85.42%[18] (Xbox) 77.15%[19] (PS2) 62.00%[20] |
(PC) 82[21] (Xbox) 77[22] |
| Broken Sword: The Angel of Death | (PC) 75.03%[23] | (PC) 73[24] |
The Broken Sword series has sold over 4 million units worldwide, and earned over a 100 million pounds. It has received general acclaim, and is often referred to as one of the "best adventure games" of all time, appearing on many "top" adventure game lists, and receiving several awards and nominations. Adventure Gamers, who praised the game, and ranked it as one of the best adventures of all-time (see bellow), called The Shadow of the Templars "adventure gaming at its very best" and "a true masterpiece". Generation 4 awarded the game Best Adventure 1997. Mr. Bill's Adventureland praised its first sequel, The Smoking Mirror, calling it an "excellent sequel", which "they wouldn't miss playing". The first two games sold a million units each. Game Chronicles praised The Sleeping Dragon, saying: "Adventure gaming is alive and well thanks to designers like Revolution and publishers like The Adventure Company. Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is a stunning achievement in interactive entertainment." It was nominated for 3 BAFTA awards. Adventure Classic Gaming, praised The Angel of Death, saying: "The game's sharp dialog and near flawless storytelling of a cleverly woven tale competently preserve the trademark quality that is pervasive throughout the entire series." The third and fourth game sold a few hundred thousand copies each. In 2010, BAFTA award nominated Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut won the award for Best European Adventure at the European Games Awards. In 2011, the first two Broken Sword games have been downloaded by over 4 million people.[25]
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars has featured regularly in list of "top" adventure games. In 2004, Adventure Gamers ranked Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars at #4 on their list of Top 20 Adventure Games of All-Time.[26] Adventure Classic Gaming ranked it at #3 on their list of Top 10 retro graphic adventure games of all time from PC to consoles, in 2006.[27] In 2008, mindFactory released a fan-made freeware Broken Sword game, called Broken Sword 2.5: The Return of the Templars.[28] In 2010, Metacritic ranked it at #9 on their list of 25 Best iPhone and iPad Games of 2010,[29] and Retro Gamer ranked it at #2 on their list of Top 20 Adventure Games of All-Time... not by LucasArts.[30] In 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked it at #4 again on their list of Top 100 All-Time Adventures.[31]
On May 21, 2007, it was announced that Charles Cecil had begun the work of bringing the game franchise to the silver screen.[32] There have been no more developments since. Dave Gibbons produced comics for each Broken Sword remake of the first two games; Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut, and Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror - Remastered.
See also
References
- ^ "[http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/pc/reviews/19136.aspx Broken Sword Review]". Bright Hub.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ Ubi.com, Ubisoft - Broken Sword
- ^ "Circle of Blood Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (The Director's Cut) Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (The Director's Cut) Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Director's Cut Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Director's Cut HD Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Circle of Blood Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (The Director's Cut) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (The Director's Cut) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword - The Smoking Mirror: Remastered Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Revolution Software: Happy New Year – December". Revolution Software. December 31, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Adventure Gamers: Top 20 Adventure Games of All-Time". Adventure Gamers.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|dare=ignored (help) - ^ "Adventure Classic Gaming: Top 10 retro graphic adventure games of all time from PC to consoles". Adventure Classic Gaming. December 23, 2006.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "mindFactory: Broken Sword 2.5: The Return of the Templars". mindFactory. September 28, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Metacritic: 25 Best iPhone and iPad Games of 2010". Metacritic. December 21, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Top 20 Adventure Games of All-Time... not by LucasArts". Retro Gamer (84). December 2010.
- ^ "Adventure Gamers: Top 100 All-Time Adventures". Adventure Gamers. December 30, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Broken Sword Movie Begins". Comingsoon.net.
External links
