Game: Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged
Genre: Adventure, Point & Click
System: Steam (Windows, macOS, SteamOS)
Developers | Publishers: Revolution Software Ltd
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $29.99 | UK £24.99 | EU € 29,99
Release Date: September 19th, 2024
A review code was provided; many thanks to Press Engine.
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a 2024 adventure game developed to be released by Revolution Software Ltd. Strictly speaking, the game is a remake of an older title from 1996 by the same title, which was the first in a series of five Broken Sword adventure games. Also, it is worth mentioning that this is the second remake of the same game.
The Premise of Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged
In Broken Sword—Shadow of the Templars: Reforged, we play George Stobbart, an American detective who is taking his first steps, and Nico Collard, a fearless journalist. Together, we will be taken on a wild adventure, exploring exotic locations, solving complicated mysteries, and uncovering the dark conspiracies surrounding the Order of the Knights Templar.
Gameplay
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a classic point-and-click adventure – we move and interact with the world via the mouse. We also have a classic adventure games inventory, where we collect items and papers, and from there, we can take a closer look, combine items, or use them. When we hover above an item, we have the option to take it or remark on it.
While the game is a remake, it would be a mistake to think it’s precisely the same game—we have scenes rearranged and the storyline tweaked. Overall, the game is close enough to the original to retain all the significant elements that made it a classic while still being different enough to feel like a brand-new experience for fans of the original games.
If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you might’ve noticed that I love a good cinematic game – a game that is built around the idea of feeling like a movie. Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is one such game – from the very beginning when credits start rolling on the screen like in an old movie, to the same way scenes in the game are composed – the way scenes are framed, the running dialogues between characters.
I didn’t particularly appreciate that dialogues have no skip button – you can’t rush people talking. Also, George has this habit of narrating his actions, which you also need to wait out. It might not be such an annoying detail for first gameplay, but if you want to replay the game, I would skip some humorous but long-winded dialogues.
The game has two difficulty settings: Story mode, which turns into a hybrid of an interactive novel and an adventure game, and Classic mode, which has fewer hints and more puzzling.
Some Other Things
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged has Steam achievements but still needs to get trading cards.
The game offers 4K remastered visuals, or if you prefer, you can play in the original style. The menu allows you to switch between the two styles. It is magical to see what the original artwork looks like in 4K. The game is fully animated, and all characters are voiced. The soundtrack by Barrington Pheloung deserves its mention.
Broken Sword—Shadow of the Templars: Reforged begins with a tutorial. It also has a manual save system, which means you must remember to save before exiting the game. The game has the usual audio and visual settings and many settings designed to make it easier or more difficult, like walking assist, showing things of interest, and so on. We also have language and dialogue settings.
Conclusion
If you are an old fan of the series, I doubt there is much to say to dissuade you from playing Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged. There isn’t much reason to dissuade you anyway – it was done with evident appreciation and affection for the original games. If you are a new fan and this is the first time you are meeting George and Nico, well, you are in for a treat. Considering there’s yet another remake coming, based on the second game in the series -, this Autumn is shaping out to be great for adventure game fans!
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot. 
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