Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged - Switch Review
"A timeless classic that has received a lick of paint."
What were you all doing in 1996? Were you even alive then? It’s been nearly 30 years since the pioneering first entry in the Broken Sword series was released by my fellow Brits Revolution Software. For a long time, Revolution Software and LucasArts, with the Monkey Island series, were the titans of the point and click genre. Of course, point-and-click games have grown a little dated in an age of action and dynamism, but it's often nice to take a step back and enjoy story, emotion and exploration. The classic adventure game, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars, has been remade for current consoles and the series as a whole is still very much alive, with the sixth entry in the series, Parzival's Stone, announced alongside this remake.
Buckle up for an adventure!
The Good
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars was widely lauded as a masterpiece at the time of its release, and it’s easy to see why. You play as George Stobbart, an American who is on vacation in Paris. George is minding his own business, having a coffee, when all of a sudden, a bomb goes off inside the cafe he’s sitting outside of. The perpetrator, dressed as a clown nonetheless, runs off, and George immediately finds himself trying to work out what’s going on. The story is told in epic fashion, with twists and turns and plenty of colourful characters. For a game released in 1996, the ambition is off the charts, and I can understand why it blew a lot of people away at the time (not least of all poor old George). While certain things (like graphics and sound effects) grow old over time, a good story is timeless, and Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged has been faithfully remade—or perhaps restored is a better term. Every camera angle is exactly as it was in the original, and you can even switch between the old and new vistas at the click of a button. Not only is this fun to do to see the contrast, but it also enables you to instantly take a step back in time and appreciate how things have advanced in the last 30 years. The new backgrounds are colourful, detailed and immersive, which really aids the visual storytelling.
Lastly, us being an Australian-led website, it would be remiss not to mention the late great Barrington Pheloung, the Australian whose score of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars was groundbreaking at the time and still sounds awesome as you and George scurry around the world today. Pheloung sadly passed away in 2019, so it's great to hear his work living on today, but it really makes one feel sad and reflective. Time is of course the greatest teacher, but it also takes the lives of all of its students.
TL;DR
- One of the greatest stories in video game history
- Beautifully updated characters and backgrounds
- Pheloung’s score still lives on
The Bad
Well, time hasn’t been kind for everything in Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged. It was reported in the build-up to the release that some of the more outdated tropes had been removed from this version to make it a bit more politically correct. That being said, it is still filled with hammy stereotypical accents, which, dare I say, were not performed by people native to said accent. That’s fine because in 1996 things were very different, but I did cringe a couple of times in this playthrough despite some of the more colourful terms already being removed.
This is perhaps more endemic to the wider genre, but some of the puzzles in Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged are incredibly obtuse. While it does feel rewarding once you finally work something out, you often find yourself trying EVERY item in EVERY scenario, and it can get a little tedious. That being said, in the Reforged version there is an option to make this easier and provide more hints, which many will welcome!
TL;DR
- Some outdated and hammy accents
- The puzzles are a bit tedious sometimes
Final Score: 8/10
Despite not having played any Broken Sword games before, playing Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged has made me incredibly excited for Parzival's Stone and hopefully there are plans to 'reforge’ Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror as well.
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged is a timeless classic that has received a lick of paint. Sure, it feels a bit outdated in some respects but there will always be a place for games like this with modern gamers. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged remains a masterpiece and makes me proud to be British!
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