Customer Reviews

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a huge fan of point and click adventure games since the time of Sierra and LucasArts. While I never got around to playing the Broken Sword series back then, I am really glad that Ubisoft decided to publish this updated version so that I could have a second chance at playing this great game.

First off, the game design is fantastic for the DS, with the point n click controls working extremely well with the stylus and touchscreen. The game is intuitive and easy to get into right off the bat. And the puzzles, while challenging, are incredibly fun and require the player to really stop and think about their next step.

Secondly, the game is gorgeous. Drawing (pun intended) on the talents of Dave Gibbons (The Watchmen) the characters really come to life and look great. Each scene is filled with exceptional background art and superb character animations that make you feel like you are watching an animated movie. The colors range from vibrant and bright to moody and dark, while never losing the overall comic book feel.

Thirdly, the writing is excellent and is very clever at times. It never feels patronizing or simplified for the audience. If you like Dan Brown style mysteries, then this is right up your alley.

The only real drawback, if it can be considered so, is that the animated cut-scenes display simultaneously on both of the DS screens. This makes some of the segments difficult to watch and follow, as the same scenes are played out from different angles on both screens. It's a clever design decision, but with the animation being as good as it is you feel like you might be missing something when the action gets fast and furious.

I can't recommend this game enough to fans of mystery and puzzle games. And if you like great artwork, writing, and adventure in your games, then you should definitely pick this one up.

By far the best adventure game on the DS, with a captivating story, quirky characters, interactive environments and great graphics makes this the best adventure game on the DS.

The game was origonally released on the PC in 1996, but new additions to the DS version make well worth playing.

The DS version starts off with you in control the journalist Nico Collard caught amidst a costumed murder. From then on unfolds a captivating murder mystery, balanced with just the right amount of humour, mystery, and fun.

The DS version features a new murder to solve, new characters, new puzzles, and you finally get to know who Nico Collard really is.

A must buy for both Broken Sword and Nintendo DS adventure game fans.

This is a great point and click adventure. I never played the original title back in 96 and I am glad they decided to port it on to the ds. Great story with deadly clowns and other interesting characters. Some of the puzzles are a bit dumb but overall they fit well into the game. The touch screen mechanics work very well and it is clear that they put some time into making this title unique for the ds. If you like mysteries and beautiful artwork then this is your game.

I bought this game based on the reviews, and I was extremely pleased with it. It reminded me of the old Sierra games, with areas to explore, and clues to find. It works well on the DS.

Not a horribly difficult game (I think it said somewhere around 10 hours when I was close to finsihed), but it was just what I was looking for. I really appreciated not running into situations where I'd find out that there was something I missed a while back, and would have to start over, and there wasn't any way I could find of getting killed. Still, some of the puzzles could be tricky, and the story was interesting enough to keep me going. The music was nice, not annoying/repetitive as in some games.

In-game hints are available, but it's also possible to turn these off so you're not tempted.

I would really love to see the other Broken Sword titles released for the DS!

really enjoyed playing this game. finished it in about 47 hours. it was difficult at times to move the people with the stylus, wish it was a little easier to move them, but it did get better. really enjoyed a change from my normal game play.

Do yourself a favor and pick this game up. I enjoyed this more then Professor Laytons Curious Village and that was also an excellent game. Hopefully they port over the other 3 in the Broken Sword Series.

Before playing this Broken Sword DS version i hadn't played a point and click adventure in at least a decade. I used to love them in the 90's, but i had never played Broken Sword. When i started playing i realized how much i missed the old adventure game point and click years. This is a fantastic game, the dialogue is very well written. Its that old adventure game formula, you find items, chat with the locals, solve puzzles and use trial and error when determining which item will get you to the next area. I really like the colorful hand drawn backgrounds and characters. I think i have the most fun when im questioning someone and i just click on each individual item i have just to see what they will say. For instance, early in the game you receive a stained tissue paper and reading what each person says about it as you shove it in their face is hilarious. This DS version of Broken Sword has rekindled my love of point and click adventure games and i hope to see more coming to the DS in the future. Heck, i might just buy some of the old PC ones now, im hooked!!

I'm not much of a gamer, so I think this really fit into a good "casual gamer" sort of category. It's really intuitive, and has a fantastic storyline. It's not too easy, either, which is nice to see in a point-and-click game too! A really nicely-put-together game! I had never finished a game until now!

I was excited to get this game and never disappointed! If only there were more games like this. It was exciting, fun, elusive and I could not put it down! The graphics were fun and the interaction with the other characters was neat. I was literally sad when it was over....much like I felt when "Professor Layton" was solved. A can't miss.....you won't be sorry to buy this one!

The game has a great story, interesting characters, and sometimes challenging puzzles--although, the game allows you to request extra hints. Some of the reviews I read about the game raved about the use of the creative use of the dual screen for cut-scene animations; however, this is not a reason to buy the game, as these are few and far between. My main complaint about the game is the controls. You interact in the game solely through the touch-screen, which is fine. That's not my complaint. My complaint is that, in order to move your character around a given environment/room, your only option is to tap the floor/ground in the direction you want your character to move; it's clunkier than it needs to be, particularly on the small DS screen. You wouldn't have to incorporate the D-pad to improve this. Being able to hold down on the screen in the general area you want the character to move, a-la Phantom Hourglass, would be enough of an improvement.

Granted, this is somewhat of a Nintendo adaptation/sequel to the PC adventure game, but that doesn't excuse the overly complicated controls in some of the challenges. There is one challenge where you have to press arrow buttons to turn a dial and enter a code; in order to press the buttons, you must tap and hold the stylus over the buttons, then wait for the action symbol to appear, THEN you drag the stylus up to this symbol and let go. Why can I not just press the right arrow button and be done with it? This clunkiness is apparent throughout the game and can be annoying and frustrating, to the point that it takes away from the amazing story, characters, and otherwise good game-play. It is unfortunate, but I did still enjoy the game enough to give it a 4-star rating and if you're a fan of point-and-clicks, you probably will as well.