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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The rebirth of a genre, November 21, 2003
Having been a huge fan of the two previous Broken Sword games I eagerly anticipated the release of the third installment in this brilliant graphic adventure series. I struggled with the rating of this game, I wanted to give it the full 5 stars but unfortunately there are one or two minor niggles which do detract from the overall enjoyment factor. But let's focus on the positives first, and there are plenty. BS:TSD is a tale of epic adventure, exploration and intrigue. Our intrepid heroes, George Stobbart and Nico Collard are once again thrust into a world riddled with ancient conspiracies and secret codes as they attempt to unravel the truth about a mysterious earth energy known as dragon power.From the outset, George ends up getting stranded in the Congo after the plane he was in crashes, whilst Nico witnesses the murder of a man in a Parisian apartment block, until eventually their two stories intertwine and they learn that they are both investigating the same case. Graphically this game is beautiful. The backgrounds are lovingly crafted, colours are vibrant and vivid, lighting and shadow effects are spot on, character animation is second to none and the lip synching is superb. It is a fully realised 3D world and the attention to detail is incredible. The music is suitably moody and atmospheric and the voice acting (George is once again voiced by Rolf Saxon as in the previous two games) is of a very high quality. Movement of George and Nico is with the arrow keys and there are four action mapped keys corresponding to the icons on screen, i.e, look, use, etc. This new interface takes about five minutes to get used to and is simple enough. Of course, the integral part of any adventure game are it's puzzles and this is where the first criticism can be levelled. Whilst almost always fun and logical to figure out they are a bit on the easy side and seasoned adventurers will rarely have trouble progressing. Quite simply, there are'nt any that match the complexity found in the previous games and this is a slight disappointment. And there are crate puzzles too. Lots of them. Whilst initially enjoyable there are far too many of them and they do tend to disrupt the flow of the game. There are also action elements implemented into the gameplay. Frequently you will find yourself leaping across chasms, shimmying across ledges and climbing walls. Another new feature are the timed action events in which you are put in danger and must react quickly. This simply involves pressing the only key available at the time, and even if you do die the game restarts from the point where you made the fatal error so you don't need to load a saved game and lose any progress you may have made. Occasionally, stealth will have to be employed to evade guards and dogs. This sometimes leads to awkward, confusing camera angles in conjunction with the character's movement, although by and large the camera often conveys a wonderfully cinematic feel to the proceedings. Paris, Glastonbury, Prague and Egypt are just some of the locations you will visit and explore, among others, and you will meet and interact with an interesting cast of characters, gathering information and vital clues to assist you further. The dialogue between George and Nico is often humorous, at times touching and a narrative high point in the script. There are also references to people and events from the two previous games, so although BS:TSD can be played as a stand alone adventure it's best to play the other two games first or it might seem a little mystifying. Another slight disappointment is that the game is a bit on the short side and leaves you wanting more. One or two minor irritations aside, Broken Sword The Sleeping Dragon is a wonderfully told tale, with rich, detailed environments, a movie quality script and acting, and is a fitting conclusion to an outstanding trilogy.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good ... not great, April 13, 2005
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
First a confession: I'm a lousy (albeit enthusiastic) gamester. I had to rely on a walkthrough just to get through a Nancy Drew game (I'm NOT a youngster, by the way).
So, when I say I was able to play the entire game with almost no 'hints' you get an idea of how relatively easy it is. That's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I preferred it over the completely illogical and complex Myst-type puzzles.
The story was a bit hokey (and that's being kind) and I don't understand why they had to "hunk" up George. If I'm not mistaken, in the first Broken Sword game he was a bit of a bumbling nerd -- but charming and at least not an Indiana Jones clone. And does every female character in these games have to look like Lara Croft, with the obligatory short shorts???? Let's try something different once in a while!
Still, that didn't detract too much from the fun of the game. Oddly enough, once I got used to the controls, I didn't have any trouble moving the characters around and I thought the graphics were very well done for the most part.
I did have a few other 'pet peeves' I need to get off my chest, such as:
a) Nico's constantly stretching and flicking link off her shoulder -- these gestures were annoying and distracting. Was the stretching some adolescent male programmer's idea of sexy, perhaps?
b) no way to bypass certain cut scenes so if you did "die" you had to sit through them again (and again and again).
c) when both Nico and George appeared together, the graphics were terrible. She kept disappearing and reappearing, flicking around the screen, etc. Not a glitch, exactly, just poorly done.
d) too many dumb "move the boxes" puzzles. For once, I was good at something and by the time the end game came I though if I had to shove one more box around the screen, I'll kill George and Nico myself and align myself with Sussaro (the bad guy).
Okay, lots of pet peeves and complaints ... but I still give the game a 4 since, compared to so many other adventure games, it had enough good moments -- at a good price -- to put it ahead of the pack.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A fast-food adventure game, January 7, 2004
By A Customer
Not to discourage adventure game makers, since there are so few these days, I must say that this game is not the goal to aim for. While it is a good game, an enjoyable game in many respects, it represents a lone voice in a current adventure vacuum. After playing it from start to finish within 5 days, I have to say several things; it is very easy, in terms of logic challenges. Ever heard of the old slip a newspaper under a door and poke out the key from the inside lock and gain access puzzle? This is that kind of game. This is the kind of game that gives you a small area to explore, and all the answers are right there, and the challenge is minimal. Also there are action-based challenges, which are fine, but sort of transform the game into a reflexive rather than cerebral arena.
This game also owes a major debt to Gabriel Knight 3, which is a superior game. There are too many similarities in detail to be mistaken, but the major difference is that Gabriel Knight was written exceptionally well, and Broken Sword is merely adequate. The BS story takes you along to the next little episode, but doesn't quite bring all the parts together. When the final confrontion comes about, I was reminded of Asmodeus from GK3, until the action was over and the story was resolved. In the case of George and Nico, it didn't really come to anything, so I'm holding out for Broken Sword 4. I admit, I'll play it, since there are so few choices these days. But I have to say, I care so much more about Gabriel and Grace, and the ending of GK3 left me feeling more for two fictional characters than any movie or other game ever has.
Sorry, George and Nico are lightweights. They don't have depth, and the series has never made the leap of genius, but they are fun for the short time that the game requires mastery of.
I can't wait to play Jane Jensen's upcoming game, but I don't want it rushed out. I hope that The Adventure Company will take their time and do it right. A five-star game is what we all want.
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