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The rebirth of a genre

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 18 / 18
Date: November 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

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.

A game for history buffs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Have you ever wondered about the Voynich Manuscript? How about the Knights Templar? Did you know why Solomon's Temple is so important to Christians and Knights Templar both? Did you ever wonder why the ancient Egyptians might have built their pyramids? Or what made Excalibur so powerful?

If you were ever curious about any of the above--or just wanted a good wine recommendation and the chance to solve some intriguing puzzles without once touching a gun this game is for you.

I am not a gamer and, to be honest, this is the very first game I finished. I quite literally could not leave it alone--the story and the puzzles alike kept me glued to my keyboard and monitor. For in this game you as Niko and George travel to the Congo, Europe, England, Middle East, and back to England, encountering mythological characters from around the globe. In what other game out this season can you find a dragon and Anubis side-by-side?

And, of course, the good guys never, ever touch a gun. Who needs bullets if you have smarts? But smarts you most definitely need. Puzzle after intriguing puzzle await you here. And you cannot skip the cut scenes in this game--this is not a cut and slash game where the object is to kill anything that moves; here the cut scenes hold clues you will need to save the world.

In fact, saving the world is about the only thing this game has in common with the slash-and-burn games we have all seen so often. But then, after all, it IS a game.

And a truly fantastic one at that.

Brilliant story, beautifully rendered

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was a long time fan of the first two Broken Sword games and eagerly anticipated the release of number 3. I was a little worried at first with the move to 3D, concerned that it would turn into just another 'Tomb Raider' style game, where nimbleness of fingers was more important than dexterity of brain. Thankfully, this was not the case.

The puzzles start of absurdly easy, which was a bit of a worry, but thankfully became more challenging as the game went on. The story is intriguing (even if you are not particularly interested in the Knights Templar, it is a great murder-mystery), the graphics are beautiful and the characters are given voice by real actors.

(n.b. I played this on the PS2, but Amazon appears not to have a listing for that platform).

A Bore

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 26
Date: December 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What a bore! This game has stilted characters, bad acting, stupid puzzles (it seems you have to find out things in a particular order -- if not, too bad). Maybe it gets better as it goes, but after about 20 minutes, I couldn't stand going through it again to get the clues in the proper order. It goes into the waste bin.

absolutly brilliant

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: January 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game was top of my christmas list as i liked the first two games so much due to the storyline. It's just briliant and i don't think any trilliogy will be able to compeat with this one it is just outstanding. The graphics are good storyline is good charecters are good, just like the first two. If you have played the first two im sure you will know that Broken sword the sleeping dragon is the next game you will buy and play and love. I can't describe how good this game truely is. It took my breath away im am sure it will take yours to.SO BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pipe and slippers.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: January 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you haven't played any broken sword games before then I would advise you to check out all the reviews first. This is a very neat game but it's like reading a long novel or sitting through all lord of the rings movies back to back. This game requires a lot of thinking and problem solving with not a great deal of action going on at times. Don't get me wrong the graphics are great and the voice acting and sound are top notch. It's just different from the tomb raiders or metal gear solids of today. If you want something different and want to use your brain more than your thumbs then this is well worth checking out. All the original voices are back from the first two games and the story is well told and executed to keep you interested. Problems must be solved in a particular order though and you don't get much freedom to solve them in your own way. But don't let that put you off, as most games of this type seem to suffer from the same problem. I did however miss the 2D format from the first games and the point and click interface has now been replaced by a Resident evil type control system. So overall a good game just remember to get out the pipe and slippers before playing!

A fast-food adventure game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

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.

A Big Disappointment

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 18 / 23
Date: February 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I eagerly awaited this 3rd episode and was very disappointed. The graphics are not as good as the 1st two games, and the use of the arrow keys, rather than the mouse, was cumbersome. I r ead that the creators of the game say that this is the future of adventure games. I certainly hope not as, in my opinion, the mouse action is so much smoother. The rich color of the 1st two games was amazing, and since this game is several years ahead, I expected more in the way of lush graphics. It was not there. It was difficult to get the characters to move in straight lines. I found the game concentrated too much on eye-hand quick coordination to get through many parts, rather than logic. I did not enjoy spending hours trying to progress through the game by learning which keys to press, in which order, and doing it without missing a beat. To me, that is not an "adventure game" but rather a game of beating the clock. I finally through in the towel about 3/4 through.

Overall a good game, but mediocre ending

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game will have been an instant classic, if it weren't for the mediocre ending.

The story plot is engaging, although not particularly innovative. However, just like the Gabriel Knight series, you play as two different characters, who in most of the game are in different places investigating different stuff. There are some very repetitive puzzles, such as moving boxes to the right position so you can climb and advance to the next location. You get to go to many different locations, with many of them being in France, which is a plus for adventure games.

Voice acting is decent. To be honest, I like the voice of George, but not Nico. The keyboard control reminds me of the Prince of Persia Series in the 90's. However, you don't have to worry about jumping all those cliffs and gaps without falling off. One thing good about this game is that once you are near the edge, you can choose the option "Jump", and the character will automatically jump across fine. Nevertheless, there are numerous times when you have to run away from a danger or do a certain action quickly, or else you die. For those who are into more traditional adventure games, this may not be very appealing. You'll be given chances to replay the sequence right before you die, but it can still get annoying if you couldn't get it right for many times.

Finally, the ending is rather mediocre. Very abrupt and anticlimatic. It's almost as if the writers have a longer story in mind, but have to cut the story at the later stage of development b/c of budget or time constraint. Other than that, the story plot was great, and the length of the game sorta reminds me of the length of Gabriel Knight 3, another great game.

Great classic adventure with all new style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: June 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Broken Sword 3 takes the classic adventure gameplay of the first two games, and gives it a whole new slant by switching everything to 3D, and it works wonderfully for the most part. If you've played Grim Fandango, imagine a much-improved version of that engine, and you can picture what BS3 is like. Unlike in Grim Fandango, though, the controls here felt intuitive right from the beginning. I've read several reviews that complained about how cumbersome this game is, but I can't imagine what problems those people encountered. I'll be the first to admit that I'm lousy at handling anything other than the simplest interface when it comes to gaming, and BS3 just felt natural from the very first puzzle.
One thing I really enjoyed about BS3 is that it just felt more "adventurous" than most adventure games. This is due in part to the way you must perform Tomb Raider like maneuvers at certain points (shimmying along ledges, stacking crates, jumping gaps, etc.) Don't worry, though, it's still purely an adventure game, and you won't need to rely on twitch-reflexes to get through these portions of the game.
There are, however, a few sequences in which you will need some good reflexes. For the most part, these sequences play out like scenes from the classic laser-disc game Dragon's Lair, and it's merely a matter of moving in the right direction at the right time. If you screw it up, the game kindly lets you try again, even if you neglected to save recently.
Storywise, this one is pretty solid. There's a fairly complex plot involving the knights templar, and there are enough twists to keep you interested throughout. I liked the fact that George and Nico (the two playable protagonists) start out with seemingly unrelated storylines in different parts of the world, and it isn't until later that you realize how everything is connected. It's a good technique that's rarely (if ever) seen in games.
One word of caution-be sure to update your drivers before playing this. I couldn't get the game to load at all until I updated my sound and graphics drivers. However, once I did so, everything ran smoothly, and I didn't encounter any bugs at all, and that's a rare treat these days!

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