The Retrospective 8.23.07: Broken Sword (Part 1 of 2)
Posted by Sean McCabe on 08.23.2007
This week, we talk about one of the best classic point’n’click adventure series of all time, the idealisation of the female form in games, and the most underrated game on the Xbox.
Well, I thought I'd break my relative silence on the recent events in the wrestling world first of all. I have to say, I'm disappointed in TNA, who are proving to not understand a single lick about how to actually attract viewers to their programming. I like Kurt Angle as much as the next person, but it's blatant that he's letting his ego run out of check, a sad thing to see for a man who built his career on what he brought to the ring, and not backstage politics.
So, TNA isn't worth much. Neither is WWE. Smackdown's been okay, Raw has been a waste of time, ECW's been enjoyable, but at the end of the day, there's nothing hugely spectacular coming out of the supposed best wrestling company in the world. That really leads me to this Project 161 business in RoH. Now, that has potential, if they pay it off good enough. Shall be interesting to see, what happens on September the 15th.
The Introspective
Well, more screens and art got released for Soul Calibur IV this week, showing off the three characters of Cassandra, Sophitia and Voldo. You'll get a look at the new Sophitia below, but anyway, it has to be said, Namco really seem to be taking things to DOA levels, maybe even further than DOA with their designing of female characters, and that has produced a minor uproar in the gaming community. This is, however, a genre that I know quite well… a genre that objectified and idealised men long before it actually did to women. Whilst I find it quite curious as to who is making the decisions on character designs these days in Namco, I really don't care. Even though Cassandra's costume sucks and I much preferred her look in SCII. Let us contrast and compare shall we?
Yeah, I definitely like that first one. Anyway, nonetheless, I feel this issue has been blown out of proportion. Games will always be doing this, but then there are games that also paint much more accurate depictions of the genders. Like, say, the game series I'm about to cover in this column, and even the game I'm about to shill to you right now.
Breakdown
Breakdown is an interesting game that did not receive the attention it deserved for being as ambitious as it was. This is a game that pioneered the idea of completely nixing cut scenes from its presentation, instead employing a mix of interactive and non-interactive sequences fully integrated into the gameplay. Admittedly, Half Life also did something like this, but not half as exciting. It also had a very cool storyline, which admittedly owed more than a little to The Terminator. This game was actually made by the Tekken team, and is a first person shooter/brawler hybrid. It had a few issues. It's gunplay was functional but hardly spectacular, and it tended to overdo the hand animations of interacting with objects, for example, you have to press a button to pick up a clip of ammo, then press it again to put it away, which could have done with a bit of streamlining, but on the whole, thanks to a nice mix of set pieces all worked into a really marvellous story, and with probably the most fun First person brawling ever seen in a game, this is a game I don't think ever got it's due. I will not say its execution was flawless, but the game was bloody fun from start to finish regardless. Mike Minotti this week in The Full Circle (link down below) ranted a bit on the FPS genre's lack of innovation. I implore him t try out this old Xbox game, because this game did try to innovate, and whilst it had it's flaws, it was not fair that many crucified it for them based on a prejudiced idea of what FPS games should be, and not considering it for what it was, more an attempt to expand on the first person concept of games in general. A Wii port, sequel or remake would be something I'd kill to see, and would fit this game a lot more with a crowd who aren't so conservative when it comes to the FPS genre.
VG Babe of the Week: Sophitia
Sophitia returns to the Retrospective in her newest costume, which is a sweet Athenian toga. Whilst I certainly don't believe Greek warriors ever actually fought in just ceremonial togas, the fact is, that doesn't make them any less awesome.
The Breakdown
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
Developer: Revolution Software
Format: PC/Mac/PSX/GBA/Mobile
Release: 1996 (original)
Notes: The first Broken Sword game was named simply, without the Broken Sword title, "Circle of Blood" for it's American release. So if your American and wondering what games I'm going on about, now you should know.
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars was an adventure game. Yep, a good old point'n'clicker, with animated graphics drawn to resemble an American animation style similar to what Dreamworks were doing at the time. The game is immensely story driven like all it's peers, and boasts a full orchestral soundtrack composed by Barrington Pheloung, and full voice acting for every bit of dialogue and soliloquy. This wasn't too common in adventure games even in 1996, so Broken Sword was quite an ambitious title, also boasting fully animated cut scenes that looked straight out of a high budget animated movie. The game centres round a series of puzzles and riddles based on an action-adventure story with basis in historical fact, not that unlike say "The Da Vinci Code". Except Broken Sword is actually good. The heroes are George Stobbart, a rarity of a character... he's an American who not only gets, but likes to use, sarcasm, and Nicole Collard, a sassy French photographer. The game is famous for it's opening, which involves an explosive murder carried out by someone dressed as a clown.
From there, the player travels through five different countries and interacts with numerous characters to discover a deep-rooted conspiracy involving a Neo-Templar movement… the still existing order of the Knight's Templar, the sword of Baphomet, and a Syrian assassin with a penchant for killing in dress-up. The story is easily one of the most action-packed and downright thrilling rides in videogame history, and the series since had always had a reputation for serious flair in the writing department, always funny, yet dramatic when it needs to be. However, a special mention should be made of infuriatingly hard some of the game's puzzles are. The "Goat Puzzle" is probably more infamously known than the game itself! The voice acting was superb and remains a benchmark for quality.
In Retrospect: I'm not much of a PC games player, but this is my favourite "PC game". Sure, it's had console ports, but I'd definitely more associate with the PC, and is alongside Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max and other adventure greats, a genuine classic of the point'n'click genre.
Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror
Developer: Revolution Software
Format: PC/PSX
Release: 1997
Notes: The sequel to Broken Sword would come quite swiftly and be built on the same engine and animation style, which probably explains the brevity of development.
The Smoking Mirror offers much the same experience as it's predecessor, and manages to keep up the same level of raw quality. This game opens with George visiting an old archaeologist in Paris on Nico's bequest, only to find out she and the old man have been kidnapped, and he is knocked out and left tied to a chair, in a burning building, with a deadly spider nearby for company. After escaping that little situation, he finds Nico nearby in Marseille after avoiding several encounters with quite dangerous people.
The continuing storyline reveals a plot involving a Mayan curse, a solar eclipse and the leader of an international drug cartel who seems intent on bringing the world to a dramatic end. And it is of course Geroge and Nico's job to stop him, in another series of misadventures which again are thrilling, dramatic and often very funny, with a cast of memorable characters, some new, some from the previous game.
In Retrospect: A worthy sequel in every way to Shadow of the Templars, The Smoking Mirror is more of the same, more or less, but who wouldn't want more of greatness like this?
And that's it for this week, there are two more games in the series to cover next week.
James McGee talks about the original Tomb Raider inThe Game plan, a series I'm sure I'll need to cover someday. It sucked back then as much as it does now, though, believe me I remember.
And that is all for this week. Next week, I'll take a specific look at games announced, but far from release to try and work out just what will be the shape of gaming come the end of 2008, and of course, cover the remainder of Broken Sword. Keep things in perspective as always, and goodbye.
