[rayvio]

the third and fourth are worth playing but they're not as good as the first two. decent, but not great
if you like sci-fi adventures though, I'd suggest Beneath A Steel Sky. it's by the same guys who made Broken Sword, and it's a free download from their website nowdays

[orient]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ingram

I prefer a more modern, sci-fi, noir feel to these sort of games, although I've only played a few adventures games.

I'm with Rayvio -- if you're okay with playing older games, play Beneath a Steel Sky, by the makers of Broken Sword. It's free on PC, or if you have an iPhone/iPod Touch, you can play the remastered version for a small price.

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ingram

Are they making Director's Cuts of those games too?

They're making a "remastered" version of Broken Sword 2. From the sounds of it, it won't have a new chapter but it will have the facial expression boxes, new menus and interface, hint system etc. If you enjoyed those things in the Director's Cut then you may want to wait to play Broken Sword 2. It might come out first on the Apple devices, though.

But yes, Broken Sword 2 & 3 are certainly worth playing. They aren't as expertly crafted as the original, but they're good games. BS3 is 3D, so I highly doubt the developers will ever revisit that game. And just forget BS4. It's pretty bad.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Originally Posted by rayvio

the third and fourth are worth playing but they're not as good as the first two. decent, but not great
if you like sci-fi adventures though, I'd suggest Beneath A Steel Sky. it's by the same guys who made Broken Sword, and it's a free download from their website nowdays

Cheers, I've downloaded Scumm and BASS but couldn't extract the BASS zip folder. I'll have a fiddle around with it tomorrow and give it a whirl.

Originally Posted by orient

I'm with Rayvio -- if you're okay with playing older games, play Beneath a Steel Sky, by the makers of Broken Sword. It's free on PC, or if you have an iPhone/iPod Touch, you can play the remastered version for a small price.


They're making a "remastered" version of Broken Sword 2. From the sounds of it, it won't have a new chapter but it will have the facial expression boxes, new menus and interface, hint system etc. If you enjoyed those things in the Director's Cut then you may want to wait to play Broken Sword 2. It might come out first on the Apple devices, though.

But yes, Broken Sword 2 & 3 are certainly worth playing. They aren't as expertly crafted as the original, but they're good games. BS3 is 3D, so I highly doubt the developers will ever revisit that game. And just forget BS4. It's pretty bad.

If they're giving BS2 the same treatment as BS1 I might hold out for it. Although it sounds like it could be a while especially if they release the PC version as long after the Wii/DS/iPhone version as it was with BS1. I seem to be able to install and run BS2 on my PC fine although I haven't got into it yet. I might wait but chances are I'll get bored one Friday night when I have no money and start on it with my disc copy.

As for now I'm going through a bit of an adventure game period. Over the coming months I hope to play some of the finest adventure games out there (from what I've read). At the moment I'm looking at:

Beneath a Steel Sky
Syberia
Still Life
The Longest Journey

I think that's how my line up until Christmas looks. Then I might check out that Grey Matter.

[orient]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ingram

Beneath a Steel Sky
Syberia
Still Life
The Longest Journey

All fantastic games. There's at least one puzzle in each of those that will drive you to a walkthrough (unless you're an adventure game master) but hey, frustration is something you've just got to expect from adventure games I guarantee that after you've completed Syberia, you'll want to play Syberia II next, because it really is only half a game -- not in terms of length, but in terms of the narrative arc.

[terhardp]

All is already said, but here's my 2 cents.

I'm dissapointed but not suprised. As a huge BS series fan (well, minus the last two installments), when I've heard of the DC version, I've immediately thought: this will be interesting, an old classic in a new dress. Though I'm a traditionalist, several of my favourite adventure and other titles were released with the modern graphic, and in almost every case, this has breathed a new life into already fantastic material and confirmed its quality. But in this case, things are not what I've expected. I was waiting for something similar as what we've got with the SE versions of "Monkey Island". Graphically, I don't see much difference between the original and DC version of the BS. The latter is designed to run in a window, which makes it look a tad better on the modern screens. But some things just feels out of the place. First that comes to mind, like you've all said, are those horrible portraits during the conversations. I've also noticed some close-up scenes which look "modern" in comparison with the original graphic, but this is IMO clashing of styles. Storywise, the part with Nico does seem interesting, however, it makes no much sense to paint anything more on already briliant picture. There is also some puzzles that somewhat reeks casual. Since BS games are (IMHO) a pinaccle of adventure gaming, this is almost an insult, well, at least for me.

All in all, when I get the urge for replaying the game, I won't have a second thought when I go for the original. As for the newcomers to BS, I would definitely recommend to stay away from this version, if you want to fall in love with the game like I did, since I've played it for the first time, about 10 years ago.

[daphne]

I'm an odd searcher for death scenes in games. I wondered if any pros here could post me on the death scenes that are in Broken Sword the Director's Cut for George and Nico?

[Sik]

Originally Posted by daphne

I'm an odd searcher for death scenes in games. I wondered if any pros here could post me on the death scenes that are in Broken Sword the Director's Cut for George and Nico?

All death scenes have been removed from the Director's Cut as far as I could tell. If any are left, they'd have to be considered easter eggs, as I failed to die even when trying to.

[Christian IV]

the original is a classic. It did not need additional content just a well designed and enhanced true Directors Cut Gold version. There is a current movement among a number of developers to re release classics which i totally support. I just hope they will concentrate on making the classics playable on modern systems...and improving graphics and sound rather than trying to re invent the wheel.

I most certainly and most positively do not support dumbing down puzzles and eliminating hot spots, that is totally disrepesctful of both the developers and the players, and that alone makes this re release a travesty and a waste of time and effort. Ditto removing the death scenes....that risk was and is an important part of the game energy and life.....and makes it alive and strong. Bad moves all of these.

My two cents, which is not really worth even that

LucasArts has re released a number of great games, there is talk of a re release of the first of the Wing Commander series, and a number of other projects here and there, this one for Broken Sword among them.

[dmeps]

The aforementioned goat puzzle... I might be wrong, having played it aeons ago, but wasn't it in the 2nd BS rather than the 1st? That is if you meant the talking beast...

[DustyShinigami]

No. The goat puzzle is in BS1 inside the Lochmarne castle.

Spoiler:

You have to trap it with the rusty plowshare before you can climb down a ladder.

The one you're thinking of is the easter egg goat in BS2. If you try to feed it coal it talks to you.

[Christian IV]

that pesky goat did remind me of some pesky sheep i did run into in Scotland many years ago. I expect that they are still there, and i still enjoy the goat in the game....if if it caused me a good deal of trouble

[Dwagginz]

Picked this up a few days ago and played about 20 minutes of it today

Spoiler:

I just got into the drawing room

and whilst I'm sure it's a good game, it's not really a high quality remake.

I bumped it up to "augmented" so I could see it well enough (I don't like playing adventure games of this type in a small window, it makes it easy to miss things) and it's kinda disappointing. It's blurry, it doesn't seem to play smoothly and the cutscenes were very "mechanical" in that they didn't flow, it was like it moved along one step at a time.

If I was playing the original game then sure, I could accept that, but a modern remake/remaster? Surely they could have put a bit more effort into it?

I'm going to continue, though, because it's Broken Sword and I've never actually played one.

[Intense Degree]

Originally Posted by Dwagginz

I'm going to continue, though, because it's Broken Sword and I've never actually played one.

In that case I would seriously think about getting the original and playing that once you have finished playing as Nico (i.e. the "intro" to the game). I know it sounds stupid buying the same game twice but it really will be worth it.

[Dwagginz]

Originally Posted by Intense Degree

In that case I would seriously think about getting the original and playing that once you have finished playing as Nico (i.e. the "intro" to the game). I know it sounds stupid buying the same game twice but it really will be worth it.

What would the point of that be? I'm guessing the differences aren't massive.

I've gotten to the café now (Only about 50mins in; 12% according to my save file) and I'm enjoying it, even if the French pronunciations are a bit cringe-worthy.

[Intense Degree]

Just my opinion!

I have both versions and, to me, the original is the better one by far (even without the extra content, which is that bit at the beginning where you play as Nico).

I suppose you are right in that the differences aren't massive but I just feel the name "directors cut" is a bit of try on when there are bits taken out of the original (although, as I say, not really major bits), and the newer graphics/animations etc. are (in my opinion again!) not up to the standard of the old.

Also the original sells for about £5 nowadays, but it's entirely your choice of course!

[jannar85]

Originally Posted by Dwagginz

Picked this up a few days ago and played about 20 minutes of it today

Spoiler:

I just got into the drawing room

and whilst I'm sure it's a good game, it's not really a high quality remake.

This is not a remake. It's a director's cut.
That meaning longer gameplay, more music, more dialogue, more puzzles and so on.

Originally Posted by Dwagginz

What would the point of that be? I'm guessing the differences aren't massive.

I've gotten to the café now (Only about 50mins in; 12% according to my save file) and I'm enjoying it, even if the French pronunciations are a bit cringe-worthy.

The café is where the first game starts, which would say a how much story of this game has been expanded (which would be massive, in our eyes). And I thought the original was long. Rest assured, the game will keep going for hours or days to come.

[Dwagginz]

Originally Posted by jannar85

This is not a remake. It's a director's cut.
That meaning longer gameplay, more music, more dialogue, more puzzles and so on.

Perhaps this is a case of Wiki being wrong, but it says it's a remake. Either way, they've not really tried to add much polish. I put it into the "Original" mode (in terms of resolution) and it certainly looks a bit smoother, but I still think it could be better.

I'm not exactly swimming in funds right now so the original'll have to wait, but I will pick it up at some point (Possibly in that triple pack Mastertronic released not long ago) and it'd be interesting to see how much (Or how little) it's changed.

[Roper Klacks]

I finished it yesterday. Honestly, it was a huge letdown. The good parts are the ones made 15 years ago. Apart from the streamlined interface everything about the Director's Cut and the new content are poorly made. The new playable sequences break the flow and don't blend well into the narrative and the new dialogue (the quality of the voice recording is all over the place) and cutscenes are rushed. The game opening and ending are ruined now.

Its a bad Director's Cut of a very good game. Stick to the original, its better.

[Tiocfaidh]

Originally Posted by Roper Klacks

The game opening and ending are ruined now.

Its a bad Director's Cut of a very good game. Stick to the original, its better.

What did they change about the ending ?

[Roper Klacks]

Originally Posted by Tiocfaidh

What did they change about the ending ?

They added a poorly animated, and badly writen cutscene.