Point-and-click adventure games remain a staple of the video-game industry, having had popularity in the 90s and while not dominating the charts in later years still have frequent new titles thanks in part to indie development and the ease of digital distribution on modern systems.
Making it one of the few titles from the early era of the genre to still have a place in gaming today.
Along with some of the best games in the genre such as Grim Fandango and The Secret of Monkey Island, is the Broken Sword series. First released in 1996 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars, or Circle of Blood in the US, follows protagonists George Stobbart and Nicole Collard as the uncover the truth around a series of murders and conspiracy involving the Knights Templar. These characters have remained an important part of the series, as they provide the heart and soul of each adventure. So Broken Sword features an intriguing story with well-written characters, what else? Well, great puzzles and beautiful hand-drawn visuals, and all of these elements - story, characters, puzzles and visuals - are expertly crafted. What makes it truly timeless is that even today all of these elements still stand strong.
The award-winning game has been released on several platforms, has had a re-release as The Director's Cut and multiple sequels, making it one of the few titles from the early era of the genre to still have a place in gaming today. Not to say other popular titles don’t deserve recognition, the opposite most certainly applies with many recent remasters or sequels, however the fact that Broken Sword has crossed formats and hardware generations is a testament to how special of an experience it is. As with the Quest for Glory series I hope to do a synopsis on each of the Broken Sword titles in the near future, and should you be keen you can purchase the 20th Anniversary Collection on Steam.
