The Bard's Tale

"A Funny Game Worth Questing For"

Introduction: The Bard's Tale is an old-fashioned dungeon-crawling, quest seeking type of game that makes fun of Rpg's and other related genres. There is the ability to be mean (Snarky) or nice. At times quite funny and at others a little mean The Bard is my kind of "Hero".

Gameplay 8/10- I had a lot of fun playing this game but the controls could have been just a tad better. I prefer options in the way the camera swings around on most games and unfortunately this doesn't have one but it's hardly a deal breaker. There is a bit of weirdness as far as item management is concerned...There isn't any or very little at any rate. Items which can be sold are basically converted to silver and equipment obtained in combat is automatically equipped. I actually enjoyed this type of "non-management" of resources.

Combat 7/10- It's more of the hack and slash variety and no magic but you do have the ability to summon fighters and others to help you in certain circumstances. Combat's not that big a deal for me anyway but this aspect of the game was pleasant enough.

Story 9/10- Terrific story here and well told. This game obviously doesn't take itself or other games too seriously which adds a delicious flavor to the overall "feel" of the game. In my opinion there should be more Action/Rpgs like this that give you more humor than some of the more ponderous and dire elements of most rpg's.

Graphics 9/10- Not as great as some games but there are nice touches in the way the world appears around you as you move through it. Environments are rich and add the appropriate mood as needed. A little slowdown is present in spots but nothing I haven't seen in some more high profile games.

Sound 9/10- I loved the music and the ambient sounds but sometimes these had a tendency to be drowned out by the music. Still not really a huge problem.

Play Time 7/10- Well, I'm a slow player and I don't necessarily do everything when I first play a game so it took me about 25 hours to complete. Your mileage may vary but I'm guessing average times to be around 20 hours or maybe less for the usual first game.

Re-playability 7/10- I like to replay games that I enjoy even if there isn't much new to do and since I don't use walkthroughs the first time through I find replay-ability where others might not. This being said, the ability to be "nice" or "snarky" gives the game some Re-playability and I enjoyed it so much I'll probably come back to it again.

Overall "Feel" 9/10- This score reflects that certain something extra that just makes you enjoy a good game. This game really appeals to me because it doesn't take itself seriously and is quite a funny game. I really like the way the "atmosphere" is set up in this game.

Final Recommendation/Final Score 8/10 - My recommendation is basically this: If you are inexperienced as a gamer then rent first so you know what you're getting. But if you already know what you like in games and adventure, dungeon sloughing RPG's with humor appeals to you then this is a funny, wicked little game that should satisfy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/04