Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars

"This game deserves to have the title of "Best GBA Game""

Broken Sword was originally made for the PC and the Sony PlayStation way back in 1996. It was actually called Broken Sword: Circle of Blood for the PC, but on the Playstation it was called Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars. In 2002 Revolution decided to bring this classic game to the GBA. I first saw this game in a issue of a magazine. They reviewed the game on the GBA and gave it a 5/5. Since the magazine convinced me that this game was really good, I went and brought it. I fell in love with the game. Almost everything about it was perfect. After I finished this game, I went out and bought Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror for Playstation. Now, let's get on with the review.

GAMEPLAY 10/10
I truly didn't know the Gameboy Advance could play this well. George moves around the area almost in 3D. The animation plays just like a cartoon. The response is right on. The interaction with the characters and environments are top notch. I couldn't believe this was a GBA game.

GRAPHICS 10/10
Through-out the whole game I was convinced I was watching a cartoon. Everything is insanely detailed. It's hard to imagine how much time and effort went into hand-painting each environment. These paintings could be in a art museum, they're so good. Same goes for the character models.

SOUND 10/10
Thanks to the music, the sound gets a 10/10. I'm not exaggerating, but every time there is an adult in the same room with me and I'm playing this game with the sound up, they always comment on how great the music is. Sometimes they find it hard to believe that the music is coming from this game. Unlike many games out there, the music in Broken Sword is orchestral. It's very relaxing music. Another feature I thought was cool, was that some events triggered a certain kind of music to match the atmosphere. Like, if I found a clue, it would trigger some mysterious music. If I was trapped in a room, it would trigger some haunting music. The sound really boasts this game.

CONTROLS 10/10
There is no better way to play a click & point with controls like the ones in this game. Revolution must of spent a lot of time tweaking the controls for the GBA version, because in the end it really paid off.

STORY 10/10
The Broken Sword series has one of the best stories in the history of video games. If you ever picked up one of these games, you would know what I mean. There are many plot twists that will keep you hanging on. At several points you might think, ''What does that have to do with the story?'', but let me tell you, after you finish the game, it will all make complete sense. The humor in this game is also really good. Some parts had me laughing out loud.

REPLAY VALUE 7/10
Sadly, the replay value isn't that great for everyone. After you finish doing certain goals in certain environments, you can't return to them. This can be kind of a let down because some of the areas are really great and you will want to return to them. Also, after you beat the game, there's nothing more to do. It's over and that's it. On the other hand, you might want to play the game again. I know I did because I ended up playing it over and over. Some people might be glad it's over because it was such a long game. There's also many ways to play this game. You can earn alternate dialogue by using alternate ways to play the game. So there can be mixed opinions about the replay value of this game. I personally thought it was good.

''Wait,'' you say. ''You make this game sound absolutely perfect? Isn't something that really brings it down?'' Well, there is something that can bring it down......the unavoidable glitch. There's a glitch in the game which is unavoidable and makes you restart the whole game. The first time I played this game, I was hit by the glitch. Ever since then, I have never been hit by it again. It really wasn't a big deal, but some people have a huge problem with. For more information about this glitch, read the FAQ's. I've heard that the newer copies don't have this glitch.

OVERALL:
Broken Sword is the best GBA game out there. It's really cheap right now too, so go out and grab a copy. You'll most likely be more than happy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/01/04