Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged [PC] | REVIEW

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars was the first point-and-click adventure that I ever played, and whilst I never beat it (I was far too young for its puzzles), it always held a special place in my heart. Now, nearly thirty years on from its original release, it’s back in a ‘Reforged’ form, bringing with it enhanced visuals and gameplay refinements to better suit a modern audience. Feels like the perfect time for me to finally beat it then, right?

Check out some screenshots down below:

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged puts players in the role of George Stobbart, a tourist who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when he witnesses an explosive attack at a café in Paris. With the help of journalist Nicole Collard, they investigate the case, with a mystery-laden conspiracy unfolding that will keep players intrigued with each new detail they uncover. Admittedly, the game takes a more serious tone than other similar releases in the genre, but brings with it some clever writing and plenty of wit to keep players engrossed in George and Nicole’s puzzle-solving escapade.

Gameplay-wise, Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged plays like your typical point-and-click adventure, with players… well… pointing and clicking on the screen to move protagonist George around, interact with the world and its characters, and collect items to use when solving puzzles. What else did you expect? Thankfully, it also delivers plenty of puzzles that are cleverly designed and demand the player to be both thorough and logical with their investigative work if they hope to succeed.

“Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a wonderful remaster that really does spark new life in a point-and-click classic.”

Sometimes, you won’t know how to progress through an area without speaking to the right person and learning the right bit of information first, whilst other times there’s an element of trial-and-error as you figure out how to outfox those who are in your path. What’s particularly interesting in Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is that you can’t rely on simply using each item you have in your inventory with every object you see in the environment when you’re stuck (something I’ve been guilty of in the genre), with a more methodical approach often required where you also need to time your actions carefully in order to succeed. Whether stealing something from a construction worker or outsmarting a goat, timing and patience can often be the key.

Thankfully, the puzzles are all logical in design and never feel unfair. Sure, there’ll be some that’ll have you stumped for ages until you finally figure them out, but the solution always makes perfect sense and will often leave you kicking yourself for not solving it sooner. They’re all really fun to solve though, with Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged’s conundrums certainly aging well over the years.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Of course, whilst it is old-school in design, this is a remastered release that brings with it re-drawn visuals, and believe me, they look fantastic in-game. Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged’s locales and characters really do look sublime, with the added depth and detail going a long way in giving the classic experience a modern feel. It’s the sort of thing you can’t always appreciate until you compare it to the original game (which you can do in-game by switching to the classic visuals), with a substantial upgrade made to both the locales you venture through and the animations of the characters. Revolution Software certainly haven’t skimped on the visuals and it helps make the game stand out as one of the more impressive remastered releases that I’ve played… the visuals are THAT good.

There have been other enhancements made too, such as the re-worked UI that is much more intuitive, the inclusion of additional scenes and interactions that flesh out the gameplay, and a newly introduced Story Mode that streamlines the experience for those new to the genre. Story Mode can be fine-tuned too, meaning you can choose just how much guidance the game gives to help you progress, whether that’s by hiding objects that play no part in the puzzle-solving, giving hints as to what you need to do, or simply pointing you to the object you need to interact with. Honestly? I preferred the old-school approach of having no help, but it’s still a cool addition that makes the game more accessible for a wider audience.

Developer: Revolution Software
Publisher: Revolution Software
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2544110/Broken_Sword__Shadow_of_the_Templars_Reforged/