REVIEW: Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse

What is incredible of the earlier Broken Sword games is fully brought back in Revolution Software's fifth instalment in the 
series.

Developer: Revolution Software | Publisher: Revolution Software | Genre: Point N Click Adventure

Windows PC | Mac | PS Vita | Android | iOS | Linux

Since its departure from the 2D ideologies of the first two Broken Sword games, its safe to say the series took a bit of a downfall - however, The Serpent's Curse offers players exactly what made the franchise so great in the first place.

Just before World War II, a painting known as 'La Maledicció was taken - more stolen than anything - apparently this painting holds a lot of significance but we don't get any hints as to why, not at the start anyway. Now its modern day Paris and the La Malediccio  sits on a gallery wall, and the past repeats itself once again - this time, a thief disguised as a pizza delivery man takes the piece of art with practically no effort as he shoots his way past the gallery owner.

Before this actually happens, George and Nico conveniently bump into each other at this gallery and both witness the murder take place and so its from here its up to the duo to figure out the mystery behind the killer, why this particular painting was stolen and so forth. Most of the game is set in Paris, although you'll travel back and forth between England and France, once again showcasing the level of adventure you can expect to participate in as both George and Nico. This time around, the game will be split into episodes, currently there is only the first episode available, with the second coming within the first quarter of 2014. 

Another victim of George's intense interrogations.

The first thing that should grab your attention is the amount of sheer detail put into the game's environments - the imagery is absolutely fantastic and really makes you feel like you're playing The Shadow of the Templars or The Smoking Mirror once again. It's been a long time since those games were released, and so the graphics today are much smoother and the character's animations are flawless, creating a gaming atmosphere that really immerses you in the world itself.

Gameplay is almost exactly like the older games - you point and click around the locations in order to find clues, interact with people and examine potentially important objects. It's classic point and click adventure gaming at its finest, and its nice to see the genre being brought back to life even in 2014 where most gamers are addicted to fast-paced shooters. The Serpent's Curse is a classic example of one of the most unique genres in the industry, and Revolution Software should be applauded for that.

You'll encounter familiar faces throughout the game such as Laine, the overweight art critic who first appeared in The Smoking Mirror, you might also recognise Sergeant Moue - the policeman from the very first Broken Sword game. Bringing back these characters is especially nice to those who have played past installments as well as those who are just getting into the series. review1

The first section of the game, showcasing an old familiar face...and pizza.

Considering we're in a world now obsessed with achievements, The Serpent's Curse has them - when completing a certain task, usually an important task, you'll be awarded an achievement for your efforts. Also included is the ability to access hints if you're stuck on a particular part of the game, a certain puzzle, etc - it's best to avoid having a cheeky look at the hints as you might regret it later, finding out what to do yourself is much more satisfying.

Something that has always been great about the Broken Sword franchise is the sense of humour, especially between George and Nico - that very style of humour is back and you should find yourself laughing quite a bit, whether it's one of George's horribly bad jokes or a certain conversation between characters. This is very welcoming and reminds you gaming doesn't need to be completely serious all of the time.

George and Nico working together - a familiar site throughout the franchise.

Overall, The Serpent's Curse will give you a pleasant, yet challenging experience that takes you back to the series' roots and core ideals which have been missing from the series for far too long - those of you that have played any Broken Sword game should definitely get this as it won't disappoint in the slightest, and even newcomers should try it out as it will give you a taste of what you've been missing all this time.

9/10