Classic adventure series Broken Sword returns with a sixth instalment and a beautiful remaster
Parzival's Stone reunites our nosy duo
Classic point ‘n clicker series Broken Sword is planning a big comeback starting next year with a remaster of the original adventure game, followed by a new sixth entry sometime after. Snooping tourist George and snooping professional (investigative journalist) Nico will reunite in the all-new Broken Sword: Parzival’s Stone, but first, over two decades after it launched, Broken Sword - Shadow Of The Templars: Reforged revamps the first outing of the nosy duo. As you can see from the reveal trailer, it’s enjoying quite a dramatic makeover.
Revolution Software’s CEO and founder Charles Cecil calls the pair of games the start of a “Broken Sword Renaissance”, and the studio is trying to court “people who have never even heard of the franchise,” alongside fans that were playing Shadow Of The Templar back in 1996. “As with all Broken Sword games,” Cecil continued, “both titles exist as independent adventures with no prior knowledge required, though naturally for those invested… there’s a lot to tap into under the surface.”
George and Nico’s sixth conspiracy chase in Parzival's Stone has them racing to find the Grail before Nazi treasure hunters, billion-dollar corporations and shady government arms get there first. That’s just another day on the job for the pair, though. What’s new is the blend of 2D painterly backgrounds and 3D geometry, which admittedly looks really nice in the screenshots below, even if the trailer’s character close-ups looked a little jarring.
Shadow Of The Templars, meanwhile, is strictly sticking with two dimensions, although everything’s received a nice touch-up, from the art to the enhanced audio. The headline image is ripped straight from the remaster, and just, how good does that look? It’s kind of how I remember ‘80s cartoons like yer Inspector Gadgets and He-Mans - not that I was alive to remember them or anything, but they were still on TV while I was growing up. Anyways, the original Broken Sword was our 15th favourite adventure game ever, so this remaster is probably worth a look.
There’s no release date yet for the newest Broken Sword instalment, but Shadow Of The Templars: Reforged comes out in 2024 on PC, consoles and mobile.
For more of the latest news and previews from Gamescom 2023, head to our Gamescom 2023 hub. You can also find everything announced at Opening Night Live right here.