Broken Sword: Reforged review - "A classic adventure revived!"

• A remade classic point-and-click adventure
• Explore Paris and beyond through curiosity and puzzle-solving
• Solve a murder, outsmart a criminal team, and hunt for treasure

We're living in an age where it can be challenging to find new sources of comfort, and so we turn to the old and reliable: nostalgia. While the concept of enjoying things from the past has been around as long as the past has existed, now more than ever, we crave reminders of a simpler time.

However, sometimes we're interested in seeing them in a new light, as other people transform them in ways that are both faithful and experimental. The team at Store Rider has opted for the former by turning Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars into Broken Sword: Reforged.

Return to the first entry in this 2D point-and-click adventure series to see what's new.

What is Broken Sword: Reforged?

If you're at all familiar with genres, it's an unspoken rule that point-and-clicks must have the most interesting or unusual titles without having to guarantee that those things are included. That's what Broken Sword did and does once again in Broken Sword: Reforged.

You follow the story of George Stobbart, a young American on vacation in Paris, when he suddenly survives a nearby cafe explosion. Believing the culprit to be a clown, he teams up with local photojournalist Nicole Collard to track down the clown and solve the case.

This will pull them both into a web of intrigue, action, and danger as they realise that this crime goes much farther than they ever expected and could lead to untold discoveries.

The sharp edge of Broken Sword: Reforged

While the mechanics of what makes an adventure experience have changed a lot over the years, we sometimes like to be reminded of the old ways. This is what's happening with Broken Sword: Reforged as a traditional adventure in the modern market.

The translation from PC to mobile is seamless and well-suited to the platform. There's rarely any pressure or tension forcing you to act quickly, so you can play at your own pace. You're free to explore and enjoy the little details of the world and the characters within so that you get the whole story.

The attention to detail is pretty impressive, as the old pixel graphics have been transformed into a smoother and cleaner look. They're sort of reminiscent of those arcade games that would have you playing through what was essentially an animated movie.

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However, in this case, you're playing through a slow-paced mystery with occasional bursts of action and fast-paced moments, capturing the more exciting parts of the story. Each character's movements and mannerisms are presented clearly, complemented by crisp voice acting.

Then there's the lack of logic that is sometimes present in point-and-click adventures. Here, you can usually put two and two together based on who's around and what you have. You even have the option to play in a way that eliminates things that you've already tried so that you don't have to keep repeating yourself.

It lets you put the square peg in the square hole, rather than expecting you to know that fish need to be taken out of a barrel with a volleyball net so you can put the monkeys in it.

Additional sharpening for Broken Sword: Reforged

What makes it difficult to criticise remakes of old adventures is that you need to decide whether maintaining everything as is makes it more faithful and authentic, even if they didn't work. With Broken Sword: Reforged, certain elements could've been tweaked for a modern audience, whether or not they played the original. 

The fact of the matter is that this experience is very, very, slow. It's most evident in George's movement, where his default speed is stroll. There doesn't appear to be a way to speed him up, so you have the humorous arrangement of a guy chasing after a killer clown with the same gusto as one walks through a tulip garden.

Even though the voice acting does lend a bit of life and character to the characters, there are times when it's just distracting. This is because sometimes the emotion and tone based on what's happening aren't conveyed clearly through the voices.

 Additionally, despite being a put-upon investigator, George sometimes comes across as unnecessarily rude and hostile, which makes it difficult to root for him. However, he's in entertaining and animated company, so there's still likability among the cast.

Forge ahead in Broken Sword: Reforged

Broken Sword: Reforged is an updated take on the 2D point-and-click classic Broken Sword - Shadow Of The Templars.

Dive into a modernised old-school adventure where you must use your wits and curiosity to find items, gather information, and talk with a colourful cast of characters. You can go at your own pace, but you'll be forced to go slowly much of the time, which will allow you to catch some of the oddities in the presentation, particularly the voice acting.

Otherwise, this is a nice and respectful view into the past that asks you to, once again, fix that broken sword!