Broken Sword 5: The Serpents' Curse - Part I

The Serpent’s Curse might be a little bit like the recent Veromica Mars movie, where if you’re a fan of the series then you might be happy enough just seeing what George and Nico are up to. But for everybody else, there isn’t much to get excited about, and there are probably better options out there for your gaming time and money.

Good quality writing and voice acting help things along, but this is a game best experienced as a whole and does nothing to claim any but the most enthusiastic of point-and-click experts. [Issue#144, p.100]

I love Broken Swords and this one returns to the tradition of the first two games, which are the best in the series. If only this new sword were longer... [02/2014, p.64]

The thing is, if you’re a real Broken Sword fan then you’ll already own this from your Kickstarter pledge, and you’re just here to check in to see what the port quality is like. If you’ve enjoyed Broken Sword in the past (and especially the earlier ones) then you’ll not be disappointed here, as from the intrigue through to Rolf Saxon this is a Broken Sword game through and through.

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse - Part 1 is thoughtfully constructed with low-pressure environments and the promise of a global thriller with a supernatural curse reaching back to Biblical times. It’s strung me along this far, so I’m ready for part 2, but part 1 is doing very little to hint at any major payoff for this sleepy but good-natured point-and-click adventure.

A classic adventure game with a story full of conspiracy and familiar figures. Its creators honour their own heritage, but they do not risk to stick to it less than firmly. The new Broken Sword is almost identical to the original.

It's a real pleasure to meet again with George Stobbart et Nico, above all when it's in a 2D game, which cleverly comes back to the origins. But let's face the truth : Broken Sword 5 is a very nice point'n click, but it's still not perfect. Puzzles are too easy and the game is technically old fashioned.

Breaking Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse in two was not a good idea. When the plot finally starts to mesh everything is postponed to a later date and the player stays dry mouthed. For the rest, however, it is still the beautiful Broken Sword.

In Broken Sword 5, Revolution Software tried to mimic Revolution Software circa 1996, but, for the most part, it failed.

Broken Sword 5 will slowly worm itself into your affections if you expose yourself to its ever so gentle humour for long enough.

Broken Sword 5 could be a nice dip in the past, but the puzzles are too easy to solve and the story waits long before due time to get interesting. There’s the second episode to hope in but perhaps, as in the case of the relationship between Nico and George, letting go of the past could really be for the best.

A true return to the series’ roots and a homage to the first game. Shows a lot of promise that we can only hope will be fulfilled in the second part. [Issue#237]

With the second part added, Broken Sword 5 could certainly reach beyond three stars – but, until then, it's wise to remain agnostic about Charles Cecil's latest offering.

Being broken into two parts only serves to hurt Broken Sword 5. The game was clearly developed as a whole and then chopped up – meaning you are left with all of the exposition in Episode 1, and none of the pay-off.

The Serpent's Curse just feels rushed. The well-researched plot takes its sweet time to truly get going and when it does, it's already over again. So, taken by itself, this first episode feels pretty average. It's up to the second half to pull the chestnuts out of the fire.

As a reminder of the old days of the series, The Serpent’s Curse just about serves its purpose; it sounds the same, works the same and, mostly, looks the same. But as a contender on the modern point-and-click landscape it offers little to drag players away from the new age of superior soirees.

I hope that, when episode two launches, I'll be bemoaning my own idiocy and falling over myself to award the complete game a much higher score. For now, though, I'm playing it safe: until I know how the whole thing plays out, my recommendation is guarded.

Revolution revived the Broken Sword with The Serpent's Curse, which is rudely divided (we could say "broken") in two parts. This first episode of the investigation is pleasant to follow, and even a little easy, it offers some of what fans expect from this point & click series: the humor of unusual characters and a funny world of clichés, but it misses the dark fantastic side, pushed back to the next episode. So, we keep a cool head and we wait for Episode 2.

Pure fan service in every sense, which ensures an enjoyably nostalgic adventure but also means a number of flaws that wouldn’t be tolerated in other circumstances.

Despite its flaws, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse has a lot to offer avid fans of the series, who will relish the opportunity to play a new installment built on traditional 2D values.

The first episode of George and Nico's return is a disappointing experience, unable to achieve its dreams. The game works fine, but the story itself lacks of punch and ends suddenly, when things start to get interesting. We can only hope that the best is yet to come, maybe in the second chapter.