The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep

There is so much going on that is good that it’s hard to even mention it all. You start with plenty of customization options, not just with character creation, but within classes and skills. All told there are somewhere between sixty to seventy skills per class. I haven’t even mentioned the puzzles, which I found to be just the right mix of difficult, neither boring nor too hard. The story is great, even with the occasional self-spoiler. Combat has a lot going for it and keeps things interesting, but it’s always possible that not everyone feels that way on that front. The few performance issues aside, it’s a game that’s hard not to like.

The Bard’s Tale IV revisits the classic dungeon-crawling formula from years past, simultaneously showing reverence for its history whilst not being afraid to change it up mechanically. Visually stunning with a wonderful Gaelic folk soundtrack to go with it.

An old-fashioned game in a shiny new package, The Bard's Tale 4: Barrows Deep is a worthy addition to a classic series.

The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep delivers on the faith its Kickstarter backers put into the project. It weaves combat, exploration, music, and puzzles into a game that stands out in a crowded market.

The Bard’s Tale IV is like a beautifully composed song performed on out of tunes instruments. There are moments when it borders on genius, other times it actively encouraged me to uninstall and forget it. For every strength it has a weakness. Good writing, superb puzzles, great music, outstanding voice-overs and solid mechanics are counterbalanced by quite awful visuals (how can Unreal Engine 4 look so bad?), some examples of bad design, a truckload of bugs (how about skills that don’t work or the ability to loot a chest through a ceiling?) and frequent crashes. For me the advantages were what mattered more, but I completely understand scores in the region of 4/10. [12/2018, p.58]

An adventure in which lute is played and songs are sung just can’t let you down. Bard's Tale has a lot of flaws, but it finds a way to the player's heart. However, the game is pretty far from its original trilogy. [Issue#290]

The Bard’s Tale 4 is a splendid and fresh take on the RPG genre. Production values are very high and the experience never fails to entertain. Bugs and glitches abound but are being hunted down by the devs.

Old-school Bard's Tale is back but, ironically enough, it could have used a bit more time in the oven. Still, the combination of intricate puzzles, exploration and satisfying turn-based combat will certainly appeal to fans of the genre.

A thoughtful, deep and rewarding RPG, with some great puzzles and a story that may not be groundbreaking, but sure is fun.

If you’re expecting The Bard’s Tale IV to be an action-RPG on par with some recent blockbusters, you may be disappointed. This is not a cinematic experience with bleeding edge graphics and breathless action and combat. However, if you approach the game as a super-enhanced, classic dungeon crawler that both fits into the legacy and moves the needle on a well-respected, beloved franchise, then you will be pleased by its story, puzzles, nuanced combat, excellent music and varied environments.

This addictive RPG has a remarkable soundtrack but is a little rough around the edges. [Nov 2018, p.69]

With The Bard's Tale 4: Barrows Deep, developer inXile does a great job of taking all the elements of a 30-year-old series and mixing it up with some modern era mechanics.

The Bard's Tale 4: Barrows Deep is a rousing but technically rough adventure driven by great music, clever puzzles, and challenging turn-based combat.

There are one or two missteps here and there, but The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a wonderful RPG that has to be explored to be understood for the gem it is.

A charming sequel to an RPG milestone with a great combat system and great music, but it still has technical problems.

The Bard’s Tale IV pays dutiful homage to its roots and offers an accessible way to experience the joy of the old-school RPG, but the enjoyable complexity has been sacrificed. Long puzzle mazes detract from the inspired combat system, and occasional crashes after a big battle can be discouraging. That said, if you’re looking for that vintage style with some enchanting new-age accoutrements, the endearing melodies of the Bard’s Tale IV won’t lead you astray.

Like other InXile games, Bard’s Tale IV lives and breathes oldschool design decisions, which is a rare and valuable thing these days. Where else would you find a party-based RPG that focuses on puzzles, music and unusual combat solutions instead of common grind and hunt for loot? [Issue #233, p.68]

The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep is definitely for a specific crowd of hardcore RPG and series fans, and for those, it caters wonderfully.

The Bard’s Tale returns with a solid adventure. It gets the most important things right, but there are some smaller details that need polishing to become an outstanding entry.

The Bard's Tale IV isn't a game for everyone. Brian Fargo's new production is very old-school, but not archaic or outdated. It respects its heritage and the genre's rules. Still, the fans of modern RPGs could be unimpressed if they don't keep their expectations in check.

The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep has a satisfyingly deep and flexible battle system, surrounded by heavy puzzle exploration and a narrative that doesn't manage to stay interesting. There are some really neat systems at play here for those looking for intricate combat, but performance issues and a lacking storyline make it a hard sell to a larger audience.

Charm shines through in a rough and modest RPG. [Issue#206, p.77]

Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep captivates the player with it’s majestic atmosphere and music, while offering a well narrated, but generic story. Turn-based battle is more than satisfying and the frequent puzzles enrich the gameplay options. On the other hand, inventory management is a nightmare and using the same abilities may become tedious after a while. Many technical problems, especially low fps and crashes spoil the overall experience.

The Bard's Tale IV is a mixed potion that can offer a very fun gameplay experience as well as seriously damaging your nerves. It offers more than 30 hours of gameplay for just 35 dollars, and when all elements are working, it can be fun and enjoyable. But then technical issues kick in and along with a very strange save mechanism, ruin your day! The Bard' Tale IV is surely a charismatic title and if you can cope with its flaws, you can have great fun; but it still has a lot of issues to address in order to be considered one of the elite titles of the genre.

The Bard’s Tale IV is a well-crafted dungeon crawler, at least on the gameplay side. Its dungeons are great, its puzzles are smart, its visuals are charming… But there’s so many bugs you can’t enjoy all of this.

The Bard's Tale IV is a little retro pleasure that is difficult to ignore. The characters are fun, its universe is rich and the game mechanics are deep. Unfortunately, the game is not up to par visually and looks like something that was released ten years ago.

A delightful blend of well-done modern and classic elements will appeal to many RPG enthusiasts, with the few impediments being less-than-stellar graphics, a few trivial bugs, and a world where — literally — not every door is open to you.

The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a great game that is in severe need of polish and bug fixes.

If you can manage to endure the first terrible hours and the poor technical performance, you will find an interesting RPG, with some problems of pace and puzzling decisions, but full of good ideas and intriguing designs.

Challenging battles and dungeons filled with intelligent puzzles are overshadowed by lack of direction in almost every aspect: artdesign, storytelling, quality assurance.

Equal parts fascinating and frustrating, The Bard’s Tale IV is not what I was hoping for. With patching and better documentation, it could be a stellar roleplaying experience. As it stands, this Bard needs to practice her tune.

While both combat and puzzles in Bard's Tale 4 offer quite a bit of fun, it's hard to overlook the stale story, lifeless levels or technical shortcomings. The inventory and save system feel like they came straight out of an alpha version.

Your mileage, as always, may vary. But if you're looking for a rock-solid, incredibly challenging nuts-and-bolts RPG with all of the quirky flair of the original trilogy, this isn't quite it.

Despite occasional success in its stripped-down, straightforward approach, it suggests that maybe simplicity and escapism has limitations of its own.

Appreciable if you're a fan of the genre but that can be rough or boring for other players. A pretty decent visual and sound section.

Bard’s Tale IV started off on the right foot, but proved to be [a] boring installment in a franchise that probably would’ve been better off staying in the 80’s.

The Bard’s Tale IV could be a fun — but seriously flawed — game if it weren’t hamstrung by technical problems. Its frequent framerate drops, bugged combat abilities, and crashes are compounded by an archaic save system that makes it far too easy to lose progress. Though it features some great combat and challenging puzzles, they’re not without their own flaws, and become extremely repetitive over the game’s 30–40-hour playtime.

A lot of the issues are tech-related: crashes, geometry bugs, load times, and framerate can all be fixed with patches. As of now? The interesting puzzles and fantastic music are not worth suffering through the bugs, lackluster models, and mediocre combat and skills. If your interest is piqued here, wishlist it and come back at a later time; I have no doubt that this game will reach its potential, but it's just not even close right now.

Without the problems that stem from the, evidently, rushed production, The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a mediocre-to-good dungeon crawling RPG that's reminiscent of the genre's humble beginnings. With those problems added, however, this is downright annoying, and even unplayable.

While the game re-creates what we played in the 1990s, misty water-colored memories of hours spent with Eye of the Beholder are not enough to fix numerous design miscues, performance problems, and bugs. This is a tough sell to all but the most dedicated and patient retro fan.