The Bard's Tale

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 103
  3. Negative: 11 out of 103
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  1. doyourealize
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This game is not a challenger to Diablo. You will not horde items and decide whether you would like the quicker sword with a less power, or the more powerful sword that's a bit slower. You won't have to make difficult decisions about whether to save a woman or save a town. The RPG mechanics are not innovative or thought-provoking. And the quest will not demand countless hours of yourThis game is not a challenger to Diablo. You will not horde items and decide whether you would like the quicker sword with a less power, or the more powerful sword that's a bit slower. You won't have to make difficult decisions about whether to save a woman or save a town. The RPG mechanics are not innovative or thought-provoking. And the quest will not demand countless hours of your life. You will, however, enjoy every step in your (admittedly short) journey. It's funny, it's quirky, and you'll never have to worry about anything except moving forward. Everything you pick up is something you automatically equip or something that turns instantly to gold (you should still take a look at what these things are, though, as ofttimes, it's hilarious). Even new weapons, when you find one, will be automatically equipped and your old sword will turn to gold. These are not admirable designs in a deep, multiplayer adventure. In this game, though, which you play alone, they are godsends. It's $5 right now on Steam, and worth every penny. It won't change your life, but it will leave you happy.… Expand
  2. lefiath
    Dec 17, 2012
    8
    A decent, even if kinda stiff gameplay. Excellent humor and situations like from Monty Pythons. A lot of battles (which eventually get old, since the fighting isn't all the exciting), below average graphics, solid length and three endings. Overall I do recommend this game mostly because of story, the game mechanics are flawed, but not that bad so you would just give up on the game.
  3. neowiz73
    Jun 6, 2012
    8
    I love this new spin on Bard's Tale, I played all of the old PC games from the 80s and they always had some humor involved but this one topped them all. It was very enjoyable and the endings are cool and funny. This is a nice break from the cliche. It is good for one good play through, just make sure to save it towards the end so you can reload and see both endings.
  4. AsheZx
    Nov 13, 2014
    7
    Has nothing original to bring to the genre, and the game play is mediocre. However, this is by far, the most comedic game I have ever played - and I still laugh at it to this day,
  5. StaticSpine
    Feb 10, 2013
    8
    The fair mark for the game is 7.5. The game feel has something in common with "Fable". The main thing that makes it different from other RPGs is the fact that it is so ironic, sarcastic and humorous overall. It makes fun of fantasy/fairy tale genre clichés. The gameplay is battle oriented, most of the game you are fighting, so there are very few "social" sidequests. The battles are prettyThe fair mark for the game is 7.5. The game feel has something in common with "Fable". The main thing that makes it different from other RPGs is the fact that it is so ironic, sarcastic and humorous overall. It makes fun of fantasy/fairy tale genre clichés. The gameplay is battle oriented, most of the game you are fighting, so there are very few "social" sidequests. The battles are pretty difficult even on a normal difficulty level. You should choose your companions carefully to stand against different enemies. To be honest the endless repetitive battles and constantly respawning enemies become boring in the second half of the game. The only thing that diversifies the battles are the summoned companions. There are a lot of them and their tactics and skills are completely different. About the dialogues, there are two types of reactions to NPCs phrases: snarky or nice. It's not rather convenient for me because you can't predict what the Bard will say. I'd prefer the standard phrase choosing. The voice acting is great, especially the main character and the Narrator. And another thing I wanted to mention the inventory system. All the loot you get converts to money right away and when you get a better armor/weapon it gets equipped immediately and the previous one also converts into money. This system is just awesome for an Action RPG game! Overall, a very decent game for ever CRPG fan.… Expand
  6. PrincessRose
    Feb 3, 2015
    5
    This game is sort of alright.

    Love the songs in this game. That is probably the only thing going for it, the humour and awesome songs. The controls, combat and camera are very clunky and awkward and the constant load screens are annoying as well. No inventory, little depth to the game and it becomes repetitive. Though no inventory can be classed as a good thing especially if    This game is sort of alright.

    Love the songs in this game.

    That is probably the only thing going for it, the humour and awesome songs.

    The controls, combat and camera are very clunky and awkward and the constant load screens are annoying as well. No inventory, little depth to the game and it becomes repetitive.

    Though no inventory can be classed as a good thing especially if you're a hoarder who finds it hard to part with anything in case you need it later. Not so with this game, no need to sell anything, it is automatic, any loot you pick up whether it be wolf pelts, or jewels etc. immediately turn to silvers, the currency of this game. If you find a weapon more powerful then the equipped, it immediately equips it and turns the old into silvers. But it also means less depth and not really any choice of what you equip. Such as you would rather equip a faster sword that has less dmg, but nope it would equip the weapon does the most dmg.

    This game is also very linear and more like an action adventure game than an RPG.

    I like the main character he is rather snarky and selfish and not a typical save the world hero, which makes for a nice change. He's in it primarily for coin and booty.

    But even so the fun songs become repetitive and don't vary much, always the same bad luck song with slight variation sung by trow. So 7 Trow songs and only 2, more unique songs that I came across and Iam very thorough in exploring so don't think I missed any.

    Can't recommend this game for the humour alone does not make up for the negatives.

    I found it a bit too repetitive to recommend, I only kept playing as I hate leaving a game uncompleted and it was not so terrible that I couldn't stand playing and now that I completed it, it's not a game Iam likely ever to play again. And to see the other ending I can just watch it on You Tube.    … Expand
  7. LarryM.
    Sep 13, 2005
    9
    It was fun and if not for the bugs in the video/game play I would have given it a 10. I thoroughly enjoyed the satire and the overall trek.
  8. JackK.
    Jun 26, 2005
    9
    This game was better than a lot of the late generic RPGs, and had more of a catch to it than alot of other late PC RPGs. So this game deserves atleast a "9" because it hit the PC. PC doesn't have too many great games drop on us.
  9. RobeerC.
    Jul 10, 2005
    10
    I've just walked through this game, and it was a great fun. I can only say, it's a must play game. Good songs for everyone ;)
  10. HarryR.
    Aug 4, 2005
    9
    Quite fun. Played the orignal games with my son when he was fairly young. This wouldn't be as much appreciated by a 10 year old. But the tongue in cheek version of an RPG is good fun. The character acting is great. The challenge isn't the insane RPG of a Dungeon Lords, where quests involve absolutely absurd soutions. (Wizardry was also an early favorite.) Rather this is a decent Quite fun. Played the orignal games with my son when he was fairly young. This wouldn't be as much appreciated by a 10 year old. But the tongue in cheek version of an RPG is good fun. The character acting is great. The challenge isn't the insane RPG of a Dungeon Lords, where quests involve absolutely absurd soutions. (Wizardry was also an early favorite.) Rather this is a decent RPG with a really good sense of humor. Even the treasure recovered is worth a chuckle or three or ten. Not it's not the old Bard's Tale. But if you want to relive that all of the three originals are included. What it is is the closest thing to a comic Role Playing Novel yet released on a PC disc.… Expand
  11. G.Doane
    Jun 7, 2005
    9
    If it's Bard's Tale it has to be good. I'm ready for the character to swing three times and miss!
  12. DonnieBrasco
    Jun 15, 2005
    4
    Awesome, hilarious absurd humor a'la Monty Python paired with subpar graphics, no RPG elements and "dumbed-down-to-ground" playflow make this a very mixed game. With a nice skills/char development and much more depth concerning gameplay this could have been a classic. Does the name "Anachronox" ring a bell? Not far....
  13. Knief
    May 19, 2005
    4
    Judging by the demo, anywho, this is a game well after its time, bringing nothing new to the genre.
  14. MitchellS.
    Aug 23, 2005
    1
    This thing sucks. Barely worthy of the name Bards Tale. Sorry I paid full price for it. It's a cheap, shoddy effort to cash in on the name by the original creator, who must have had a bad run of business luck or something, and got desperate. And it shows. The graphics are circa 1999. They're SERIOUSLY BAD, and if you told most gamers this came out in 2004/5 and they'd not This thing sucks. Barely worthy of the name Bards Tale. Sorry I paid full price for it. It's a cheap, shoddy effort to cash in on the name by the original creator, who must have had a bad run of business luck or something, and got desperate. And it shows. The graphics are circa 1999. They're SERIOUSLY BAD, and if you told most gamers this came out in 2004/5 and they'd not heard about it prior, they would have no reason to believe you. Gameplay is basically non-existent; I'm tempted to say this game isn't even finished, and that they decided to throw in the towel and release it at the "walk-through demo" state, which is pretty much what it is. That said, some of the content is damn funny. So it gets a one, not z ero. It just isn't worth $40. Or even $20.… Expand
  15. Jok`RdeMo
    Jun 20, 2005
    10
    This game maybe brings nothing new, but it is SOOO FUN to play. Very, very good.
  16. ghorahn
    Mar 23, 2012
    3
    Vapid, mediocre, pointless game. Makes me concerned about the $15 I pledged for Wasteland 2 on Kickstarter...if these people consider this Bard's Tale game to be a game worth playing, who knows how they'll butcher Wasteland. Here's my guess: Dull, pointless combat. (Face your target, click him. Rinse, repeat.) The lowest common denominator of character development. Uninspired,Vapid, mediocre, pointless game. Makes me concerned about the $15 I pledged for Wasteland 2 on Kickstarter...if these people consider this Bard's Tale game to be a game worth playing, who knows how they'll butcher Wasteland. Here's my guess: Dull, pointless combat. (Face your target, click him. Rinse, repeat.) The lowest common denominator of character development. Uninspired, sometimes-obnoxious voice acting that plays right to tired gaming stereotypes. And an obsession with polygonal bosoms that only happens when you're a porn-obsessed teenager or a desparately lonely old man. What an embarassing piece of junk this game is. Glad I only spent $5 on it on Steam.… Expand
  17. Leuko
    Sep 30, 2012
    9
    It is very underrated game, despite simple hack and slash style combat and very limited choices (it is not really possible to play this game many times) playing Bard's Tale is very rewarding experience. Excellent plot, excellent main character great dialogues and outstanding music. Despite all its shortcomings I find it the best action-adventure game I have ever played.
  18. Skyrim88
    Oct 26, 2013
    10
    Its hard to find a game that has an excellent story-telling presention, intelligent scenes and dialogues that gives you a good laugh here and then, enjoyable musicals with entataining dancing characters and so much more. For any RPG fan who gave this game a pass, its their great loss.
  19. RedJay
    Nov 6, 2013
    3
    While the send up of RPG tropes is appealing and, at times, very amusing, this game is simply awful. It suffers from one of the worst combat systems I've ever had the misfortune to have been subjected to, being both extremely unresponsive and uninteresting. The graphics are primitive and dull and the art direction is uninspired to the extreme. The writing is a little uneven but, for theWhile the send up of RPG tropes is appealing and, at times, very amusing, this game is simply awful. It suffers from one of the worst combat systems I've ever had the misfortune to have been subjected to, being both extremely unresponsive and uninteresting. The graphics are primitive and dull and the art direction is uninspired to the extreme. The writing is a little uneven but, for the most part, really well done with some very funny and enjoyable comedic bits. The voice acting is excellent for the most part during the game's cutscenes, only to be offset by some atrocious voice work during combat. Cary Elwes seems wasted, often choosing to play the Bard in a bored and disengaged characterization instead of a likeably charismatic rogue. The overall sound design is also horrible, with low quality effects, out of place and repetitive ambient sounds and voiceover lines stepping on each other. The RPG elements of the game have been dumbed down to near non-existence, and the loot system (for what paltry loot there is) is unrewarding since all finds are immediately converted into money, with no management of inventory or equipment. Summoned companions have settable AI modes which have almost no effect on actual gameplay. The game also has a tendency to screw up the controls coming out of cutscenes.
    Given the inherent promise of a humorous skewering of RPG clichés, it's disappointing that a serviceable game couldn't have been produced around that premise.    … Expand
  20. QweSteR
    Nov 28, 2017
    7
    [7.0] Финал игры не вызвал тёплых чувств, лишь раздражительное послевкусие от утомительного прохождения второй половины игры. Bard's Tale по праву называют самобытной CRPG, ведь ряд уникальных черт впервые реализован именно здесь. Bard's Tale сюжетно-ориентированная ARPG, где игроку предстоит играть роль настоящего барда, а сюжетная миссия проста и нетривиальна, в ходе которой потребуется[7.0] Финал игры не вызвал тёплых чувств, лишь раздражительное послевкусие от утомительного прохождения второй половины игры. Bard's Tale по праву называют самобытной CRPG, ведь ряд уникальных черт впервые реализован именно здесь. Bard's Tale сюжетно-ориентированная ARPG, где игроку предстоит играть роль настоящего барда, а сюжетная миссия проста и нетривиальна, в ходе которой потребуется спасти вполне обыкновенную принцессу из башни коварного мага. Ролевая система ничем непримечательна.., но за одним лишь главным исключением, - успех барда в бою достигается магией "песни", более десятка мелодий позволяют призывать различных спутников. Спутники не только сражаются, но и участвуют в разрешении некоторых загадок. Так же игра изобилует весёлыми караоке и отменным юмором от лица закадрового рассказчика. И что же не так в этой игре? Магия призыва хоть и богата вариативностью, но большая её часть бесполезна. В целом дизайн локаций оформлен хорошо, но половина локаций выполнена в виде однообразных лабиринтов, которые игроку придётся посетить от 1 до 3 раз, пробегая насквозь. В основе игры музыка и юмор, но мелодии однообразны, песни повторяются и редки, шутки же в определённый момент пропадают или остаются незамеченными. Экономическая и боевая системы сбалансированы бездарно: ближе к середине игры пропадает возможность тратить деньги, а казалось бы самый сильный враг не сильнее своих приспешников. Bard's Tale состоит из 14 глав, приблизительно к 6 главе тайна принцессы становится очевидной, действия игрока ещё более рутинными, в такой атмосфере игру просто хочется скорее пробежать или бросить. Вновь возвращаться к Bard's Tale нет никакого желания. Неужели "гений" Brian Fargo заключается в создании ремейков и переизданий к собственным играм?… Expand
  21. vadhaghl
    Aug 18, 2018
    6
    If you expect this game to be like the CLASSIC Bard's Tale games, you will be deeply disappointed. There is a Bard, his songs have some power, and that's it.
    The game itself is ok, not more, not less. 6.5/10, went for 6 because of the misleading name.
  22. Topfpflanze
    Apr 27, 2021
    7
    The Bard's Tale is not really a good game in the strictest sense. It's an unbalanced hack and slash adventure game that hangs in many places and doesn't have a viable story or even a credible goal. However, it is a lot of fun to play. It's pure comedy in places, and the songs are legendary. You can unbox it and reminisce about old memories if you've played it before.
  23. ShadowRose2k
    Jan 26, 2018
    8
    Our "Protagonist" The Bard is someone I both love and hate.
    Arrogant, weaselly and horny may best describe him. Out on adventure for coin and cleavage he finds out he is the "Chosen One". But what does that really entail?
    The game play felt fine, tho blocking felt tricky for me. You have the option to specialize the Bard in different fighting tactics. Are you in your face melee,    Our "Protagonist" The Bard is someone I both love and hate.
    Arrogant, weaselly and horny may best describe him. Out on adventure for coin and cleavage he finds out he is the "Chosen One". But what does that really entail?
    The game play felt fine, tho blocking felt tricky for me. You have the option to specialize the Bard in different fighting tactics. Are you in your face melee, ranged or sit back and let your summons do all the work?
    The game features a pointless but fun dialogue response options. Three different endings.
    I recommend playing if you like some simple combat and crude humor.

    I played this a few years back. Even picked up a used xbox to play it as I could not find a ps2 copy at the time.    … Expand
  24. Ekon
    Jan 20, 2022
    4
    I played The Bard's Tale on Xbox One Game Pass. I was enjoying the game for the most part although I was surprised how combat heavy the story was. I thought there would be a lot more character development. Also, The Bard is suppossed to be a 'Ladies Man', but there was way too little going on between him and the girls in this game. Things quickly came to a halt when a character namedI played The Bard's Tale on Xbox One Game Pass. I was enjoying the game for the most part although I was surprised how combat heavy the story was. I thought there would be a lot more character development. Also, The Bard is suppossed to be a 'Ladies Man', but there was way too little going on between him and the girls in this game. Things quickly came to a halt when a character named Mell kept getting stuck in front of an energy barrier he was suppossed to clear, so the Bard could progress to a big confrontation with an enemy and get a magical instrument. All online hints failed, including reloading from an earlier point and/or shooting enemies out of camera range with his bow. Doing that was suppossed to enable Mell to be able to proceed. I'm a slow player and this glitch isn't all that far into the game. This game has to be replaced by an updated version that has been cleared of bugs.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
30
#30 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. PC Format
    45
    A victim of its own sneers, this is the world's first self-parodying game. [July 2005, p.90]
  2. Computer and Video Games
    68
    While The Bard's Tale is told amusingly enough, the disappointing combat fails to lift it from the upper end of mediocrity.
    Read full review
  3. CPUGamer
    80
    The wit present in this game is second to none and I honestly think this is what would have happened had Mel Brooks gotten into game making.
    Read full review
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