Great sequel to a classic original
Point-and-click adventures don't come much better than the Broken Sword games, thanks to their combination of colourful characters, labyrinthine plots and cunning puzzles. This first sequel to the original Broken Sword once again sees hapless tourist George Stobbart and feisty journalist Nicole Collard caught up in a bizarre adventure that would make Dan Brown jealous and which this time involves a globe-trotting quest with dark Aztec gods at its heart. To say much more of the plot would be to spoil one of the game's major attractions, but suffice to say, it is filled with twists, exotic locations, memorable characters and even a lashing of humour, and which combine to create a narrative which is rarely less than compelling. Gameplay is fairly standard point-and-click fare, with the player simply required to use the mouse to explore, interact with other characters and make use of items to solve puzzles and which makes the game highly accessible and a breeze to play. Visually, Broken Sword 2 retains the lush visual splendour of its predecessor, with beautifully designed environments that are reminiscent of an animated movie and which are a joy to explore. The sound is similarly impressive, with great voice actors who really nail their characters and which again add even more personality to the game, while music is haunting and atmospheric. The puzzles are decent enough, challenging but without being overly frustrating and while the game doesn't really do anything different from its predecessor, it makes for a great experience thanks to the sheer amount of attention that has gone into its creation. If you like games such as Monkey Island or Discworld, then this is another one to add to your list.
