von Bret "Hitman" H » 29.10.2003, 22:07
Revolution hat dieses Preview auf seiner Seite gestellt
Übrigens findet ihr dort auch neue Bilder
http://www.echoplayer.com/bs_tsd_preview.html
Da die Schrift so klein ist habe ich den text hier rein kopiert
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon
Developed by Revolution
Published by THQ (UK/Europe) and The Adventure Company (USA)
Available on PlayStation2, Xbox and PC
Released on 15th November
Wrought in conjecture, apprehension and excitement, fans of arguably one of the greatest point-and-click series' to grace monitor or television alike, were intrigued to discover that the third title would be embracing the third dimension. Many were puzzled as to how the much-loved characters and the story itself could maintain consistency in what was respectively a whole different world. Whilst it is inevitable that some will refuse to be pleased, having been privileged to play a reasonably complete build of the game, it is difficult to not be gratified at the tremendous work Revolution has completed.
Continuing the tone set by the previous two games (Broken Sword and Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror/ Circle of Blood), you adopt the characters of George Stobbart and Nico Collard, the former an American lawyer and the latter a French journalist, as they become entwined in a tale of the Knights Templar, Mayans and the Voynich Manuscript. Considering the earlier titles were noticeably well-written, it is of little surprise that The Sleeping Dragon's prose it both imaginative and engaging. The story takes you to a variety of locations - some familiar, others not, and you meet an assorted cast of characters whom may help or hinder you progress. It is not a necessity to have played any of the other games, as this one is presented as an episode in its own right, although you may miss obscure in-jokes, and of course, the chance to have played two great titles.
Most importantly, however, is the way in which the game plays. It must be noted that this if far from being a traditional point-and-click game, in 3D, thankfully, after the poor execution of the fourth Monkey Island title. Without wishing to sound biased, although inevitably I will, playing Broken Sword just feels "spot on", in relation to what you are doing. I played The Sleeping Dragon on a PC, using a control pad similar in layout to the DualShock2. I noted the controls for using the keyboard as a controller, but I couldn't test them, and hence wouldn't know what it's like to play using the standard PC control set-up. The following will most-likely be fitting for the console control method, in which movement is handled by the analogue or digital pads. George or Nico walk by default, but they can run by holding down a shoulder button. Usefully, if the aforementioned pad is released but the shoulder button is still held, the character will continue to run in the direction that they are facing. The inventory can by accessed and cycled through at the touch of a button, and it is straightforward to combine items.
A noteworthy addition to the genre (if one is available) is the use of context-sensitive buttons. These are mapped to the face buttons on the controller and their uses alter in accordance to how you can interact with a specific object. As an example, if you are hanging from a building, there would be options to climb up, or to drop down. These are then executed by pressing the relevant button. For the most part this system is practical and straightforward to use, although at times there is a loss of continuity between actions - at one time a certain button may be used to climb a wall, yet immediately after the same one is used to drop down from another wall. The use of these multi-task buttons is also fundamental in a novel idea to the series - action events. These are dispersed at specific points throughout the game and serve to interest and to make the player think on the spot. Similar in style to Shenmue's QTEs, although you are not specifically told what to do, and are not meant to perform certain actions within split seconds of each other. You are usually trapped in a dilemma, yet have the relevant tools nearby for assistance, so it is up to the player to act accordingly within a certain time.
Aesthetically the game is rich. The visuals are lively and vibrant, and in-game models are appropriately detailed. The game strikes a pleasant balance between realism and a cartoon-style (a la the original games), staying true to the earlier games in some respects, but also creating its own unique style. Aurally I can't comment, as the build I played was void of any sound or music. However I frequently heard music and voice clips emanating from across the room whilst I was at Revolution. From what I heard, I was impressed. The musical style is certainly similar to that of the other games, and I look forward to listening to all of it.
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is set for release in November, and even though I've played through the majority of the game (albeit many parts were unfinished) and know how it ends, I yearn to play it again - such is the quality and playability of it. And like any good story it'll be worth reading (or playing) again and again and again.
Words: Ben Haddock
Revolution hat dieses Preview auf seiner Seite gestellt
Übrigens findet ihr dort auch neue Bilder ;)
[url]http://www.echoplayer.com/bs_tsd_preview.html[/url]
Da die Schrift so klein ist habe ich den text hier rein kopiert ;)
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon
Developed by Revolution
Published by THQ (UK/Europe) and The Adventure Company (USA)
Available on PlayStation2, Xbox and PC
Released on 15th November
Wrought in conjecture, apprehension and excitement, fans of arguably one of the greatest point-and-click series' to grace monitor or television alike, were intrigued to discover that the third title would be embracing the third dimension. Many were puzzled as to how the much-loved characters and the story itself could maintain consistency in what was respectively a whole different world. Whilst it is inevitable that some will refuse to be pleased, having been privileged to play a reasonably complete build of the game, it is difficult to not be gratified at the tremendous work Revolution has completed.
Continuing the tone set by the previous two games (Broken Sword and Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror/ Circle of Blood), you adopt the characters of George Stobbart and Nico Collard, the former an American lawyer and the latter a French journalist, as they become entwined in a tale of the Knights Templar, Mayans and the Voynich Manuscript. Considering the earlier titles were noticeably well-written, it is of little surprise that The Sleeping Dragon's prose it both imaginative and engaging. The story takes you to a variety of locations - some familiar, others not, and you meet an assorted cast of characters whom may help or hinder you progress. It is not a necessity to have played any of the other games, as this one is presented as an episode in its own right, although you may miss obscure in-jokes, and of course, the chance to have played two great titles.
Most importantly, however, is the way in which the game plays. It must be noted that this if far from being a traditional point-and-click game, in 3D, thankfully, after the poor execution of the fourth Monkey Island title. Without wishing to sound biased, although inevitably I will, playing Broken Sword just feels "spot on", in relation to what you are doing. I played The Sleeping Dragon on a PC, using a control pad similar in layout to the DualShock2. I noted the controls for using the keyboard as a controller, but I couldn't test them, and hence wouldn't know what it's like to play using the standard PC control set-up. The following will most-likely be fitting for the console control method, in which movement is handled by the analogue or digital pads. George or Nico walk by default, but they can run by holding down a shoulder button. Usefully, if the aforementioned pad is released but the shoulder button is still held, the character will continue to run in the direction that they are facing. The inventory can by accessed and cycled through at the touch of a button, and it is straightforward to combine items.
A noteworthy addition to the genre (if one is available) is the use of context-sensitive buttons. These are mapped to the face buttons on the controller and their uses alter in accordance to how you can interact with a specific object. As an example, if you are hanging from a building, there would be options to climb up, or to drop down. These are then executed by pressing the relevant button. For the most part this system is practical and straightforward to use, although at times there is a loss of continuity between actions - at one time a certain button may be used to climb a wall, yet immediately after the same one is used to drop down from another wall. The use of these multi-task buttons is also fundamental in a novel idea to the series - action events. These are dispersed at specific points throughout the game and serve to interest and to make the player think on the spot. Similar in style to Shenmue's QTEs, although you are not specifically told what to do, and are not meant to perform certain actions within split seconds of each other. You are usually trapped in a dilemma, yet have the relevant tools nearby for assistance, so it is up to the player to act accordingly within a certain time.
Aesthetically the game is rich. The visuals are lively and vibrant, and in-game models are appropriately detailed. The game strikes a pleasant balance between realism and a cartoon-style (a la the original games), staying true to the earlier games in some respects, but also creating its own unique style. Aurally I can't comment, as the build I played was void of any sound or music. However I frequently heard music and voice clips emanating from across the room whilst I was at Revolution. From what I heard, I was impressed. The musical style is certainly similar to that of the other games, and I look forward to listening to all of it.
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is set for release in November, and even though I've played through the majority of the game (albeit many parts were unfinished) and know how it ends, I yearn to play it again - such is the quality and playability of it. And like any good story it'll be worth reading (or playing) again and again and again.
Words: Ben Haddock
