Considering that both Ryan and I regard Broken Sword 1 and 2 as virtual masterpieces of point-and-click adventure history, we’ve never really given the following two episodes a fair crack of the whip.
I first tried Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon on its original release, but never got very far. A combination of blocky 3D graphics, awkward camera angles, and frustrating controls saw my attempts to thwart the Sleeping Dragon quickly ebb away until, eventually, I stopped playing altogether. When Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death arrived a few years later, I didn’t even bother to check it out... the memory of the third episode had been that disappointing.
Now, with a few more years behind me and a shift in focus from player to player-creator, I decided it was time to give it another go. The fact that it was on sale on GOG didn’t hurt either...
So, twenty-odd years later, I finally finished the game. Below are my thoughts.
What a shock to the system those basic 3D models were back in 2003. With the benefit of a couple of decades, however, they’re not quite as bad as I remember. Well… not quite anyway.
The first thing I noticed this time around was the silky tones of Rolf Saxon, once again providing the personality of our everyman hero, George Stobbart. Nico Collard, unfortunately, didn’t enjoy the same continuity. In this instalment she’s voiced by Sarah Crook, who nonetheless does a good job of injecting her with some much-needed personality. With our leads established, the game can begin — but first, let’s head back to those graphics.
I actually liked the 3D model for George. His face and expressions felt like a strong 3D interpretation of his classic 2D look. He emoted well, and even his stubble was nicely handled (especially when contrasted with the higher-resolution but oddly worse face model in Broken Sword 4).
Nico, however, was not so lucky. Leaving aside for the moment her massive, sealed-at-the-end nostrils, there were so many issues with her arms and legs that I started to suspect she’d once been involved in a locomotive crash and escaped hospital before being properly discharged. Hands twisted at impossible angles, a neck that seemed only loosely attached to her head, and even her 90s flared trousers couldn’t contain those janky feet. It was obvious far more care had been taken with George’s model, something that extended to most of the supporting cast (Petra especially). None of this is game-breaking, the comfortable cushion of “playing an old game” helps a lot, but it reminded me exactly why I wasn’t impressed the first time around.
Thankfully, the game itself tells a solid story spanning several continents, as you’d expect. I enjoyed poking around a hugely empty Glastonbury (if only the real Glastonbury was as easy to get around), where I felt some of the game’s best puzzles lived, and the Congo sections had a nice overall feel, injecting a bit of classic Indy-style exploration. Puzzles that required both characters to work in tandem were a great addition, and I particularly liked the tiled floor puzzle in the Omega Temple section.
However… crates.
With the success of Tomb Raider and other 3D adventure games, a lot of time here is spent pushing crates backwards and forwards. I mean, really a lot. At first it was a novelty, “Okay, this is new for a Broken Sword game.” Eventually, though, every time I entered a new area and spotted a crate, I would tense up and expect the worst. If I approached one and no interaction icon appeared, it was a genuine moment of relief.
It was too much. Far, far too much. I’d happily have accepted the game being an hour shorter if it meant never dragging another crate. The same goes for the climbing, shimmying, and jumping. Aside from their average execution, these sections felt like traditional puzzles had been cut and replaced with the drudgery of a very slow action game. There was rarely a point to them beyond making progress harder... usually through boredom.
The sneak mechanic fares no better. Some of the most frustrating moments involved sneaking around armed guards in a temple, timing your movements to avoid getting shot while inching your way across the screen. Worse still, once you finally reached the other side, the game often sent you back to do it all again to solve the next part of the puzzle. Frustration levels steadily rising…
If I had to single out my least favourite element, though, it would be quick-time events.
I hate them. Sorry, I really do. They weren’t especially difficult, none took more than a couple of attempts, but their very presence was off-putting.
On a more positive note, I enjoyed the villains, all of them, and the late-game twist was nicely handled. It was good to see recurring characters and so many call-backs to the original adventure, while the new characters felt very much in classic Revolution style. Plenty of cheeky winks and one-liners pop up throughout the dialogue, raising both smiles and memories, which I have absolutely no problem with.
As I’ve mentioned before, the fixed camera angles could work against you, particularly in tighter spaces, and more than once I only accidentally discovered that there was more to explore in an area than first appeared.
The GOG version replaces mouse or controller input with keyboard controls. This worked reasonably well most of the time, but could lead to some awkward input errors during sneaking sections or quick-time events. Not game-breaking, but definitely annoying.
It doesn’t sound like I liked it, does it?
Yes, Broken Sword 3 has plenty of problems, and yes, a lot of frustration comes from the design choices the developers made. But for the time, it’s understandable. Revolution were clearly trying to appeal to the growing 3D action-adventure crowd, for better or worse, and assumed borrowing those mechanics was the way to do it.
Overall, though, there was enough here to keep me playing right through to the end. It was genuinely enjoyable following another chapter in George and Nico’s story, and the overall narrative of this instalment holds together very well. Not everything worked... but enough did to make it a worthy addition to the saga.
If I were to be so arrogant as to rate it, I’d give it a 6 out of 10. If I were that arrogant.
Now, on to Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death. I’ve heard mixed things about this one, and knowing in advance that George and Nico wouldn’t have any new adventures for quite a few years afterwards doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Still, only time, and gameplay, will tell.
I first tried Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon on its original release, but never got very far. A combination of blocky 3D graphics, awkward camera angles, and frustrating controls saw my attempts to thwart the Sleeping Dragon quickly ebb away until, eventually, I stopped playing altogether. When Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death arrived a few years later, I didn’t even bother to check it out... the memory of the third episode had been that disappointing.
Now, with a few more years behind me and a shift in focus from player to player-creator, I decided it was time to give it another go. The fact that it was on sale on GOG didn’t hurt either...
So, twenty-odd years later, I finally finished the game. Below are my thoughts.
What a shock to the system those basic 3D models were back in 2003. With the benefit of a couple of decades, however, they’re not quite as bad as I remember. Well… not quite anyway.
The first thing I noticed this time around was the silky tones of Rolf Saxon, once again providing the personality of our everyman hero, George Stobbart. Nico Collard, unfortunately, didn’t enjoy the same continuity. In this instalment she’s voiced by Sarah Crook, who nonetheless does a good job of injecting her with some much-needed personality. With our leads established, the game can begin — but first, let’s head back to those graphics.
I actually liked the 3D model for George. His face and expressions felt like a strong 3D interpretation of his classic 2D look. He emoted well, and even his stubble was nicely handled (especially when contrasted with the higher-resolution but oddly worse face model in Broken Sword 4).
Nico, however, was not so lucky. Leaving aside for the moment her massive, sealed-at-the-end nostrils, there were so many issues with her arms and legs that I started to suspect she’d once been involved in a locomotive crash and escaped hospital before being properly discharged. Hands twisted at impossible angles, a neck that seemed only loosely attached to her head, and even her 90s flared trousers couldn’t contain those janky feet. It was obvious far more care had been taken with George’s model, something that extended to most of the supporting cast (Petra especially). None of this is game-breaking, the comfortable cushion of “playing an old game” helps a lot, but it reminded me exactly why I wasn’t impressed the first time around.
Thankfully, the game itself tells a solid story spanning several continents, as you’d expect. I enjoyed poking around a hugely empty Glastonbury (if only the real Glastonbury was as easy to get around), where I felt some of the game’s best puzzles lived, and the Congo sections had a nice overall feel, injecting a bit of classic Indy-style exploration. Puzzles that required both characters to work in tandem were a great addition, and I particularly liked the tiled floor puzzle in the Omega Temple section.
However… crates.
With the success of Tomb Raider and other 3D adventure games, a lot of time here is spent pushing crates backwards and forwards. I mean, really a lot. At first it was a novelty, “Okay, this is new for a Broken Sword game.” Eventually, though, every time I entered a new area and spotted a crate, I would tense up and expect the worst. If I approached one and no interaction icon appeared, it was a genuine moment of relief.
It was too much. Far, far too much. I’d happily have accepted the game being an hour shorter if it meant never dragging another crate. The same goes for the climbing, shimmying, and jumping. Aside from their average execution, these sections felt like traditional puzzles had been cut and replaced with the drudgery of a very slow action game. There was rarely a point to them beyond making progress harder... usually through boredom.
The sneak mechanic fares no better. Some of the most frustrating moments involved sneaking around armed guards in a temple, timing your movements to avoid getting shot while inching your way across the screen. Worse still, once you finally reached the other side, the game often sent you back to do it all again to solve the next part of the puzzle. Frustration levels steadily rising…
If I had to single out my least favourite element, though, it would be quick-time events.
I hate them. Sorry, I really do. They weren’t especially difficult, none took more than a couple of attempts, but their very presence was off-putting.
On a more positive note, I enjoyed the villains, all of them, and the late-game twist was nicely handled. It was good to see recurring characters and so many call-backs to the original adventure, while the new characters felt very much in classic Revolution style. Plenty of cheeky winks and one-liners pop up throughout the dialogue, raising both smiles and memories, which I have absolutely no problem with.
As I’ve mentioned before, the fixed camera angles could work against you, particularly in tighter spaces, and more than once I only accidentally discovered that there was more to explore in an area than first appeared.
The GOG version replaces mouse or controller input with keyboard controls. This worked reasonably well most of the time, but could lead to some awkward input errors during sneaking sections or quick-time events. Not game-breaking, but definitely annoying.
It doesn’t sound like I liked it, does it?
Yes, Broken Sword 3 has plenty of problems, and yes, a lot of frustration comes from the design choices the developers made. But for the time, it’s understandable. Revolution were clearly trying to appeal to the growing 3D action-adventure crowd, for better or worse, and assumed borrowing those mechanics was the way to do it.
Overall, though, there was enough here to keep me playing right through to the end. It was genuinely enjoyable following another chapter in George and Nico’s story, and the overall narrative of this instalment holds together very well. Not everything worked... but enough did to make it a worthy addition to the saga.
If I were to be so arrogant as to rate it, I’d give it a 6 out of 10. If I were that arrogant.
Now, on to Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death. I’ve heard mixed things about this one, and knowing in advance that George and Nico wouldn’t have any new adventures for quite a few years afterwards doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Still, only time, and gameplay, will tell.
I actually liked the graphics when this came out, i found them colorful and charming (believe it or not). The crate sections were mundane and didn't see a point to them, for me it broke immersion. I don't mind different control schemes and had a controller back then but it didn't help in some action scenes that you had to react like in fractions of a second and the camera changed reversing the controls uncomfortably (it was frustrating but not game breaking as you said). I especially liked the plot (with the ley lines), the villains and the closing section defeating the dragon which I found satisfying. If I had to put a mark 7.5/10 would be back then but I haven't played it for years since it came out. I don't know what it would be today in retrospect. Thanks for the review
I actually played these quite late as well(though still years ago now, and I honestly don't remember too much about the actual game itself), and I think my thoughts at the time more or less echo yours here: A bit clunky gameplay, not the best 3D visuals, but overall a good and enjoyable experience and a fun story, and definitely nowhere near as bad as the vocal majority at the time said it was! And I believe I felt roughly the same about the fourth game. 
Great write up, thanks.
I played this on the original XBOX with my little sister and we had a great time. Probably my favorite plot and villain of the whole series, as I remember it.
But I don't remember it well, since I only played it that once. In 2025, I'd have a hard time finding the time and patience for the climbing, sneaking, and crate pushing you mentioned, Boxblue.
Of all the Broken Sword games, this is the one that most needs a remake --preferably in the visual style of Broken Sword 5.
As far as the series as a whole goes, I thought this game was much better than 4. That game is by far the nadir of the series. George is completely unlikable, and if you think the crate pushing in BS3 is bad, wait until you experience the endless little hacking puzzles in BS4, they are far worse.
The first half of Broken Sword 5 I loved, up there with the best in the series. The second half I did not enjoy, dragged the game down to being my second least favorite after 4.
I played this on the original XBOX with my little sister and we had a great time. Probably my favorite plot and villain of the whole series, as I remember it.
But I don't remember it well, since I only played it that once. In 2025, I'd have a hard time finding the time and patience for the climbing, sneaking, and crate pushing you mentioned, Boxblue.
Of all the Broken Sword games, this is the one that most needs a remake --preferably in the visual style of Broken Sword 5.
As far as the series as a whole goes, I thought this game was much better than 4. That game is by far the nadir of the series. George is completely unlikable, and if you think the crate pushing in BS3 is bad, wait until you experience the endless little hacking puzzles in BS4, they are far worse.
The first half of Broken Sword 5 I loved, up there with the best in the series. The second half I did not enjoy, dragged the game down to being my second least favorite after 4.
(01-05-2026, 04:39 PM)Baron Blubba Wrote: Great write up, thanks.
Seconded. I appreciate attention to the games of this era - warts and all. Random thought: every video game company seemed to have a 3D model of a dragon just waiting to be implemented into one game or another.
What I remember from this game: an Irish BBC reporter in Glastonbury with a hot take about The Beatles.
I remember a babushka asking me to cross her palm with silver.
(01-05-2026, 10:47 PM)BobVP Wrote:(01-05-2026, 10:10 PM)Baron Blubba Wrote: I remember a babushka asking me to cross her palm with silver.
Classic AG vocation.
The best by far, I think, is Madame X. Zyma.
Then the one in Broken Sword 1 who says, "Hellloooo my handsome friend!" every time you start a conversation.
This would be a good top 10 list. Now that I think about it, there were two of these in the last three games I played: The Will of Arthur Flabbington and Foolish Mortals. Possibly Tangled Tower will have one, as well...too soon to tell.
This post was last modified: Yesterday, 01:44 AM by Baron Blubba.
(01-05-2026, 09:02 PM)BobVP Wrote:(01-05-2026, 04:39 PM)Baron Blubba Wrote: Great write up, thanks.
Seconded. I appreciate attention to the games of this era - warts and all. Random thought: every video game company seemed to have a 3D model of a dragon just waiting to be implemented into one game or another.
What I remember from this game: an Irish BBC reporter in Glastonbury with a hot take about The Beatles.
Cheers guys!
Yes, the Glastonbury section had the Irish poet who presented for the BBC, Eamon O'Mara, as well as Madame Zazie the fortune teller!
As for the dragon... well... at least they tried, eh?