Review | Broken Sword: The Director’s Cut
Format: iPhone/iPod Touch | Genre: Adventure | Publisher: Revolution Software | Developer: Revolution Software | Release date: 29/01/10 | RRP: £3.99
Evolution, not revolution, is the mantra for converting games from one platform to another. In bringing this fine conversion of the PC classic Broken Sword to the iPhone and iPod Touch, this mantra has not been a woolly excuse for smudging over the cracks. No, instead, the cracks have been filled, the rough edges sanded off, and a quite astonishing level of polish brought to what might, in more careless hands, have been a far less adept transfer.
Even the storyline has evolved. As George Stobbart sits outside a jaunty Parisian cafe enjoying a coffee, the detonation of a bomb ruins his vacation. This is not the work of some murderous cell of religious extremists. No, this is the messy but targeted assassination of Monsieur Plantard. Since this bombing harks back to the original Broken Sword of 1996, such a public act of violence feels surprising without the shrill paranoia of our current post 9/11 world – there’s almost something liberating about it.
The story is allowed to breathe, dialogue to unfold as it wants to, and the plot to wander where it may with a far more adventurous and old-fashioned ambience than the orthodoxy of current fare. As George Stobbart sets about unearthing the cause of his unwelcome interruption, Broken Sword remains innocent and fresh; George has the infectious charm of a swashbuckling hero, his rapier wit a substitute for a sword. In an utterly unexpected way, Broken Sword has aged well because it’s so far detached from the climate of fear suffocating us today. The conversion to iPhone feels timely, reinvigorating an old release in more ways than just through the clever mechanics of a well-orchestrated port.
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The over-arching plot has been bolstered in other ways. As George’s bumbling tenacity leads him further into danger and uncovers the nefarious machinations of the Knights Templar, his alluring companion, Nico Collard, becomes a playable character though several deleted scenes. A prologue section reveals her involvement more clearly, but while the perfectly animated sequences flesh out Nico’s motives, these scenes initially feel superfluous.
However, this port is for a mobile platform. The scenes segue nicely between significant parts of George’s own wanderings, breaking the game into manageable chunks that are perfect for on-the-move play. Equally pleasing is the option to replace the crystal-sharp audio with text pop-ups – a crucial inclusion, given that your fellow commuters might not always want to hear George’s “Er, no” for the umpteenth time as he refuses to hit that goat with the manhole lever.
With such understated forethought guiding the conversion, it is no surprise to note that the user interface is another area of excellence. Sliding your finger across the screen will cause blue rings to pulse around objects or items of interest. I was worried that the small screen might mean I missed key elements, but this feature niftily bypassed all such concerns – especially when you stop to appreciate the clear graphics and unerringly fluid animations. When using this new point-and-click system (perhaps “slide-and-tap” might be a more apt description), all the action icons remain in place: a mouth icon will appear over characters with whom you can converse, a magnifying glass over those you can examine more closely, and a hand icon denotes items to be added to your inventory. This may not initially seem like 
much, but these markers have a huge visual impact on how you play. It all works to ensure you’re never more than a tap of a digit away from progress.
My remark about “slide-and-tap” may seem glib, but when a port is as genuinely and consistently brilliant as this, with such great source material, then it’s not beyond the realms of possibility to that these games may be due a renaissance. Broken Sword has been converted with such strength that the genre seems perfectly suited to the platform.
But while the mechanics have been lovingly honed to suit the platform, one thing remains exactly as it was in the original: the genuine warmth, spirit and human feel to the beautifully realised protagonists.
My pleasure at guiding George Stobbart through this maze of shadowy threats and conspiring villains remains undimmed by the years. His enthusiastic disregard for his own safety is every bit as endearing as it ever was – and, with Nico Collard for company, my enjoyment bloomed as easily as their touching relationship. By Sam Giddings
9/10
