 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars The Director's Cut
- Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
- Price: $30-40
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Intriguing whodunit updated for the Wii generation.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while this game has an
excellent mystery story, you will find some minor cussing along with sexual
innuendo and sexual punning.There are still pictures of a murder with blood shown.
What's it about?
Old school point-and-click mysteries were once all the rage. Now many have been relegated to online Flash games and downloadable casual
games. With BROKEN SWORD: SHADOW OF THE TEMPLARS – THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, Ubisoft
is trying to bring back the genre by re-imagining a 1996 PC mystery featuring a
journalist who happens upon a strange mime and the creepy murder of a media
mogul. Could the Knights Templar be involved?
Playing the game is fairly easy. Point the Wii remote on
the screen and press the 'A' to move there. Press the 'A' button to examine
objects that have an 'eye' icon near them. Press the 'B' button to collect the
item into a knapsack. Use the items in your knapsack to open safes or mix them
together to solve clues. When you see a gears icon over an object, you can
interact with it, turning a key in a lock, for example. You can converse with
the characters to gather more information. Hints are also provided if you're
stuck and need them.
Is it any good?
Broken Sword has a finely crafted story that's enhanced by
superior voice acting and dialog that is tight and never seems shoe-horned in
to help you solve a puzzle. Because you can ingeniously use items together when trying to
figure out a small mystery, the thrill of pointing and clicking doesn't grow old. You'll also enjoy
moving around Paris, from the fancy, medieval
mansions to the autumn leaf-laden paths along the Seine.
While the game has been updated with artwork by Dave
Gibbons, the man who drew The Watchmen, there's not much
animation here or much of a 3D feel to the game. There's depth to each area you
move around, but not much. And there's very little movement in each scene as
well. While game players of a certain age will love the antique feel, younger
players may pine for more animation and a more quickly paced story. Still, if
you stick with Broken Sword, you'll be rewarded with numerous surprises as the
compelling tale twists and turns through the streets of Paris and beyond.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the mystery that's being solved. If
you're stuck on a puzzle, do you talk it over among your family or do you go
directly for a clue from the hint section? Why? What do you like about the story -- the setting in
Paris, the journalist protagonist, or something else. What?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Best game on the Wii, hands-down
By far the best title on the Wii. The gameplay is superb and the graphics are beautiful. Absolutely no inappropriate content, save the killing of enemies, which is minor at worst; they die by being jumped on or lightly punched, disappear in a puff of smoke or glitter, and are reborn every time you replay the level. Kids as young as 6 will have fun, but they may not be able to fully appreciate the game until age 10.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | UbiSoft |
| Release date: | March 26, 2009 |
| Price: | $30-40 |
| ESRB rating: | T for Drug Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Sexual Themes |
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