Thursday 14 September 2006
God bless Broken Sword. Young console upstarts might mock the point-and-click as a virtual relic played by auld fogeys, but gaming just wouldn't be the same if we couldn't submerge ourselves in a more traditional and sedately-paced adventurer from time to time.
So it fills us with much happiness that Broken Sword returns for a fourth adventure with The Angel of Death, which is out for PC tomorrow. With work completed on the game, we pointed 10 quick-fire questions at the game's producer, Gary Edwards, before he was bundled out the back door in a clandestine manner by some suspicious looking fellows in hooded cloaks...
How long have you been working on Broken Sword: The Angel of Death?
17 months.
What has been the high point of the project?
Working with such a dedicated and professional team, who really cared about the title.
And the low point?
Realising we had run out of time, and couldn't add any more polish.
Describe Broken Sword: The Angel of Death in 10 words or less...
Old-school adventuring at its best.
What have been the main influences on Broken Sword: The Angel of Death?
The previous Broken Sword games, especially the first
What element of Broken Sword: The Angel of Death are you most proud of?
Point-and-click system in a 3D environment: it's by no means perfect but it works surprisingly well.
Will you ever play Broken Sword: The Angel of Death now that development is complete?
I usually leave any title I have worked on for six months and then play it again to get a fresh perspective on what worked and what didn't. During development you are just too close to the game to be truly objective.
What's the most valuable lesson you've learnt while developing Broken Sword: The Angel of Death that you can apply to future projects?
This is the first project I have worked on with such a strong, established fan-base. The many Broken Sword forums and the customer feedback from previous titles in the series to draw from has proved invaluable in the design and development of the project.
What's next now Broken Sword: The Angel of Death is out the door?
Something very different from BS4, but equally as exciting to work on. That's about all I can say at this time. Sorry.
Why should gamers spend their hard-earned cash on Broken Sword: The Angel of Death...?
If they don't there won't be a Broken Sword 5 and adventure games will be dead, or at least another nail will be driven into traditional adventure titles of this calibre. It's also a worthy successor to Broken Sword 3 in my humble opinion, and a bloody good adventure game in its own right.
Above: Broken Sword has been keeping point-and-click fans captivated for a decade
