Games Database
PC
Adventure: Role Playing
| Also for: | PS2, Xbox, GameCube | ||
| Viewed: | 2D Isometric, Scrolling | Genre: | Adventure: Role Playing |
| Media: | CD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Swordfish | ||
| Publishers: | Ubisoft
(GB) |
Released: | 1 Jul 2005
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 12+ | ||
Summary
Developed by Interplay and published by EA, the original Bard’s Tale series of games is regarded by many veteran RPG gamers as something of a classic example of the genre. Released on some platforms as early as 1985, the first in the series, Tales of the Unknown Vol 1: The Bard’s Tale, is particularly revered, introducing many innovative new ideas to the then-inafant genre. Continuing the new custom of first-person perspective, it was the first RPG to feature colour graphics, indoor and outdoor questing and character development. The first game pitted the player against a mad god in Skara Brae and the by the third, The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate, the player had to undertake 84 different quests in different environments, and even travel through time, sending the player from Ancient Rome to Nazi Berlin.
The producer of the 2005 version is none other than Brian Fargo, who worked as co-scenario designer on the original. This version of The Bard’s Tale has been pitched as a humorous take on RPGs rather than an attempt to reprise its grandiose forefather, carrying the tag-line ‘A quest for coin and cleavage’. You are cast as the sardonic Bard, apparently a figure of Orkney Isle legend, who - shunning the agricultural living of his father - trains as a musical bard. Thrown out of his old town, his wanderings take him to the Orkney Isles, and a run of misfortune is reversed when he meets a talking rat who tells him that he can be summoned at any time by playing a magical tune. The teleporting rodent offers the possibility for simple fraud and not much more. As the quest continues, however, the Bard acquires the ability to summon other magical beings, from the human-like stout Knight, peerless Heroine and saucy Rogue, to the rather more otherwordly insect-like gouger, hot Fire Elemental and rock throwing Giant. There are sixteen of these creatures in total, offering a wide range of different offensive and defensive abilities.
The narcissistic eponymous character likes to banter and has a choice between nice and irritable styles of conversation to alter the consequences of encounters. The game was developed using the same engine as the Dark Alliance series, and is controlled in a similar manner. With a rather daft hero and rag-tag bunch of co-stars, The Bard’s Tale contains an injection of comedy not normally to be found in a quite po-faced genre, and is worth a look for RPG-loving console owners.
The producer of the 2005 version is none other than Brian Fargo, who worked as co-scenario designer on the original. This version of The Bard’s Tale has been pitched as a humorous take on RPGs rather than an attempt to reprise its grandiose forefather, carrying the tag-line ‘A quest for coin and cleavage’. You are cast as the sardonic Bard, apparently a figure of Orkney Isle legend, who - shunning the agricultural living of his father - trains as a musical bard. Thrown out of his old town, his wanderings take him to the Orkney Isles, and a run of misfortune is reversed when he meets a talking rat who tells him that he can be summoned at any time by playing a magical tune. The teleporting rodent offers the possibility for simple fraud and not much more. As the quest continues, however, the Bard acquires the ability to summon other magical beings, from the human-like stout Knight, peerless Heroine and saucy Rogue, to the rather more otherwordly insect-like gouger, hot Fire Elemental and rock throwing Giant. There are sixteen of these creatures in total, offering a wide range of different offensive and defensive abilities.
The narcissistic eponymous character likes to banter and has a choice between nice and irritable styles of conversation to alter the consequences of encounters. The game was developed using the same engine as the Dark Alliance series, and is controlled in a similar manner. With a rather daft hero and rag-tag bunch of co-stars, The Bard’s Tale contains an injection of comedy not normally to be found in a quite po-faced genre, and is worth a look for RPG-loving console owners.
