Broken Sword 2: Remastered

Everyone knows that at this time of year, and given the UK’s big freeze, travelling is pretty much a no-no. The airports are rammed, the trains can’t get through the snow, and you’re more than likely to end up living out of the WH Smith food aisle while you wait for some mode of transportation to get you to your destination.

However, for those of you keen to get away to somewhere different, pick up a taste of culture, and be entertained by something other than the Queen’s Speech on television over the Christmas season, there is an answer: Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror – Remastered on the iPhone! That’s right travellers, point and click icons George Stobbart and Nico Collard are back in the remastered version of this classic sequel, offering a host of humour, puzzles and adventure on portable devices for the stranded action hero.

Thanks to the success of the original Broken Sword re-release earlier this year, the team at Revolution Software have continued to grace us with more of this amazing series for our portable devices, and it’s a welcome trip down memory lane that will leave you begging for more.

Much has happened since we left George and Nico at the end of Broken Sword. After a spell away from Nico, George has finally reunited with her, only to discover her thirst for a good news story has lost none of its potency. Before he realises it, the duo are sucked into the mysterious tale of an Ancient Mayan stone and the god Tezcatlipoca, so needless to say they are soon on the trail to uncover its secrets!

The game features a welcomed selection of revisits to old locations and cast from the first game, such as Lobineau at Montfaucon, Pearl and Duane the American tourists and the useless but charming Inspector Moue; coupled with a host of new characters and locations it is a combination that can’t go wrong in providing the comical conversation that made the original stand out from the crowd.

Broken Sword 2 also offers further development in gameplay from its remastered counterpart through its compatibility with the new Games Centre available on most recent Apple iOS devices allowing for in-game achievements. A secondary feature includes Dropbox compatibility, which will allow users to access their saved game on a multitude of devices, allowing gamers to continue playing the same playthrough as often as they wish, on what they wish to play it on – nifty!

Part of the wonderful impression Broken Sword for the iPhone made on me was its commitment to the series, developing it further but keeping true to the beauty of the original. The same can be said for the latest instalment, with extra care and detail having been paid to soundtrack and music improvements and newly upscaled graphics. Gameplay has also seen an upgrade, with further development to the hint (not cheat!) system, and what feels like a better response to finger movements; many a clue was missed on the earlier title due to fumbling fingers and my lack of finesse!