The Bard's Tale |
Xbox |
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Review by Tyler Willis |
inXile |
Action-RPG |
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Graphics: 6 |
Sound: 9 |
Gameplay: 8 |
Overall: 8 |
The best introduction for The Bard's Tale game comes straight
from the introduction portion of the game manual: "[The Bard's] tenure as a barrel
maker came to an abrupt end when his barrel mentor Henry, the proprietor of The Barrel
Barn, ran him out of town for producing barrels that shattered with a mere whack of a
sword. 'A key won't even be safe in these things!' Henry screamed
" Not exactly
your typical RPG character history, but then again, The Bard's Tale is not your
typical RPG.![]() The Bard is simply a man who is looking for coin and cleavage but is caught up in worldwide catastrophic events - events that are partly his fault. The story's basis is the Bard's quest to free his princess from the bondage of evil sorcerers so that he can retire early with great wealth and the princess being grateful. Grateful, thrice daily. To free her, he must defeat three guardians atop three towers, travel to new locations, visit the Obligatory Lava Level, etc. InXile based much of the story on the legends of the Scottish Orkney Islands. Scattered throughout the game are Monty Python style outtakes and sarcastic remarks concerning RPGs. For example, when the Bard opens a treasure chest inside a house, the narrator asks if people appreciate him rifling through their belongings while they stand there. Fitting in with the musical nature of the Bard, several humorous songs are inserted at different points, including "Beer, Beer, Beer," several songs regaling the sorry lot of "chosen ones," and one vituperative tune about the idiot who let loose a monster that slaughtered an entire village ie, the Bard. ![]() However after the story and conversation, the gameplay breaks down. The Bard's Tale utilizes the Norrath battle engine, but does not make full use of its potential. In keeping with the musical theme, the Bard is not a mighty warrior or grand wizard. Though he can wield a sword and fire a bow, his main talent is summoning minions via music. These minions perform various roles such as the Knight, the Bodyguard, and a Trap-Finder who finds traps by setting them off - on himself. The Bard cannot survive very well without the minions, but they have a tendency to die easily. The Bard can resummon, but he is vulnerable while playing music, so much of combat involves running around trying to avoid monsters while resummoning minions. The game also has some collision detection issues, especially when firing the bow. Another frustration is that The Bard's Tale falls prey to some of the very RPG conventions that it seeks to mock. There are periods of randomly imposed time limits, and conversation choices have only a superficial effect on the story. Game environments are reused when the Bard not only has to fight his way up a tower but back down again. Load times are short, but nearly everything is a separate area so expect to see the loading screen often. Cut-scenes are plentiful but often take too long to set the camera up. Odd pauses, typos, and the occasional graphical glitch take away from an otherwise good game. ![]() The Bard's Tale features three different endings, but the story is not significantly different. After all is said and done, The Bard's Tale is enjoyable for a single play-through, but the gameplay and extras are probably not enough to entice most gamers for a second round. It's recommended for RPGers who will enjoy a Monty Python style comedic RPG that spoofs RPGs. |