Broken Sword: Parzival’s Stone — Everything We Know

Fans of the Broken Sword franchise have a reason to smile. Revolution Software has unveiled two upcoming titles, Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone and Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Reforged. The former is an all-new addition to the series, while the latter is a remaster of the pioneering title. 

The new titles couldn't have come at a better time. It's been over two decades since the first adventures of George Stobbart and Nicole Collard. Thankfully, the duo is not hanging their gloves up yet. If you're gearing up for the return of the point-and-click adventure, read on. We're unpacking the upcoming Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone. Here's everything we know.

What is Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone?

Broken Sword is a series of adventure games with five mainline titles, making Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone the sixth. The titles center on two protagonists, George and Nicole. The duo treks the globe, getting to the bottom of grand schemes. The original title introduces us to the two. George is an American patent attorney, while Nico is a French freelance journalist. 

At the heart of these games are conspiratorial adventures with a historical twist. If you're familiar with LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island, you'll be right at home with this one-except for its added layer of intricate puzzles and humor.

Broken Sword games, as the developer describes them, are:

 “Famous for transporting fans to various locations around the world as the stories link back to real historical events, famously focusing on the city of lights and love, Paris, as well as Syria, Egypt, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, and even Glastonbury, amongst numerous others”.

Story

The series' pioneering title, Shadow of the Templars, debuted in 1996. The title introduced the world to the iconic duo, uncovering a global conspiracy related to the Knights Templar. The game dramatically unfolds after George finds himself in the middle of a bombing in the streets of Paris. Soon, he discovers this is a grand plan related to a series of assassinations by a sinister clown.

George and Nicole are boots deep in the upcoming title, uncovering yet another conspiracy. A mythical treasure is at the center of the storyline. Powerful tyrants are up in arms to get it, including corrupt government departments, ruthless Nazi hunters, tech entrepreneurs, and wealthy energy corporations. 

Gameplay

Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone is a 2D point-and-click adventure game. By infusing 3D geometry, the 2D hand-drawn style comes to life, heightening its visual style and delivering high resolution. 

Players will take on the roles of George and Nico in investigating an ancient manuscript. The adventure is, of course, coupled with hurdles the duo must overcome. George and Nicole are the only things stopping the world from imminent doom. Therefore, expect to face some resistance in your grand unraveling. 

The game's essential features, as captured in the press release, are:

• Take on the roles of George and Nico as they investigate an ancient manuscript and find themselves drawn into a terrifying conspiracy and a world of Nazi treasure hunters, ancient medieval histories, and Quantum Physics. 
• Navigate the manuscript's clues to uncover the secret location of the Grail (but not as one might expect): a mythical treasure lost for a thousand years. 
• Rival ruthless technology entrepreneurs, corrupt government agencies, and billion-dollar global energy corporations are also out to beat our heroes to the ultimate goal. Because George and Nico might just, well, be the only thing stopping the whole world from Armageddon.
• Play out your adventure in a ‘Super 2D' environment, sculpted using 2D colored background elements applied to 3D geometry to move in real-time. 

Development

The Broken Sword series is a masterful creation by Charles Cecil. Since its debut, Charles has worked with Revolution Software to breathe life into his designs. His inspiration for the first game came after reading The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. 

After that, Cecil found that the Templars were an ideal subject for his game, which would later captivate many gamers. The idea behind having two protagonists was so that players would experience both perspectives, which is instrumental in the gameplay.

In a press statement, the developers revealed:

“This is the start of what we're calling the ‘Broken Sword Renaissance',”…… “With both Parzival's Stone and Shadow of the Templars: Reforged, we're making a big, bold, and broad offer both to those who have walked in the shoes of George & Nico before and hunger for a new adventure and also just as crucially people who have never even heard of the franchise. As with all Broken Sword games, both titles exist as independent adventures with no prior knowledge required, though naturally, for those invested in the world we've created, there's a lot to tap into under the surface.”

The studio has further revealed that before the duo embarks on this journey, they must first revisit an old one. The Remaster of Shadow of the Templars will prepare the iconic team for their adventure in Parzival's Stone. The series' debut title is being remastered for an early 2024 release on all three platforms. Cecil confirmed that a remaster of The Smoking Mirror could follow suit if the reissue of the pioneering title is a success. 

Trailer

Are you looking forward to the new face of Broken Sword? The developers have combined a showcase of both upcoming titles in their announcement trailer. 

Although we see more of the 4K reinvention of the original title, the trailer could possibly hint at the visual direction the upcoming title is taking. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above. 

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone is still in development, with no hint of a release date. As stated in their press release, Revolution will reveal more details about the game in the months ahead. However, in the meantime, you can gear up for the release of Shadow of the Templars, which will roll out in early 2024. 

For more updates on the Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone launch, you can keep tabs on Revolution Software on its official social feed here. If anything changes ahead of its global release, we'll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Broken Sword: Parzival's Stone when it drops? Let us know your thoughts on our socials here.