The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep Review
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The Bard’s Tale IV - Director’s Cut review (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Waking up a license that has been extinct for almost 30 years is not an easy task. Understanding the current codes of the genre concerned and facing the demands of a new generation of players while preserving their identity and their heritage, such was the task of The Bard's Tale IV born at the origin of a Kickstarter campaign through the subtitled Barrows Deep. Descending from a line whose name has been acclaimed in the past, especially given its solid gameplay and its enchanting graphics, the title of inXile Entertainment seemed to have drawn the right pick. But what about now it happens on home consoles in a Director's Cut edition?
Once upon a time…
In 1985, in a distant kingdom, was born the series The Bard’s Tale on Apple II. Worn a few years later on a large part of the machines of the moment, such as the Commodore 64, the Amstrad CPC, the Amiga, the Atari ST and even the small NES, the first episode was successfully received by the press of the 'time. Published by Electronic Arts and developed by Interplay Productions, to whom we owe one of the largest series of post-nuclear role-playing games, namely Fallout, the game marked in particular by the quality of its graphics and the depth of his quests. Years followed and the license continued to expand its universe through two sequels and a hack’n slash-oriented remake, until something disturbing happened.
The Interplay studio had to close due to financial problems, unfortunately leaving behind a large community of abandoned gamers. But the tale was far from having an end since in 2015, the creators of Wasteland 2 and Torment, who were apparently among these many fans, launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to materialize one of their dreams: play a fourth episode of The Bard's Tale. Far surpassing its contribution targets, The Bard’s Tale IV was released on September 18, 2018 on PC, and now on PS4 and Xbox One in a Director’s Cut edition. Simple update or real new version, the difference between the two does not seem easy to define here at all levels, even after a year of development.
A sweet song
Let the youngest be reassured, it is not necessary to have played the previous episodes to be able to tackle The Bard’s Tale IV. If the first three parts followed more or less the same pattern, the history of this new chapter integrates independently into the universe of the series. However, if someone wants to discover the origins of the Interplay license, it is always good to know that the trilogy has recently been ported to PC, PS4 and Xbox One and that it is directly available via this assembly. final.
Carried by the sung poems of a bard like Jaskier by the fireside, the story of The Bard's Tale IV takes place in the lands of Caith, more precisely in Skara Brae, a small city whose tranquility has recently been disturbed by the arrival of a religious sect. Far from spreading a message of love and peace, this group, which calls itself the Fatherites, imposed their reign by hanging Nain, Elf, Troll and all others using magic. Being part of this last category, the guild of adventurers of which the player is a member is thus accused of blasphemy and condemned to the rope.
If the context in which The Bard’s Tale IV plunges us to pique curiosities, the reality is quite different concerning its staging and the narrative development of its characters. In addition to being underexploited, the scriptwriting issues are moreover, swept away by outdated humor, which does not help to encourage player involvement. And even if before playing the rebels fully, you obviously have to go through the traditional hero creation phase. Here are offered seven breeds within which four classes can be developed.
At first glance, the personalization part may certainly seem poor, especially since no aesthetic modification is allowed. However, it is not too necessary to pay attention to the appearance of our hero since our whole journey will be in sight in the first person. Furthermore, the skill tree generated by the equation of our characteristics, leaves the door wide open to a multitude of possibilities. If choosing your character type is always a long moment of hesitation for some, in this case it is difficult not to opt for the Bard class as it undoubtedly represents the flagship category of the game.
Rock’n Brawl
Armed with a mandolin and a club, the Bard is presented like a rockstar sending lightning to the sound of his instrument. Follower of bistros, he has the ability to increase his performance in combat by drinking gourds of spirits and other alcoholic beverages. Remembering that the abuse of anything can be dangerous for your health, alcohol should be consumed in moderation, even in the RPG of inXile Entertainment. Indeed, it is recommended not to make our hero drink too much, at the risk of seeing him enter a trance which certainly boosts his power, but which as soon as the round is over, makes him sink into an ethylic coma.
Beyond being original and humorous, this element is integrated as a real strategic component. It is a pity, however, to see that the other characters do not have as much depth. Despite this, the three other archetypes which are the Thief, the Warrior and the Mage remain very useful in combat. And brave adventurers are needed to face the battles against the villains that plague Skara Brae.
Following in the footsteps of its ancestors, The Bard’s Tale IV brilliantly combines turn-based combat mechanisms and grid training. Once a confrontation has started, the screen splits into two parts. Our charming squad has 8 position boxes, just like the opposing camp. The scheme may seem simple, but you just have to watch the pawns take the time of a round to be struck by the depth of the strategic dimension. Whether it's the team opposite or ours, each member has in their bag a panel of spells and / or attacks with different scope.
Like a game of failure, victory is gained by judiciously moving its soldiers according to the area of damage it covers. The outcome may take a long time to come, especially since our actions and travel depend on a limited number of initiative points. This is why it is in the player's best interest to strike the first blow before the match, so that the advantage of starting is good.
The game did not leave the surprise of the meeting, the threat remains not only visible during the exploration but also its level of danger. And as much to say right away that our path is filled with hostile creatures which it is better not to disturb too much. In short, this organization makes the trip more fluid and immersive but not sure that the purists of the old-school era of RPG appreciate. In addition, certain zones invite you to adopt a more discreet posture, which allows you to vary the action with a few phases of infiltration. However, this should not be seen as real stealth operations with advanced mechanics and level-design. In this kind of situation, it is enough to avoid enemies with almost non-existent vigilance to clear a way. But this is not the heart of the game. The goal in The Bard’s Tale is above all to explore labyrinthine dungeons and find their way out by overcoming the traps and other puzzles hidden there.
A tale that ends badly?
Entering the depths of Skara Brae, Dungeon Crawler enthusiasts looking for hectic adventures will be fully served. Each place is a source of challenges and secrets of all kinds. If the fights are already good puzzles alone, the worlds are full of puzzles that do not hesitate to really play with the player's brains.
Translate a message into Morse code with the help of bells in order to release the overgrown pile, manipulate cogs to open a vault or even decipher a runic language which provides a magic barrier to enemies, developers of inXile clearly did not lack originality and ingenuity in the creation of the puzzles. Those who have discovered Myst or The Witness will more than once have the impression of finding themselves on the hot sand of their island, so complex is the resolution of certain problems. By advancing in the adventure, our hero also obtains a grappling hook which, in addition to making it easier to move, makes it possible to extend the list of environmental objects with which it is possible to interact.
Until now, The Bard’s Tale IV has shown itself to be an exemplary student in the Dungeon RPG school, despite the age gap with its elders. Unfortunately, it is difficult to bypass the technique as it lacks finishing. Especially since this is a Director’s Cut edition. Despite the optimization work, the game suffers from serious framerate drops and major display bugs. Admittedly, progress is no longer hampered as it was before, but the fun of the game remains impacted.
The title of inXile also does not excel in the category of graphic slaps. We will appreciate the light effects and some environmental details but as regards the facial animation, the appearance of certain textures and the management of the environments, the rendering is dated. In itself, The Bard’s Tale IV lacks little to restore the Interplay series' acclaim. Lovers of old-fashioned RPG will certainly find their account in this magical and Celtic atmosphere that emerges from the charming artistic direction and the tasty soundtrack of the title. It is a shame, however, to still have to hope for patches or other updates that would repair the faults of a basic version supposed to be already improved.
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