Broken Sword: Shadow Of The Templars Gets Reforged Again In New Switch 2 Edition
By It seems like merely yesterday that Revolution Software’s iconic point-and-click adventure, Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars, was ‘refined’ on Switch 1. In reality, it was nearly a year ago (almost to the exact date), yet that hasn’t hindered the studio’s refining initiatives. You might say that the refined has been refined again, as Shadow of the Templars makes its return today on the eShop as a stylish new Switch 2 Edition.
The creatively titled Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition appeared on the eShop this morning, where it is now available to purchase for €29.99/$29.99/£24.99 as the standard edition, or as a €4.99/$4.99/£4.99 upgrade pack for those who have the Switch 1 version.
As you might anticipate from a point-and-click, the significant addition this time is Mouse Mode. Indeed, the Joy-Con 2 can be turned sideways, adding accuracy to your pointing and clicking. The resolution has also been enhanced to 4K in Docked Mode, and 1080p in Handheld, allowing you to appreciate all the stunning ‘refined’ artwork.
“Employing the mouse feature is arguably how [the game] was always intended,” Revolution’s co-founder, Charles Cecil, shared with us recently when we sat down to discuss everything Broken Sword on Switch 2, “many of the critiques raised rightfully at release last year have since been resolved and are obviously included in the Switch 2 as the native version.”
It’s all about bringing the team’s vision for the original ’90s release to fruition, as Charles explained:
Our aim was to stay completely true to the original intent, as we promised fans this would be the same game, but improved. Thus, our primary focus was on what existed back then.
For the sprites, we returned to the original character sheets that were drawn in 1996, reinterpreted them, and then transferred those to the low-resolution sprites that had been upscaled, redrawing them all.
We revisited Tin Tin characters and thought, ‘yes, that’s the type of style we desire’ because in an adventure game, you want highly expressive characters. The gameplay should flow through how the characters act and appear so that the puzzles become sensible.
Regarding the backgrounds, we promptly went back to the original line art, which I had scanned at a very high resolution, and our digital artists then painted over that. Everything was meant to be in 4K; that was our goal.
And just in case this is your initial encounter with Shadow of the Templars, here’s a brief overview of what you can expect, courtesy of Revolution Software:
– Step onto the streets of Paris as American tourist George Stobbart gets caught up in a mysterious adventure of intrigue and danger.
– Experience a globe-trotting journey, exploring exotic locations, solving ancient enigmas, and thwarting a sinister conspiracy to unveil the hidden truths of the Knights Templar.
– Navigate through the game’s iconic settings illustrated in stunning 4K on Nintendo platforms for the first time.
– Enjoy enhanced audio as Revolution presents the most exquisite and breathtaking version of George and Nico’s original adventure to date.
– Alternate between the original 1996 version of the game and the newly refined visuals at the click of a button.
– Play the game according to your preference – opt for a ‘traditional mode’ for those who appreciate adventures as they used to be, or a ‘story mode’ for players who want subtle hints to avoid any frustration.
– Toggle between Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, touchscreen, and controller play styles whenever you wish.
We’ll be sharing more of our conversation with Charles in the upcoming days, so stay tuned for updates on all things Broken Sword on Switch 2.
What do you think of this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition? Will you be acquiring it? Let us know in the comments.