Broken Sword 4 announced

By Ellie Gibson Published 18 August, 2005

It's out next summer.

THQ has announced plans to publish a new instalment in the Broken Sword series for PC next summer.

The first BS title was released back in 1996 and there were only ever meant to be three games in the series - but according to developer Revolution Software, demand from fans was so high that they decided to give in and do another one. Nothing to do with the first games selling 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning them vaultfuls of cash, oh no.

BS4 sees our hero, George Stobbart, falling in love with a beautiful lady who goes and disappears on him in mysterious circumstances. Naturally it's up to George to find the lady and save the world, seeking out some ancient artifact which posesses great and terrible powers along the way.

A THQ bigwig said he was jolly excited about it all, adding something about growing the global business in Asia Pacific territories.

Broken Sword 4 is out next summer.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (36) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • deaner #1 7 years ago

    I bet they struggled to find a plot which Dan Brown wouldn't pinch.

  • tengu #2 7 years ago

    W00t!

    But wait... What about Nico?

  • silke #3 7 years ago

    Great! I just loooove this series! The first game is among my absolute favorites.

  • read_only #4 7 years ago

    Great news. I thought Revolution were working on a Beneath a Steel Sky sequel first though - maybe its nearly finished.

    Would like to see this on consoles as well (or at least on the mac).

  • Eighthours #5 7 years ago

    Just PC then?

  • Kiigan #6 7 years ago

    I just can't forget how bad BSIII was though. Use iron rod with elevator? What the fuck?
    Box sliding puzzles 4tw.
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/05 @ 12:41

  • sephy #7 7 years ago

    fat chance imo crispy

    remember, 2d adventure games dont sell

    /kills Lucasarts and the like for turning into bastards

    how could you not understand the iron rod thing? It's quite simple. Putting the rod between the doors prevents the elevator doors from closing. This in turns tricks the elevator into thinking its still open and means it can't be moved up/down a floor. This means that the people giving chase can't call the elevator, giving you chance to leg it

    Quite simple.... edit:(that is, if I assume you meant "bottle opener" and not iron pipe)

    Edited by 2 at 18/08/05 @ 12:45

  • Zero Beat #8 7 years ago

    YES, YES, YES!

  • Ceatlan #9 7 years ago

    Loved the first one, didn't think the story in the 2nd was anywhere as near as engaging and hence didn't finish, didn't think the the story in the 3rd was as good and also didn't like control/camera etc so didn't even get half way through.

    I'll wait for the reviews to say its stunning before I even get interested in a 4th.

  • Sucram #10 7 years ago

    2d adventures may not sell, but then neither did BS:TSD.

    I imagine this version will likely have a smaller budget and there's always a small chance that might mean 2D.

  • smelly #11 7 years ago

    "2d adventures may not sell"

    Well.. there hasnt been any 2d adventures recently to prove or disprove that?

  • sumanai #12 7 years ago

    "The first BS title was released back..." not a very positive note on the Broken Sword series now is it? :)

    On a console? I thought these were mouse-controlled? Copies would have to come with a mouse.

  • DrDamn #13 7 years ago

    Hopefully this one won't come with horrendous game killing load times.

  • Artemus #14 7 years ago

    Just PC then?

    Yep. Confirmed on the forums earlier.

  • Kiigan #15 7 years ago

    Yeah I meant the bottle opener. Doh!

  • kangarootoo #16 7 years ago

    BS2 was on consoles. You just had to shift the cursor around with a control pad. Not as quick as a mouse, but pretty workable.

    I loved the early games despite their flaws. Not played the 3rd one, though reports aren't that good from most sources. Got high hopes for this one.

    I really like the point and click mechanic and its a pity that as soon as the GFX go 3D the devs feel the need to make the control system follow suit. I didn't think the new controls benefited Grim Fandango (otherwise excellent) or MI4 (not that good anyway IMO). I would guess that the next BS will be direct character control given that BS3 used this method. Sigh.
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/05 @ 13:53

  • sumanai #17 7 years ago

    So it was the BS2 that I saw once. Felt pity for the player, the gamepad just doesn't work as a replacement for a good mouse.

  • sephy #18 7 years ago

    BS1+2 are on ps1 (I aquired them both from ebay this week and they are faily hard to come by \o/)

    They are both compatible with the ps1 mouse or with the pad.

  • deaner #19 7 years ago

    You can also get the Discworld poin-and-click games on PS1.

    Eric Idle-tastic!

  • space_ace #20 7 years ago

    just no crates please
    waiting for more info - controls?

  • sephy #21 7 years ago

    deaner - indeed, but they are annoyingly more expensive then the BS games (on ps1 at least)

  • boo #22 7 years ago

    Anybody got Charles Cecil's email address so we can petition for the return of 2D?

  • deaner #23 7 years ago

    boo: "Anybody got Charles Cecil's email address so we can petition for the return of 2D?"

    No, but you can harrass Ron Gilbert via <a href=http://grumpygamer.com/&g t;his website</a>.

    He did the Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island and Indiana Jones games, as well as Loom, Full Throttle, Zak McKracken, Sam & Max Hit the Road amongst others.

    He's the 2D point-and-click megastar.

  • sephy #24 7 years ago

    Or you could just credit him with SCUMM in general seeing as he co-developed it :)

  • deaner #25 7 years ago

    Yeah. SCUMM is great.

  • Xerx3s #26 7 years ago

    Good! Lets hope its of the same high standard.

    "Great news. I thought Revolution were working on a Beneath a Steel Sky sequel first though - maybe its nearly finished." - A new BaSS would be very appreceated :)

    "2d?" - Yeah, would be nice but i think sephy is right. Its a common developer mistake to think that 3d is always better than 2d. Im yet to find a 3dgame that could generate as much 'feeling' (for lack of a better word) as S&M, Monkey Island, etc.

  • sephy #27 7 years ago

    As an example I liked MI4 in 3d, but it just never had the same feeling as MI1-3

    Especially with SCUMM stuff as the 2d style means you can do stuff that fits better with the humor based script. 3d is "too serious" unless its cel shaded, and I can't see a cel shaded adventure game somehow

  • smelly #28 7 years ago

    "I can't see a cel shaded adventure game somehow "

    why on earth not?

  • sephy #29 7 years ago

    publishers are shit basically

    it either wouldnt get a publisher, or it will be hideously executed because of a publishers demands

    cel shading is the new rotoscaping (in a good way)imo, and rotoscaping went out years ago

    It's not that I don't want to see one ( i do), just being realistic
    Edited by 2 at 18/08/05 @ 17:06

  • el_pollo_diablo #30 7 years ago

    Thank you THQ, and thank you Revolution.

  • sumanai #31 7 years ago

    I think the one I saw was BS2. The player wasn't going to spend extra cash for a mouse. The PS1 was loaned from a friend IIRC so it was understandable.

    But from what I recall, it should be possible to attach a USB mouse on the PS2, so it could work quite well.

    It's not, imo, impossible to get a 2D BS4, since it seems that publishers don't take 2D as a curse word anymore. Suppose the novelty of the 3D has worn off.

  • sephy #32 7 years ago

    Its quite possible

    Logitech even have a licensed mouse (not that it matters as any generic usb mouse will work on a supported ps2 game

  • Ecanem #33 7 years ago

    I bought a psx mouse for my wife just for this game.. was so much better to play with..
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/05 @ 23:27

  • BBIAJ #34 7 years ago

    I completed Broken Sword 1 & 2 several times on the PS1, using just the pad, and then several times all over again once I bought my first PC.

    I still play them on the PC to this day!

    I've completed BS3 once on the X-Box, and may well do it again, if only to see my name in the credits under special thanks once more... ;o)

  • deepmenace #35 7 years ago

    lets hope they take a long hard look @ farenheit and pilfer all their bestest ideas while retaining the classic broken sword humour.

  • Markusdragon #36 7 years ago

    You talk about Revolution, but well, you know, we all wanna... get... decent... Aventure games?