Asia1 Bard's Tale Review

"Bad as he wants to be"

PLOT

The Bard's Tale (TBT) for the PC is a revamp of an old favourite produced by the series' original creator Brian Fargo.

The Bard, a roguish troubadour who loves wine, women and song, is given an opportunity to be a hero. Princess Caleigh, held captive by an evil wizard, commissions him to rescue her with promises of untold wealth and unnamed pleasures. Armed with a sword, a lute and his wits, the Bard sets forth on his noble quest - with less than noble intentions.

ACTION

The first thing you will notice about TBT is its unique overhead perspective rather than the isometric view in most RPGs.

TBT plays like a simplified hack-and-slash RPG. You begin by allocating points to the Bard's six stats, as well as skill points for his proficiency with weapons and combat moves.

TBT's inventory is designed for simplicity and convenience - all treasures picked up are automatically cashed into silver and items that can be used are automatically equipped so there's no need to lug around tonnes of stuff to a store to sell. Other treasures include tokens to enhance the Bard's stats and artifacts for casting healing and offensive spells.

CRAVE FACTOR

Overall, TBT is an overly simplistic RPG which most gamers will find lacking in finesse, but it's good for a bit of laugh.

By Yap Hui Bin, a freelance writer.

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