Broken Sword
George Stobbart, reluctant hero
Revolution Software's Broken Sword series revived point-and-click adventures with globetrotting mysteries, witty dialogue, and hand-drawn animation.
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars launched with American tourist George Stobbart witnessing a Paris bombing and stumbling into a conspiracy involving the Knights Templar. Revolution Software combined Monkey Island-style humour with serious historical mystery, wrapped in gorgeous rotoscoped animation. The series helped sustain adventure gaming through the genre’s lean years.
Fast facts
- Developer: Revolution Software.
- Director: Charles Cecil.
- Protagonist: George Stobbart (and Nico Collard).
- First game: The Shadow of the Templars (1996).
- Series: five main entries plus remasters.
- Animation: hand-drawn and rotoscoped.
The Revolution approach
What distinguished the series:
- Historical grounding: Templars, Cathars, real mythology.
- Globe-trotting: Paris, Syria, Spain, Ireland.
- Character dynamics: George and Nico’s partnership.
- Tone balance: humour within serious plots.
Adventure revival
Keeping the genre alive:
- Post-golden age: released after LucasArts’ peak.
- Multiple platforms: reached console audiences.
- Continued development: series persisted through 2010s.
- Crowdfunding: Broken Sword 5 funded via Kickstarter.