| The Bard's Tale | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | InXile Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Vivendi Universal Games |
| Designer(s) | Brian Fargo, Matthew Findley, Eric Flannum, Dennis Miller, John Parry |
| Composer(s) | Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, Peter McConnell, Jared Emerson-Johnson and Tommy Tallarico |
| Engine | Dark Alliance Engine |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, iOS |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox
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| Genre(s) | Action adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) |
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| Media/distribution | Optical disc, Online distribution, Cloud computing |
The Bard's Tale is an action-role playing game video game created by InXile Entertainment, and released in 2004. Marketed as a humorous spoof on fantasy role-playing video games (of which the original Bard's Tale was given as a prime example), it has more in common with modern console games like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.
The Bard's Tale was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October 2004. It was released for Microsoft Windows on July 28, 2005. The game was re-released on Steam in December 2009. A universal iOS version was released in December 2011 for iPhone and iPad.
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The plot involves "a sardonic and opportunistic musician and adventurer, driven by carnal rather than noble pursuits. The Bard (who is never identified by a specific name and in fact, The Bard may be his name) is not interested in saving the world, his humble motivations are strictly 'coin and cleavage.'" His quest is narrated by a mocking, biased man who cannot stand him (Narration is provided by Tony Jay.)
The Bard (voiced by Cary Elwes), ends up being recruited by a cult to help free a princess named Caleigh. As a result of this, the Bard finds himself being attacked by an assortment of fanatics from a Druid-like cult, sent to dispatch him by a being called Fionnaoch. (Many of the names and characters are influenced by Celtic mythology and the stories of the Orkney Islands.) On the way to complete his quest, the not so valiant anti-hero will have to overcome the truly terrifying challenges of three monstrous guardians, break-dancing corpses, spontaneously melodious goblins and a giant, fire-breathing rat.
Completely unlike the classic Bard's Tale games, this game is in a 3D environment with the player watching his only controllable character from an overhead vantage point, and it is better described as an action-adventure game than a traditional role-playing video game (i.e. there are no character classes or inventory management).
The player's character, The Bard, has magic and weaponry at his disposal to complete the task. The more the player accomplishes, the better his skills will become. The appearance and gameplay is much the same as the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series, which shares the same graphics engine.
The game uses a "snarky or nice" system of dialog that allows the player to change the outcome of many situations by deciding how they want to respond. Some choices, such as being snarky to the dog at the beginning of the game, have game-lasting consequences. The first decision is whether to be nice or snarky to the barmaid in The Drunken Rat. Being nice to her gives her the impression the Bard's a gentleman and she leaves him alone, being snarky ensures the Bard doesn't spend the night alone. For example, near the beginning of the game you can find a dog. If you are nice to the dog he follows you for the rest of the game and gives you a few other skill options such as training it to fight. Also, you meet a farmer later in the game in order to obtain a certain quest item. He'll only give you the item, however, if you choose to be "snarky" to him. Normally "nice" answers could get you better results when not dealing with female NPCs (with the exception of some cases like the former one). "Snarky" answers, however, are often more comical and entertaining for the player.
The game also contains several song numbers, including:
Most of the names for places are actual locations in the Orkney Islands, including Kirkwall, Dounby, Finstown, Houton, and Stromness. Some optional areas are places in Ireland, including Dún Ailinne, Ardagh, Carrowmore, Emain Macha, and Tara.
The otherwise nameless protagonist of the game, The Bard is a selfish rogue who will only undertake a quest if there is a likely profit in it for himself.
The ever-present commentator of the game, The Narrator provides sarcastic observations throughout the game, mostly about The Bard's self-interested character. The Bard frequently breaks the fourth wall by addressing the narrator directly.
A beautiful, rich princess who is being held captive by Fionnaoch. Caleigh is eventually in the last chapter found to be the queen of the underworld, apparently displaying a false image to the bard during previous contacts with him. In the end the bard gets to chose between becoming her betrothed and letting the world burn, or killing her once and for all.
A mysterious figure who commands great warriors and is holding Caleigh captive.
Once defeated, the Tower Bosses become summonable allies.
Humanoid, goblin-type people, who tend to be very aggressive in nature. Unlike goblins, they speak fluent english.
The smaller, less violent version of the Trow, these creatures are more likely to use cunning to achieve their ends.
The Bugbear is a creature that's been preying on the people of Houton.
Undead humans, cows, and chickens unleashed by the main villain.
An aquatic creature that has fins, claws, sharp teeth, and tentacles.
Firbolgs are large, gentle creatures who are natural miners.
There are many references and parodies to common clichés of the fantasy RPG genre. These include:
Although touted in early promotional materials as a remake of the classic Bard's Tale series, InXile Entertainment never had any rights to the trademarks of the original Bard's Tale — those rights are still owned by Electronic Arts. This meant that InXile was not legally allowed to use any of the plot, characters or locations featured in the original trilogy.
However, allusions to the original Bard's Tale do exist in the game. The city in which Fionnaoch's tower stands, Dounby, is only a few kilometers away from the ruins of real-world Skara Brae, where the original trilogy takes place. The USA PC port of The Bard's Tale comes packaged with the original Bard's Tale trilogy.
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