I know what you are thinking…“John, why should I play The Bard’s Tale and not Halo 2?”  I’d like to make a stand that there are many titles sinking below radar because of the Halo 2 craze that deserve our attention.  The Bard’s Tale is incredibly witty and creative, indicative when the CD cover instructs you to flip the disc over “for a really disturbing image” (though it took me a while to figure, I was horrified when I did).  Though officially classified as an RPG, it urinates on what is traditionally demanded in the genre why still delivering a fun storyline you want to see.

The Bard is a simple man, with a taste for the drink, a good tune, and challenge.  Luckily, his services are desperately needed throughout the land.  For example, the first worthy quest our hero must complete is to defeat the fire-breathing rat that dwells under the town pub.  The battle ended up leaving a few scars, but a beer maiden was happy to mend the Bard’s wounds and offer us a warm meal and bed for the night.  The pub is your first taste of the antics you’ll find in the game.  I took some time to enjoy the company of a talented group of gentlemen who frequent the bar regularly.  Their beer songs were the new pop sensation, featuring hilarious lyrics and in sync harmonizing .

Before the game officially starts, you must decide one of Bard’s talents which includes duel wielding, critical strike (that damages enemies extensively), and treasure hunter (rewarding him for any treasure he finds).  Of course, this decision will greatly affect your fighting style though you pick up the rest of the talents as you go.  There are also skills that you must allocate points to as you gain them like strength, defense, and speed.

Besides sporting a powerful sword, the Bard carries his musical instrument that can play 16 tunes (spells that unleash magic and summon creatures).  You will find out soon that these tunes are critical to your success in the game.  I must say that this is not a very effective gameplay element and its hard to control where to release the magic.  It took me several attempts to finally defeat the fire-breathing rat because I couldn’t target the creature correctly.  The summoned creatures can be your best friend when in the heat of combat (if used effectively).

The game features an overhead interface that feels awkward on the Xbox, though the games cutscenes do pull the camera down to face level.  Because of this overhead camera system, my attention was mainly focused on a small, circular locator-screen to navigate around the environments.  Needless to say, I was less than impressed.  The Bard’s Tale has implemented an emotion system, “Snarky or Nice”, to trigger a different response to the characters you interact with.  A man may ask for your help and the game may change depending on your willingness to comply (sure being a jerk is always fun, but…well, its always fun).

What separates The Bard’s Tale from other RPGs is how truly twisted the character interactions and storyline are.  I consider this to be one of the smartest and funniest videogames currently out there which says a lot.  Who says British humor can’t be funny?  Though I was hoping for more gameplay wise, anyone who enjoys playing RPGs will find good use for The Bard’s Tale.
 

Gameplay: 7.9
It’s laughable, but in a good way.  It combines common elements of other RPGs and throws in its own twisted ingredients, although I would have liked to have seen more substance in the game.
 

Graphics: 8
Though I wasn’t too fond of the birds-eye view approach, the characters and environments have been designed very appropriately to fit the time period. 
 

Sound: 8.4
Cheerful beer songs, witty dialogue, and fitting voice acting.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
An RPG at heart, The Bard’s Tale presents a creative spin on the old traditions of the genre.

Overall: 8.3
Okay, so maybe it’s not the best RPG of the year.  But it brings a good laugh to anyone who plays it.  It’s a nice timeout from the big titles released these past months, so check it out.