February 2, 2015

Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror

Revolution Software Limited, 1997


Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror is the second outing to the highly acclaimed Broken Sword series from Revolution Software. George Stobbart, our hero, is back along with his French girlfriend and partner Nico, who has found a mysterious Mayan artifact, a strange looking stone. Nico invites you to join her in Paris to visit Professor Oubier, a Mayan expert. The quest begins when upon entering the Professor's residence when some mysterious looking people kidnap Nico and the Professor and leave George tied up  to a chair in a room blazing with fire. And as if this is not enough, an enormous poisonous spider is also crawling your way. Now, you are tasked with helping George escape this burning room, which is just the beginning of your story as your investigations in pursuit of Nico and the Professor will reveal the mystery behind these ancient stones crafted to prevent an ancient Mayan prophecy from being fulfilled. In this sequel you also play as Nico in the second half of the game and show her capabilities to overcome problems.

Similar to its predecessor, this sequel is also a point-and-click, 3rd-person perspective and cartoon adventure having the same breathtaking graphics and astounding game play. While the puzzles are somewhat a bit easier then the first game they are both enjoyable and logical. The presentation of the characters, humorous dialogues, absorbing story and easy to use interface makes this one an outstanding adventure game, which should not be overlooked even by novice adventure gamers.