78
It's hard, its opening acts don't match the quality of those which follow and some characters grate - but as a modern rendition of a traditional formula, The Angel of Death has both pointed and clicked wisely. It's another nail out of the adventure gaming coffin. [Oct 2006, p.58]
70
It's a great game in so many respects, and we're overflowing with admiration that Revolution stuck to its purity of vision about what an adventure game can and should be about in the mid noughties. But when you're sat in front of the monitor filled with rage because of some utterly obscure puzzle, you'll have to question whether consistently busting a player's balls in so many ways is the right approach these days.
60
If you have the perseverance to stick with puzzles that have been designed to test the patience of time itself, the slow introductory pace and continuous struggles with the game's interface (the genre's weaknesses as a whole) then Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death probably provides everything you're looking for.
3
Some good dialogue from George but ultimately let down by poor characters and tired graphics. A shame as it felt better than BS3 but it just jars so badly that I can't be bothered to get through the first part of the story - life's too short. If you want to play a game as good as BS1 or even 2 then wait a year or two until you've forgotten enough of the answers to the problems and play them again.
4
Do you like adventure games with no real ending? How about a game with plenty of pixels but most of them beige? If you also feel that walking around should be a minigame all in itself, then this is the game for you! On the plus side you do get to see Nico and George again, but other than that, it fails in so many ways. Graphics are mediocre. The story line premise doesn't make a lot of sense. It is clear that the game developers ran out of money or time, so they decided to ship the game with no real closure. Even plain walking around (which you will do PLENTY of) is painful since the camera angles change unexpectedly so you start travelling in a different direction. I do not recommend this game. I would put it in the same category as indiana jones and the crystal skull (the movie). Just pretend that #4 of both franchises doesn't exist.
9
I don't know why they called this game one of the worst ever. The worst in the series, but still GREAT! The puzzles were pretty better than in BS3, and voice acting was amazing. The story was a bit forgetable, but still awesome. But the "eeeh" ending, and Anna-Marria thing etc. were a ****. Still, a must-play :) :) :)
Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game
Released On:
Feb 13, 2007
Metascore
Mixed or Average
73
User score
Mixed or Average
5.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
52% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
45% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
91
Not a perfect game. It suffers from patchy controls, dull and unremarkable locales and an ending that is a bit of a let down. But it also has some gorgeous 3D graphics, top notch voiceovers, music and dialogue, and an ultimately engrossing storyline which is well paced and will keep your interest piqued.
80
As an adventure game, Secrets of the Ark is a very good one, assuming you can get over the hurdles and high degree of difficulty some of the puzzles require.
User score
Mixed or Average
20% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
53% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
27% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
Mar 3, 2012
9
I don't know why they called this game one of the worst ever. The worst in the series, but still GREAT! The puzzles were pretty better than in BS3, and voice acting was amazing. The story was a bit forgetable, but still awesome. But the "eeeh" ending, and Anna-Marria thing etc. were a ****. Still, a must-play :) :) :)
78
It's not a masterpiece, but it's hilarious, brilliantly moody, and worthy of attention from any fan of adventure or humorous games - or graphics effects nerds.
75
There isn’t anything exceptional about this game, but it compares well to most adventure games being released today. Fans of Broken Sword won’t be disappointed.
70
A decent new adventure in the (hopefully ongoing) Broken Sword saga, but its erratic quality prevents it from fulfilling its own potential, making it best suited to existing fans of the series.
64
In fact, everything about SoTA feels done in a perfunctory and barely interested way. [July 2007, p.58]
40
There’s a fun story to be experienced here, but it’s constantly halted by the lack of progression. Any notion of pace, suspension of disbelief or immersion is constantly shattered by obtuse puzzling, aimless wandering and wooden, static performances. [Nov 2006, p.104]
May 24, 2014
4
Do you like adventure games with no real ending? How about a game with plenty of pixels but most of them beige? If you also feel that walking around should be a minigame all in itself, then this is the game for you! On the plus side you do get to see Nico and George again, but other than that, it fails in so many ways. Graphics are mediocre. The story line premise doesn't make a lot of sense. It is clear that the game developers ran out of money or time, so they decided to ship the game with no real closure. Even plain walking around (which you will do PLENTY of) is painful since the camera angles change unexpectedly so you start travelling in a different direction. I do not recommend this game. I would put it in the same category as indiana jones and the crystal skull (the movie). Just pretend that #4 of both franchises doesn't exist.
Sep 4, 2014
3
Some good dialogue from George but ultimately let down by poor characters and tired graphics. A shame as it felt better than BS3 but it just jars so badly that I can't be bothered to get through the first part of the story - life's too short. If you want to play a game as good as BS1 or even 2 then wait a year or two until you've forgotten enough of the answers to the problems and play them again.
Summary(Know in the U.S. for some reason as "Secrets of the Ark") When the forces of ancient worlds, and past forgotten myths battle against the power of old friends. When current emotions clash with past regret, and when some guys in York design cunning puzzles, write funny scripts and orchestrate the type of music to make the hair on the back... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date:Feb 13, 2007
Developer:
Publisher:
