Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is Revolution Software's reworked remake of the first Broken Sword game from 1996. Tourist George Stobbart gets caught up in an attack in Paris and, together with journalist Nico Collard, follows a mysterious trail around the Knights Templar. The story takes the two to Ireland, Spain and the Middle East, among other places.

The story remains a classic single-player adventure with dialogue, inventory puzzles and the search for clues. Reforged does not replace the narrative structure but modernizes the visual and audio presentation and adds help options for different play styles.

The new version of the adventure, originally released in 1996, came out for PC on Sep 19, 2024. Nintendo lists Oct 31, 2024 for the Switch version and a release in November 2025 for the native Switch 2 Edition.

The game is available natively for PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Microsoft mentions Smart Delivery and optimizations for Series X|S. The Switch 2 Edition is a separate technical version and not just a Switch game run via backward compatibility.

Revolution and StoreRider also released a native mobile version for iOS and Android on June 25, 2025. In the stores it is shortened to Broken Sword: Reforged.

George examines locations, talks to characters and combines items from his inventory. The puzzles come from observations, clues and dialogue, not from fights or randomly distributed loot. Nico is an important partner in the investigation and carries out her own research. The game remains a connected story with clear locations and situations.

Different solutions arise from understanding the game world. The difficulty therefore depends mainly on whether a clue is spotted and an item is used in the right place. The new edition generally leaves this design untouched.

The new edition itself is a standalone main game. Extras on Steam include a soundtrack and a digital handbook with a travel companion. These are not new chapters of the main story. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can be bought separately. Owners of the previous Switch version are also offered an upgrade.

The original from 1996 and the Director's Cut from 2009 are historical standalone versions. The announced new release of the second part, The Smoking Mirror: Reforged, is also a separate game and not DLC.

Steam requires at least a 64-bit PC with Windows 10, a 1.6 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 1 GB graphics memory and 10 GB free storage on Windows. For macOS, Revolution lists at least version 12.0 and support for Intel and Apple Silicon processors. A Linux version is available on Steam, and the title is also rated Steam Deck compatible.

German is available for on-screen text as well as voiced dialogue. Other synchronized languages are English, French, Italian and Spanish. Mobile and consoles have their own hardware and input requirements.

Revolution reworked backgrounds, characters and music for the new edition. On suitable hardware, scenes are displayed in high resolution up to 4K. A graphics switch lets you toggle instantly between the classic look and the newly reworked version.

The new edition includes restored dialogue scenes, the soundtrack by Barrington Pheloung and extra content that can be unlocked after finishing the game. The possible image resolutions differ by platform, so the 4K figure does not apply to every mobile device or handheld setup.

Reforged supports mouse, controller and touch controls. Alongside the classic point-and-click controls, there is a modernized control mode. Optionally, hints and markers highlight important objects. A dialogue history and a plot summary make it easier to pick up again after a break.

On Switch 2, Joy-Con 2 can be used as a mouse according to Nintendo. Save data is managed both automatically and manually.

The adventure is also out for iOS and Android. The standalone version is played on smartphones via touch controls and is available to buy in the official app stores. Apple lists iOS 14 as the minimum version. Further confirmed platform details can be found in the store listings.