Gizmo, how did you like the recent BT? I was thinking about trying it out, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
For a long time I was looking forward to it. I knew it was not really related to the first three (Brian Fargo only secured the name itself, not anything else); So I didn't know what to expect.
The website was cool, and I couldn't imagine a better Bard than Cary Elwes. After playing it for about ? an hour, I found that though I liked parts of it, and liked Tony Jays, narration, most of the the audio was a bit lackluster, Cary Elwes seemed to have "phoned it in" (hardly as good as his performance in Princess Bride ~or even Mel Brook's Robinhood spoof). I found the game itself (when you got down to it) was kind of dull (even though I'd begun to progress in it). Since my purchase, I've played the three originals more than the new game (but then, that's why I bought it :shrug:)
Its been sitting in a CD wallet for almost two years un-played (along with F.E.A.R. collectors ed.), but it has been my nagging intention for most of that time to pull it out, and play it again. If you can buy it for $6 bucks like I did, then you can't really go wrong with it, the PC version bundles Bard's Tale 1, 2 & 3, wrapped in an updated installer.
The game really does have its moments, but it is quite clearly a stereotypical "console game", and plays as you'd expect from hearing that. (Not that console games are bad, but when you hear the term applied to a game, its not hard to know what to expect.)
Still, I only played the first 40 minutes, so I can't really judge it fairly. I do plan to play it through (or at least give it a second chance).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk1UsimIUH0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdO6xLqc-Yo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bwcbBhVqLo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0pQM83v5U