The Bard's Tale Video Game Series
Video Games Encyclopedia by Gamepressure.com
The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut
RPG 18 September 2018
The fourth installment in the legendary RPG series launched back in the mid-80s. The title was developed by inXile entertainment thanks to the funds raised at Kickstarter, and its production was overseen by Brian Fargo, the creator of the initial entry of the franchise. The action takes place in the fantasy world known from previous installments of the series. The city of Skara Brae is its center. From there, the players set out to conquer numerous ruins and dungeons leading a party consisting of various races and classes, which influences the course of the plot as well as the attitude of the encountered NPCs. The available locations are grid-based in design, while combat takes place in an unusual, phase turn-based system that allows our party members to perform two actions simultaneously and thus achieve a synergy effect of various skill combinations. Bardic music also plays an important role during the fights. The ballads were recorded in Gaelic language.
The Bard's Tale Trilogy
RPG 14 August 2018
A set of remastered versions of the first three parts of The Bard's Tale series, which includes: The Bard's Tale, The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight and The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate. The Bard's Tale Trilogy not only refreshed the visuals of the aforementioned productions but also introduced a number of improvements.
The Bard's Tale: Remastered and Resnarkled
RPG 17 August 2017
A remaster of The Bard's Tale, a well-received action RPG from 2004, developed by inXile Entertainment. The plot is not connected to any previous entries in the series. The game's protagonist is the titular Bard who goes on a journey during which he must find Caleigh, a beautiful princess who was kidnapped by members of a demonic cult. In order to complete the quest and get some gold, our protagonist will have to survive many dangerous adventures and complete dozens of tasks from NPCs. The Bard's Tale: Remastered and Resnarkled has the same mechanics as the original game, and the main differences between this version and the original are better graphics, which support 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. The game's distinguishing features are its intelligent humor and presence of a narrator that never misses a chance to make fun of the main hero.
The Mage's Tale
RPG 20 June 2017
The Mage’s Tale is a VR dungeon crawler developed by InXile Entertainment, creators of games like Wasteland 2 or Torment: Tides of Numenera. The game takes us to a fantasy world that was created for The Bard’s Tale game series. Events of The Mage’s Tale take place between the third and fourth installment of that series. We play as a young adept of magic, whose task is to find his kidnapped mentor and expose the antagonistic wizard's conspiracy. Gameplay focuses on exploration of ancient crypts, dungeons, and sewers located below the town of Skara Brae. The dungeons are filled with all kinds of dangers like traps and various enemies. Our hero can use all sorts of element-based spells and we can create new ones thanks to the game’s complex crafting system.
The Bard's Tale
RPG 19 October 2004
Action RPG set in fantasy reality, referring to the cult series of the same name, published in 1985-88. The game was created by inXile studio, founded by the creator of the original Brian Fargo, and the title itself is a kind of remake, combining elements of the classic trilogy with the mechanics and setting of modern RPG productions. In the game, we play as the title Bard, who values the company of women and the wealth of his purse more than fame.
The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate
RPG 11 June 1990
The third part of the cult cycle The Bard's Tale was also the first to be produced without the participation of Michael Cranford. The responsibility for the creation of the game fell on the shoulders of Brian Fargo, which unfortunately also affected its quality.
The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight
RPG 23 April 1988
Although the destruction of the power of Dark Mangar brought the inhabitants of Skara Brae the longed-for peace of mind, the fantastic world known from The Bard's Tale was still in danger. This time, another wizard, Lagoth Zanta, turned out to be the leader of misfortune.
The Bard's Tale (1987)
RPG 20 March 1987
The Bard's Tale is the first RPG game from the Tales of the Unknown series, in which a couple of legendary designers dipped their fingers: Michael Cranford and Brian Fargo. The action of the program takes us to the peaceful settlement Skara Brae, which, as it usually happens, found itself in the circle of interests of the evil sorcerer - Mangar the Dark.