The Bard's Tale [PS2]

Poking fun at cliches is a hallmark of many forms of entertainment, but tongue-in-cheek games are few and far between. The Bard's Tale, the spiritual successor to a popular '80s series of role-playing games, mercilessly lampoons fantasy cliches with hilarious results. The hack-and-slash gameplay doesn't have the depth to carry the title on its own, but the laughs are compelling enough to make it well worth a play.

Much of the game is concerned with rescuing a princess from captivity in a mysterious tower. Saving an innocent member of the ruling class would be motivation enough for most fantasy RPG heroes, but not the Bard, oh no. Our misanthropic anti-hero is helping the princess because she's hot and has promised him money -- but mostly because he wants to go to bed with her.

Aiding the Bard on his quest for wealth and sexual fulfillment is a dry-witted narrator, deliciously voiced by Legacy of Kain stalwart Tony Jay. The to-and-fro arguments between the Bard (voiced by The Princess Bride's Cary Elwes) and the narrator give rise to some of the game's best laughs. Thanks to these two -- not to mention some talented writing -- there's hardly a bad line in the game.

Set in a peculiar medieval version of the Shetland Islands, the Bard's world is brought to life by the engine from Snowblind's recent Champions of Norrath. While it's not the most visually varied of games, it puts in a solid performance. The Bard's model is especially detailed, but other non-player characters suffer in cutscene close-ups.

The only magic in the game comes from summoning creatures by playing a tune on the Bard's lute -- these are AI-controlled, although you can give them general commands with the D-pad. The creatures vary considerably, and include human mercenaries, witches that heal, Python-esque killer rats, and trap-finding old men.

Veterans of the Baldur's Gate series of console RPGs may be disappointed at the lack of depth in the character creation and advancement system. The Bard doesn't have a character class as such -- rather, you assign stat points at the start of the game and add more each level.

Pump points into strength and endurance, and you'll create a fighter. Focus on dexterity and you'll have an archer. Concentrate on rhythm, and your summoned creatures will grow in strength. Certain sections are definitely better tackled with one technique than the others, so a balanced selection of skills is probably your best bet.

You can also choose feats every few levels -- these include things like more powerful melee attacks, better treasure-finding abilities, and so on. But when put next to the competition, Bard's Tale seems to come up short in the character development area.

Likewise, the combat lacks depth. One attack button, one block button, and a limited selection of melee weapon types means the game's few combo attacks are quickly learned. Hammering the attack button is usually the best way to fight close-up, although hanging back with a bow and letting your minions soak up the hits is a viable option for some fights.

Getting surrounded is a recipe for a quick death because there's nothing you can do except block and wait for the inevitable. Once you're able to summon more than just one or two minions, the combat improves. Mixing and matching different beasties opens up more tactical options and flexibility. The summoned characters manage their roles very well, but it takes hours of tough gameplay to reach the point where this system gets interesting.

Compared to other action RPGs of this type, the equipment selection and system also seems very stripped-down. On acquiring a new piece of armor or weapon that's better than your existing one, the old one is automatically sold and its successor is equipped for you. The sense of struggling to afford that latest, greatest Sword of Extreme Pointiness +7 -- often a strong motivator in RPGs -- is largely absent.

So the chief motivation for playing Bard's Tale is less about the combat, character development, and loot hunts, and more to see what situation the character will get into next. If you don't find the self-parodying, sarcastic Bard appealing, you're not likely to go too far. But then, if you don't find the Bard appealing, you probably don't have much of a sense of humor.

If there were a more advanced game behind the excellent writing, The Bard's Tale could have been one of the highest rated RPGs this year. The Bard's sarky one-liners, foul mouth, and rampant chauvinism make every cutscene and conversation entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. So, even though the action sequences can become tiresome, a smile will never be too far from your lips.