Just when you thought your list of essential remasters was complete, Revolution Software drops a bombshell that should make any adventure game fan—or indeed, anyone who lived through the golden age of point-and-clicks—sit up and take notice.
They’ve officially lifted the lid on Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Reforged, a “faithful reimagining” of the second game in their multi-award-winning series. This follows hot on the heels of the successful Shadow of the Templars: Reforged in 2024, a title that apparently set a “new standard” for how to handle these beloved classics.
Looks like Charles Cecil — who appeared at PLAY Expo Blackpool a few days ago — and the team know exactly what they’re doing.
The George and Nico show returns
The series is, of course, all about the globetrotting adventures of that perfectly mismatched duo: the hapless American tourist George Stobbart and the sharp-witted French journalist Nico Collard. This time, they are getting tangled up in a deadly Mayan conspiracy packed with ancient artifacts and dark magic, requiring them to solve puzzles across Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Revolution Software is clearly trying to appeal to us aging purists as well as a new generation of players, and the feature list proves it.
New shine, old school charm
The philosophy here is simple: respect the original but remove the pain points. They are delivering the whole package in some incredible high definition art, with crisp audio to match, making this a massive upgrade over the 1997 visuals.
But here’s the feature that always seals the deal for me: you can switch between the original 1997 visuals and the new Reforged visuals at the click of a button!
They’ve also introduced two play modes to cater to everyone:
- ‘Traditional mode’: For the people who want their adventure games exactly the way they used to be. So, there’s no “hand-holding,” you can just get on with working it all out.
- ‘Story mode’: For those who want subtle hints to make sure they “never get frustrated.” This is a sensible nod to modern players who might not appreciate the classic logic leaps.
Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Reforged is in development for all modern platforms — PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) and console (PlayStation 5, Xbox One / Series X|S, Nintendo Switch) for release in early 2026. The Steam page is live for wishlisting right now, and if you want development news, keep an eye on their Kickstarter “coming soon” page. This is definitely one to watch!
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.