Game Art Archive

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. The game features a rare "neutral" ending, not commonly seen in fantasy role-playing games, and perhaps the most in-character ending for the Bard, though probably the least interesting or exciting. A lower quality pre-rendered movie follows the actual in-game cutscenes.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. Siding with Princess Caleigh turns out to be the "evil" ending in the game, although it is really more of a "selfish" one. Following the actual game cutscene is a lower-quality pre-rendered movie.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. In a plot twist, the "good" ending of the game involves siding with the Bard's constant nemesis, Fionnaoch. Interestingly, although the Bard must fight Caleigh, the Bard can continue to use the power she bestowed early in the game and summoned her to bless the party with healing and invulnerability. Following the actual game cutscene is a lower-quality pre-rendered movie.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. The finale of The Bard's Tale begins when the Bard enters Dounby Tower and confronts Fionnaoch. After battling his way to the top, he is presented with a choice of whether to side with Fionnaoch or Caleigh. He can ask his conjured companions as to their opinion on what to do.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. This is a short cutscene early in the game where The Bard's Tale mocks other computer role-playing games for defeated creatures having unlikely treasure. Ironically, The Bard's Tale also features time-saving implausibilities, such as treasure and obsolete equipment being instantly converted into weightless coin, saving the player from having to deal with encumbrance, carrying capacity, inventory management, and selling at stores.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These movie captures are of narrator comments on various tokens that can be acquired during the game, sometimes with a humourous quip in addition to what is written about the item. During the game, the Bard will make a choice which ultimately decides whether he will get the Ring of Tara (the second Rhythm token) or other Tokens later. For the Ring of Tara, the commentary is "This ring once belonged to a great musician and was originally unearthed in the ruins of ancient Tara, now passing on a portion of his talent."

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These cutscenes are related to the coolest weapon in the game -- the Shadow Axe. Part weapon part musical instrument, this item is acquired in the second half of the story arc. The bard typically uses his lute to conjure allies, but if the Shadow Axe is the weapon currently equipped, that is used instead. Unfortunately, it is not used when the Bard plays an instrument in other scenes.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These are cutscenes related to the death of the Bard's loyal pet dog. The dog (optionally) joins him near the very start of the game in Houton, and can be trained into an indestuctible ally in combat (at most the dog is dazed and thereby incapacitated). It is useful elsewhere throughout the game by digging up bones (immediately converted into cash when the Bard picks it up) and scaring grouse from the bushes to be shot down.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. This cutscene features the long-winded story from the viking Olav in the Firbolg mines -- a tale carefully written to evoke boredom, impatience, and possibly drowsiness.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. This cutscene features the the Bard's first conversation with the princess Caleigh. Unlike other computer role-playing games, the protagonist is a reluctant hero finally appealed through baser instincts of "coin and cleavage".

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These are cutscenes involving the boss encounter Mannanan.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These are cutscenes involving the boss Lugh. The final battle atop the tower was uncharacteristically boring. Lugh falls, and nothing of particular interest happens.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. In this cutscene, the game mocks how certain tasks are all too conveniently set up -- In this particular case, in an implausible way. At the same time, in having a scene to make fun of other stories with similar setups, The Bard's Tale uses the very mechanic it derides for the same convenience to the protagonist and to move the story along. There was, however, a second gate with the lever this time properly behind it.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. In this cutscene, the Bard plays with a local band in the bar called The Aiken Drum . The song references the Bard's earlier actions in accidentally releasing an ancient and powerful evil on the land, the Nuckalavee.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These cutscenes are related to the town of Kirkwall after the Bard kills an ornery horse at a sacred site. Tellingly, the Bard does not try to help the town, as we might expect in other computer role-playing games. This is reinforced by the fact that there is nothing that the player can really do to lift the curse as the Nuckalavee only appears in non-interactive cutscenes.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. In this cutscene, the Bard is communing with the dead and is about to receive important information about his quest and the fate of the world.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. This is a cutscene with the viking lord Hrafn. The first half of this mocks the fantasy role-playing cliché of suddenly animating skeletal remains into an undead treasure guardian. Further conversation with Hrafn leads to a "competition" where The Bard and Hrafn compete for draugr (undead viking) kills in the nearby catacombs. In fact this is not a competition at all--once Hrafn receives a certain number of kills, regardless of how many the Bard obtains, he ascends to Valhalla and gives the Bard a key to progress further in the game. Incidentally, the valkyrie's pose (to enhance her bust?) is quite curious.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These cutscenes are of the boss creature Herne that the Bard must defeat in the Forest Tower. At the tower, there is a very brief scene where Herne declares he will face the Bard at the top of the tower, if he manages to survive the foliage of the tower itself. At that point, the Bard expresses his frustration at the unnecessary drama, correctly pointing out that Herne was right there and they could have just cut to the chase and fought immediately.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These cutscenes are related to the appearance of a haggis monster. In order to reach the Firbolg mines, the Bard must pass through Stromness. To be shown the way, he needed to help the crazy farmer, one of the last living persons in cursed Stromness.

Fantasy art from The Bard's Tale fantasy role playing game. These scenes are from the very start of the game, when the Bard first enters Houton's bar and receives his first task. As this is the "tutorial" phase of the game, it is heavily scripted. The careful camera direction is an excellent way to show rather than tell us where the Bard's mind is.