Xbox Game Studios developer inXile Entertainment (responsible for Wasteland 2: Director's Cut) has announced it will be releasing The Bard's Tale ARPG: Remastered and Resnarkled on Nintendo Switch and Xbox Game Pass on 18th June.
This remaster is based on the developer's very first game, which originally launched on Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2004. With the Nintendo Switch version, you'll be able to take this action-comedy on the road. Here's the official Twitter reveal:
This classic tale is filled with fast-action combat, a hilarious cast of characters, a sprawling game world, top-notch voice acting by Cary Elwes (The Bard), and narration by the legendary Tony Jay. Here's a bit more about it:
In addition to slinging snark or politeness as you see fit, you’ll be able to adapt your character through the allocation of skills and skill points you earn, and Bard songs you'll learn. Along with all the fun things you’ll be able to swing, husk, flail, parry, pluck, and drink, you’ll also have the accompaniment of various magical creatures and compatriots who will be all too willing to follow you in your adventures to wherever you want to go…

inXile has also confirmed you'll be able to unlock Xbox achievements while playing the game on Switch. Will you be trying this out next week? Leave a comment down below.
[source inxile-entertainment.com]
Comments 50
Did another similar game release with similar title?
I'll try it on game pass and see how I feel about it. If I like it I'll buy on Switch.
Scanlan shorthalt is the only bard I’ll ever love! The game does look entertaining though 🤪
This game is... Well if you like tongue in cheek humor and a lot of sarcasm, this game is amazing.
Wow, good job Damien! Should we expect Rare Replay next week?
Didn't inXile also work on Wasteland 2, which is also on Switch?
This game is actually something that I've been considering to get on the PS2 on numerous occasions but never got to it, will be giving this a shot for sure.
its a great game I still have this bard's tale game on ps2. I can highly recommend it.
Excellent!! I had been planning on getting this on the vita so now I can just do the switch instead.
Looks fun! Will there be a physical release?
Looks dumb and cheesy, I'm down for this.
Might check this out on PC, if it's good then I'll double dip on the Switch port.
Got this in a humble bundle a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by how good it is.
Sweet! Maybe we’ll get Torment : Tides of Numenera
@backup368 Yes, but they released Wasteland 2 on Switch before they joined Xbox Game Studios.
This is such an offensive and silly game. Used to love it. I think I have to get it on Switch for that nostalgic political incorrectness and some juvenile laughs😬😅
Any price communicated?
@Quarth @Swiftstorm Nah, no official mention of the price or a physical release just yet.
This is awful..
Android game 60 euros...
No way! Yesterday I looked for information about this game because I found out that the same composer of the Monkey Islands/Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis worked in this game as well, and I watched a video and thought it looked quite fun. Destiny, maybe? Lol! I'll wait for reviews, but I'll likely get it now.
@Scirocco7 TBF, it’s not really an Android game - it started out on major platforms, but was ported to mobile. Which is actually how I played it - and quite enjoyed it. The combat and exploration are pretty basic, but the voice acting, writing and soundtrack are top notch.
Played on ios none stop may consider it.
@SwitchForce
I believe that would be The Bards Tale IV.
@Ryu_Niiyama
Same here, Game Pass has been sorta like a demo subscription plan for me more often than not.
If I can for one moment stop playing the Kemco retro RPG's on the eshop, I'll look into this one.
If it’s on par and price with the Vita version, I am on board.
@Scirocco7 just because something is ported to android doesn't make it an android game.
@Kang81 That's pretty much how I use it. I build up my 360 library (or retire physical games in lieu of their digital counterparts), double team game series (playing yakuza 0 on xbone and kiwami on ps4), and try out games that will decide if I'll get them on switch later. It's even helped me clear out my purchase list for games that I thought I wanted but realized they weren't my cup of tea.
Plus, since I didn't use xbox live for most of its existence that is kinda an extra perk. I still don't use it much but at least it is there.
I'd somewhat forgotten that much of my formative gaming years rode on the back of Blockbuster, and in adulthood I became a much more wasteful spender...Gamepass allows me to go back to a normal budget.
This game is amazing, so happy to see it return. Day one buy for me.
This game looks awful, looks like a 90s PC game
Interesting, but I feel I am watching/playing budget offspring of Witcher and Skyrim and distant cousin to Torchlight.
So Microsoft is still releasing games on Switch.
Taking another stab at Sony.
@SwitchForce a bunch of them, but this game is technically standalone because the devs only had the rights to the name itself at the time: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bard%27s_Tale
@Scirocco7 if this is an Android game, then Bioshock is an iOS one. :V You might want to read the post again.
@Bunkerneath ... and it is an old PC game. So yes.
I've recently got a Shield TV and nearly bought this for £2.89 on the Android store. Used to enjoy the ZX spectrum original when I was a nipper.
@XiaoShao
Yeah hopefully! It seemed like a no-brainer when Switch got Cuphead and Ori. Surely Rare Replay has sold mostly all it is going to sale on Xbox?
I remember this having an all star Polish dub. I wonder if that will return in the remaster.
This is a really fun game. It's a mix of RPG, visual novel/storybook, and lots of 4th wall/doesn't take itself seriously antics. I haven't played through all of it on GamePass yet but what I did get to see, I loved.
@Ryu_Niiyama I think I'd counter that while renting was great, I remember Blockbuster. Anything they can rent, we can rent for 30% more. And they had a horrible sign-up policy rigamarole that made you feel like you were signing up for leasing commercial real-state to watch a copy of Cocoon. Still counts as wasteful spending.
Depends on the price since I already played it more than enough on PS2, but if the Polish dub is in, that would be enough to bump it very close to instant buy.
@NEStalgia my parents would disagree. Saved them a ton of money on my behalf as games for consoles were on average 50-90 usd vs a 5-12USD rental at blockbuster. Renting was also a rare treat, but it was still used to mitigate my video game requests. If I liked a game well enough, (and could remember the title...Ninjawarriors escaped me for years due to this) I would usually get it for Xmas. And not a very many other options in a rural city. Much different than today where there is a redbox on every corner.
I spend more on gamepass annually than my parents did using blockbuster but that is still better than my normal 2000-5000 a year spending. Even last year when I tried to cutback I still spent over 2500. So my point still stands in the manner that I intended it. Not that I was making an argument for anything but just giving an anecdotal aside to a fellow game pass user.
@Liam_Doolan Thanks! Hope you'll update us when you get more info.
@Ryu_Niiyama Maybe I was strange....I rented games at the supermarket! Just a local chain but they had all the good stuff at fractions of prices of Blockbuster and no menacing 1082-Y form to fill out to sign up.
Also did a lot of renting at another national chain that was a rival at the time (West Coast Video, I think?) and a more regional chain...all of which were cheaper and decidedly less obnoxious. I always hated Blockbuster...the Starbucks of rentals that forced out or gobbled most of those other better companies over the years It was mixed feelings for me when they went down. On one hand it was the end of the rental era. On the other hand, they were the 800lb monster that destroyed most of the good parts of rentals and ruined the concept to begin with. I did go there sometimes after the others were gone, but I always felt dirty when I did. And I knew I got ripped off.
Neat thing with the supermarket and other stores was they sold off their inventory periodically in what in hindsight seems like dangerous mob rush sales. Got a lot of my SNES collection that way. ALTTP and Super-R Type are gains from that I remember fondly. And Hook. For better or worse. Quite a few others though I can't recall most of them at the moment.
GamePass can be pricy...but considering it's unlimited rentals for unlimited duration it's not bad at all. Mine runs out in August...I may not renew until next May since I still have Live until then and I've had a lot less time to play games overall....and I know P5R will be dominating some of my console time this winter. And I'm not sure buying GP alone makes as much sense than just getting Ultimate with that. I seem to have a habit of buying on sale any games on GP I may want, anyway. They have some pro-rating system for the "upgrade" but I assume I'm losing on that deal if I do it.
Edit: Oh, I always forget you're a bit younger....you missed the good years of rentals before BB had destroyed the good chains and made it a franchise commodity industry. The late 80's, early 90s were decidedly more rental friendly than what remained once Blockbuster crushed the competition.
@NEStalgia Yeah all my city had was blockbuster and a no name rental store (that is still open actually). I’ve never seen a funcoland, babages or suncoast. I just know they used to exist. Buying games the options were kmart, walmart and my city got a gamestop after I was like 23. Good thing I mostly read as a little girl.
Xbox "you can have these, but rare-replay, because money"
Switch owners "oh thank you for telling us" -buys n64 from amazon.
@Ryu_Niiyama Ok, now I'm jealous, there's still a rental store there at all...
Wow, you missed the cool stuff. Babbages was the best gaming store. The only PC-centric gaming store that really existed, and a much more "professional" environment than GameStop. There's a story about the time I got locked inside a Babbages.....
Funcoland, I wasn't impressed, actually. I had one, it existed for a year or so before GS swallowed them. They were as bad, if not worse, at ripping off on used games and pushing them hard. I was turned off around the time DKC came out and I don't think I ever went back in. That location is (or was) still there as a GameStop, which I actually did shop in a small handful of times in the WiiS360 era.
Suncoast....I bought a phaser there. They had a lot of neon. It was cool, but I was never into the "film" scene enough to really appreciate all they had. My wallet thanks me. They were cool though, and they would be a very, very dangerous store for you if they had still existed, given your penchant for swag.
I adore Kmart...always will....but yeah, games were never their thing.
I used to buy games in Woolworth's. Where's my rocking chair?
@muscpt this game is older than those 2. try again
This game sucks. A lot. Unless it's less than $4 it's a HARD PASS.
@Ryu_Niiyama
Yeah, game pass is super helpful. I hadn’t even turned my XB1 on in a couple years until I tried GamePass.
Unfortunately I had already purchased most games I was interested in, but it definitely helps me on games I would normally be iffy on or just flat out ignore.
Case in point...Slay the Spire.
I’ve heard nothing but praise for it, but just didn’t want to take a chance on it. Then I tried it on GamePass, fell in love with it, and bought it on Switch as soon as I could.
Now I’ll be getting it on mobile when it releases later this month. Good bye productivity. lol
Oh snap! This is one of my favourite games of all time! Inspired by the original Bards Tale games from the Atari, the original 2002 release was smooth and comical, hilarious fights between the bard and the narrator as well as Cary Elwes being one of my favourite actors! This is almost as good news as a Pikmin 4 announcement (hint hint)!
@Alucard83
Try again?! Sometimes people say an opinion and in the end it’s an opinion not a reference of facts to ward off keyboard warriors.
This was a good game back in the day. Doesn't look like they've done a great job on updating the graphics, though. Shame.
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