Revolution Software has officially announced Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror – Reforged, a fully remastered version of the classic 1997 point-and-click adventure, set for release in early 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The announcement comes after the success of Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged (2024), which was praised for modernizing the franchise while preserving its spirit [1][2][4].
Story and Setting Broken Sword
The game follows journalist Nico Collard and adventurer George Stobbart as they uncover a deadly conspiracy involving an ancient Mayan artifact known as the “Smoking Mirror” while investigating a ruthless drug gang. The narrative weaves together themes of sacrificial rituals, kidnappings, and cosmic forces threatening humanity, set across diverse locations including Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America, all rendered with a mysterious Mayan backdrop.[1][2][3]
Features and Enhancements
- Visuals: Players can switch seamlessly between the original 1997 graphics and fully redrawn 4K HD visuals at any time. The remaster offers a contemporary polish while respecting the original aesthetic.[4][1]
- Audio: Enhanced audio includes a remastered soundtrack by Barrington Pheloung, delivering an immersive sound experience.[8]
- Gameplay Modes: There are two gameplay modes—Traditional Mode for purists who prefer the classic point-and-click experience, and History Mode, which offers subtle hints and story recaps to ease new players through complex puzzles.[2][1][4]
- Controls: Fully supports mouse, controller, and touchscreen inputs with quality-of-life improvements such as option exhaustion, fast exit, walk assist, subtitles, and dialogue history for revisiting conversations.[1][4]
- Additional Content: The remaster restores previously unseen dialogue from original scripts and includes unlockable secrets and extra content upon completing the game. Flexible progress management allows both manual and autosave.[5][1]
Developer Insight
Charles Cecil, founder and CEO of Revolution Software, expressed enthusiasm about the project: “The Smoking Mirror has always been one of our most beloved games, and with Reforged we have enhanced it in ways that respect the original while making it shine for modern audiences. Just as with the first Reforged, we can’t wait for players old and new to experience it again.” He also highlighted improvements in animation quality, dubbing it “Disney-quality” compared to the last remaster, and emphasized the team’s ambition to deliver an even better sequel, both graphically and narratively.[4][5][1]
Community Broken Sword and Support
Coinciding with the announcement, Revolution Software launched the game’s Steam wishlist page and plans to run a Kickstarter campaign soon to support development, mirroring the strategy used for the first Reforged game. This campaign aims to engage the community with potential collector editions and additional development funding.[5][1]
