<s>
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
5	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Serpent	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
is	O
the	O
fifth	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
series	O
of	O
adventure	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Revolution	O
Software	O
,	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
(	O
via	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
)	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
two	O
episodes	O
:	O
the	O
first	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
4	O
December	O
2013	O
;	O
the	O
second	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
17	O
April	O
2014	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
and	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Serpent	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2D	O
adventure	O
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Via	O
a	O
point	O
and	O
click	O
or	O
touch	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
will	O
guide	O
protagonists	O
George	O
Stobbart	O
and	O
Nicole	O
"	O
Nico	O
"	O
Collard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
death	O
scenes	O
were	O
removed	O
from	O
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
director	B-Application
's	I-Application
cut	I-Application
(	O
2009	O
)	O
,	O
in	O
The	O
Serpent	O
's	O
Curse	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
's	O
death	O
will	O
be	O
possible	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
makes	O
a	O
wrong	O
decision	O
or	O
does	O
n't	O
complete	O
an	O
action	O
quickly	O
enough	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
unlike	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
two	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
games	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
then	O
started	O
off	O
from	O
the	O
last	O
save	O
point	O
,	O
they	O
will	O
restart	O
from	O
right	O
before	O
the	O
death	O
scene	O
,	O
like	O
in	O
the	O
3D	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Angel	I-Application
of	I-Application
Death	I-Application
,	O
George	O
Stobbart	O
,	O
now	O
working	O
as	O
an	O
insurance	O
assessor	O
,	O
reunites	O
with	O
Nicole	O
Collard	O
in	O
Paris	O
,	O
while	O
attending	O
to	O
the	O
opening	O
of	O
an	O
exhibition	O
by	O
gallery	O
owner	O
Henri	O
Dubois	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simeon	O
reveals	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
linked	O
to	O
the	O
Gnostics	O
-	O
a	O
branch	O
of	O
Christianity	O
persecuted	O
in	O
France	O
by	O
the	O
Vatican	O
Church	O
in	O
the	O
13th	O
century	O
-	O
after	O
noting	O
a	O
sketch	O
George	O
took	O
from	O
Hobbs	O
bears	O
the	O
Gnostic	O
symbol	O
called	O
the	O
Ouroboros	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
quickly	O
discover	O
the	O
map	O
leads	O
to	O
Montserrat	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
Gnostics	O
hid	O
an	O
artifact	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Tabula	O
Veritatis	O
"	O
which	O
can	O
raise	O
Lucifer	B-Algorithm
(	O
the	O
devil	O
)	O
by	O
destroying	O
Jehovah	O
(	O
God	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Langham	O
soon	O
tracks	O
them	O
down	O
,	O
kidnapping	O
Tiago	O
,	O
and	O
revealing	O
his	O
grandfather	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
man	O
named	O
Gehnen	O
who	O
led	O
the	O
raid	O
on	O
the	O
Marqués	O
 '	O
home	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
find	O
the	O
Tabula	O
and	O
use	O
it	O
to	O
release	O
Lucifer	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
way	O
to	O
Iraq	O
,	O
George	O
receives	O
a	O
cryptic	O
message	O
from	O
Tiago	O
in	O
a	O
dream	O
,	O
revealing	O
that	O
his	O
medallion	O
is	O
the	O
key	O
to	O
stopping	O
Lucifer	B-Algorithm
's	O
arrival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
writing	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
Revolution	O
Software	O
's	O
games	O
were	O
published	O
by	O
Virgin	O
Interactive	O
,	O
who	O
wanted	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
of	O
quality	O
,	O
putting	O
Revolution	O
under	O
no	O
pressure	O
and	O
giving	O
them	O
much	O
creative	O
freedom	O
and	O
little	O
time	O
restriction	O
(	O
more	O
so	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cecil	O
credited	O
the	O
decline	O
to	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
which	O
introduced	O
a	O
new	O
audience	O
of	O
University	O
age	O
interested	O
in	O
visceral	O
,	O
3D	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
meant	O
the	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
sequels	O
The	B-Application
Sleeping	I-Application
Dragon	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Angel	I-Application
of	I-Application
Death	I-Application
(	O
2006	O
)	O
could	O
be	O
commissioned	O
by	O
publishers	O
only	O
by	O
switching	O
to	O
3D	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
when	O
Apple	O
contacted	O
Revolution	O
in	O
2009	O
to	O
produce	O
their	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
Revolution	O
self-published	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
–	O
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
:	O
Director	B-Application
's	I-Application
Cut	I-Application
and	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
–	O
The	O
Smoking	O
Mirror	O
:	O
Remastered	O
on	O
the	O
iPhone/iPad	O
Store	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
for	O
PC	O
and	O
Mac	O
on	O
GoG.com,	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
iTunes	O
Store	O
and	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
on	O
Google	O
Play	O
;	O
in	O
the	O
self-publishing	O
model	O
,	O
Revolution	O
was	O
commissioned	O
70%	O
of	O
the	O
revenue	O
rather	O
than	O
7%	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
was	O
in	O
a	O
far	O
stronger	O
financial	O
position	O
than	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
commercial	O
performance	O
of	O
the	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
I	I-Application
and	O
II	O
reimaginations	O
were	O
also	O
considerably	O
stronger	O
than	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
3D	O
entries	O
,	O
particularly	O
on	O
handheld	O
platforms	O
:	O
the	O
two	O
remakes	O
were	O
purchased	O
500	O
thousand	O
times	O
,	O
with	O
downloads	O
totaling	O
five	O
million	O
through	O
promotions	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
in	O
2011	O
alone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
few	O
delays	O
,	O
Revolution	O
announced	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Serpent	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
on	O
23	O
August	O
2012	O
,	O
starting	O
a	O
Kickstarter	O
project	O
with	O
a	O
$	O
400,000	O
goal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
with	O
a	O
large	O
possibility	O
of	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Live	O
Marketplace	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regarding	O
Revolution	O
's	O
choice	O
of	O
platforms	O
,	O
Cecil	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
point-and-click	O
interface	O
of	O
the	O
PC	O
platforms	O
translated	O
very	O
well	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
slide-and-touch	O
"	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
on	O
mobile	O
platform	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
the	O
direct	O
control	O
interface	O
on	O
a	O
console	O
controller	O
differs	O
greatly	O
from	O
the	O
former	O
two	O
interfaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2013	O
Gamescom	O
,	O
Revolution	O
released	O
a	O
teaser	O
trailer	O
for	O
The	O
Serpent	O
's	O
Curse	O
and	O
announced	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
episodes	O
bundled	O
together	O
were	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
pre-order	O
,	O
on	O
27	O
November	O
2013	O
on	O
Good	O
Old	O
Games	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
28	O
November	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
episode	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Vita	O
on	O
18	O
December	O
,	O
bought	O
either	O
separately	O
or	O
with	O
the	O
second	O
episode	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
on	O
6	O
February	O
and	O
on	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
on	O
18	O
March	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
episode	O
2	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
as	O
an	O
in-app	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Serpent	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
was	O
built	O
by	O
four	O
main	O
programmers	O
,	O
using	O
Virtual	B-Application
Theatre	I-Application
7	O
,	O
Revolution	O
's	O
own	O
in-house	O
developed	O
game	O
engine	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
original	O
Virtual	B-Application
Theatre	I-Application
,	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
2D	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tony	O
Warriner	O
,	O
co-founder	O
and	O
technical	O
director	O
of	O
Revolution	O
,	O
programmed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
engine	O
,	O
in	O
particular	O
its	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
(	O
UI	O
)	O
and	O
game	O
scripting	O
system	O
,	O
wanting	O
to	O
warrant	O
the	O
UI	O
was	O
"	O
as	O
smooth	O
,	O
simple	O
and	O
intuitive	O
as	O
possible	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Coder	O
Peter	O
Brooks	O
had	O
to	O
implement	O
features	O
between	O
various	O
platforms	O
and	O
application	B-Application
programming	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
connectable	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Andrew	O
Boskett	O
,	O
who	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Sleeping	I-Application
Dragon	I-Application
,	O
returned	O
to	O
program	O
The	O
Serpent	O
's	O
Curse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warriner	O
and	O
Brooks	O
both	O
usually	O
used	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
Peters	O
used	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
Boskett	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
all	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
remain	O
in	O
sync	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Revolution	O
sourced	O
experienced	O
layout	O
artists	O
that	O
have	O
worked	O
for	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
Disney	O
,	O
DreamWorks	O
,	O
Nickelodeon	O
,	O
Universal	B-Application
Studios	I-Application
,	O
Aardman	O
,	O
Sony	O
Pictures	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
20th	O
Century	O
Fox	O
,	O
including	O
lead	O
art	O
director	O
Tori	O
"	O
Cat	O
"	O
Davis	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
worked	O
on	O
acclaimed	O
works	O
such	O
as	O
animated	O
films	O
The	O
Illusionist	O
(	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
Arthur	O
Christmas	O
(	O
2011	O
)	O
and	O
Frankenweenie	O
(	O
2012	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
children	O
's	O
animated	O
television	O
series	O
Shaun	B-Application
the	I-Application
Sheep	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
–	O
)	O
;	O
she	O
created	O
and	O
managed	O
the	O
hand	O
drawn	O
environments	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
oversee	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
the	O
background	O
painters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Backgrounds	O
were	O
traditionally	O
hand-drawn	O
and	O
then	O
colored	O
in	O
Photoshop	B-Operating_System
,	O
while	O
Robins	O
usually	O
worked	O
in	O
Photoshop	B-Operating_System
and	O
Illustrator	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cecil	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
in	O
full	O
HD	O
in	O
order	O
achieve	O
the	O
highest	O
visual	O
quality	O
possible	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
original	O
animations	O
from	O
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
and	O
The	O
Smoking	O
Mirror	O
were	O
created	O
in	O
640×400	O
;	O
a	O
move	O
to	O
HD	O
would	O
require	O
animations	O
three	O
times	O
larger	O
,	O
and	O
hand-animating	O
so	O
many	O
pixels	O
might	O
be	O
possible	O
,	O
but	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
massively	O
complicated	O
job	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dan	O
Brown	O
's	O
best-selling	O
The	B-Application
Da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
Code	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
brought	O
the	O
Knights	O
Templar	O
theme	O
into	O
the	O
mainstream	O
,	O
despite	O
negative	O
reviews	O
,	O
inspiring	O
a	O
slew	O
of	O
often	O
panned	O
Templar	O
films	O
,	O
games	O
and	O
books	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
the	O
Templars	O
became	O
cliche	O
;	O
although	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
was	O
released	O
seven	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
Code	I-Application
to	O
great	O
acclaim	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Templar	O
"	O
zeitgeist	B-Language
"	O
,	O
bringing	O
them	O
into	O
the	O
public	O
eye	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fanbase	O
and	O
various	O
media	O
outlets	O
even	O
believing	O
that	O
Brown	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
when	O
writing	O
his	O
novel	O
,	O
Cecil	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
series	O
could	O
no	O
longer	O
trade	O
on	O
the	O
Templar	O
,	O
a	O
theme	O
three	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
Broken	O
Sword	O
games	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cecil	O
had	O
since	O
been	O
fascinated	O
by	O
the	O
Gnostic	O
Gospels	O
;	O
in	O
1945	O
,	O
a	O
local	O
farmer	O
near	O
Nag	O
Hammadi	O
,	O
Upper	O
Egypt	O
discovered	O
a	O
clay	O
casket	O
with	O
twelve	O
leather-bound	O
manuscripts	O
that	O
comprised	O
fifty-two	O
Gnostic	O
texts	O
;	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
texts	O
particularly	O
caught	O
Cecil	O
's	O
attention	O
,	O
the	O
Testimony	O
of	O
Truth	O
,	O
which	O
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Genesis	O
from	O
a	O
different	O
perspective	O
:	O
From	O
the	O
perspective	O
of	O
a	O
jealous	O
God	O
,	O
the	O
creator	O
of	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Serpent	O
,	O
Lucifer	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
bringer	O
of	O
light	O
,	O
who	O
gives	O
knowledge	O
to	O
man	O
but	O
is	O
not	O
once	O
called	O
the	O
Devil	O
–	O
these	O
were	O
written	O
by	O
Gnostics	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
considered	O
heretic	O
by	O
the	O
Orthodox	O
Church	O
;	O
the	O
Cathars	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
Gnostic	O
,	O
were	O
brutally	O
suppressed	O
and	O
massacred	O
during	O
the	O
13th	O
century	O
in	O
the	O
Albigensian	O
Crusade	O
in	O
Languedoc	O
,	O
Southern	O
France	O
,	O
by	O
Pope	O
Innocent	O
III	O
of	O
the	O
Catholic	O
Church	O
and	O
the	O
newly-set	O
up	O
Dominican	O
Order	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cecil	O
was	O
fascinated	O
that	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
Christian	O
history	O
with	O
such	O
importance	O
had	O
n't	O
yet	O
been	O
brought	O
into	O
public	O
consciousness	O
,	O
and	O
hoped	O
to	O
start	O
the	O
new	O
zeitgeist	B-Language
with	O
The	O
Serpent	O
's	O
Curse	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
explore	O
what	O
secrets	O
the	O
Gnostics	O
held	O
and	O
why	O
did	O
the	O
Church	O
feel	O
threatened	O
by	O
them	O
,	O
resonating	O
the	O
story	O
to	O
the	O
present	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hazel	O
Ellerby	O
,	O
who	O
voiced	O
Nicole	O
"	O
Nico	O
"	O
Collard	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
and	O
its	O
director	B-Application
's	I-Application
cut	I-Application
,	O
was	O
initially	O
set	O
to	O
reprise	O
her	O
roles	O
of	O
Nico	O
and	O
Lady	O
Piermont	O
,	O
but	O
scheduling	O
conflicts	O
came	O
in	O
the	O
way	O
and	O
Ellerby	O
was	O
not	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
recording	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
and	O
director	B-Application
's	I-Application
cut	I-Application
composer	O
Barrington	O
Pheloung	O
returned	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
featured	O
songs	O
by	O
Miles	O
Gilderdale	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
Jasmine	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"	O
Strange	O
Girl	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
