Bard's Gold

Bard’s Gold published on PS4, PC and etc. is a difficult 2D rogue-like platformer with old-school graphics. The title is developed by the independent Pixel Lantern studio from Germany, established by a married couple - Erdem and Jenny Sen. They decided to create their own productions out of love for classic platformers.

Plot

In Bard’s Gold, the player assumes the role of the titular bard who gets his gold stolen by a sly goblin. Disregarding his own safety, the protagonist decides to give chase to the filthy creature and travel through many dangerous and mysterious worlds filled with threats.

Mechanics

Mechanics draw on classic, 2D platformers from Amiga computers and 16-bit consoles, which were extremely popular at the beginning of the 1990s. Among the major inspirations the authors mention there are such titles as Rainbow Island, Rick Dangerous, and Alex Kidd. As this is a true representative of the genre, during gameplay you will travel through over 100 levels, avoid various traps, and evade enemies’ gunfire.

Bard’s Gold’s pace is slower than that in modern platformers, but the difficulty level truly poses a challenge. The hero dies from a single shot and, to make things harder (especially at the beginning), there is no tutorial, so you have to crack the elements of mechanics bit by bit, just on your own. You cannot learn levels by heart, as they are partly generated procedurally. However, the hero has special skills that can help – you gain them by finding skill books. Moreover, your equipment and skills remain with you even if you die, so each death makes you stronger.

Technical aspects

Published on PS4, PC and etc., Bard’s Gold is created with the use of the popular tool called Game Maker. As the title draws inspiration from classic productions, it utilises characteristic, pixelled graphics.

Last updated on 20 December 2021