Let's not mess around. The only game that challenges this is its predecessor.
You are thrown into control of one of the most likeable characters seen in a game, George Stobbart, a common hero who is about to save the world for the second time in his eventful life. The story opens when George and his lovely French girlfriend, Nico, are brought to an archaeologist's mansion for an interview. The simple job turns haywire, and instead of meeting with the archaeologist, the two characters are attacked by a tough, Native american man. George is knocked out, tied to a chair, and left to a burning house. Nico is captured by the man, and you - George, are tasked to rescue your captive girlfriend.
Of course, the story isn't just to rescue the girl, but to uncover a mystery involving a drug ring, an ancient god, and a sinister plot of backstabbing, cunning, and of course, taking over the world. The story truly takes turns at every corner.
Unfortunately, this game is quite unknown to the gaming population, along with the small percentage of adventure games these days. But for the small percentage who do know of it, love it, and have enjoyed it. And for good reason. This game captivates the player like no other game.
Although the game is relatively short, and has a quite linear story line, while it lasts, the game is so fun, you won't want to quit, at all. With an adventure game like this, it chooses quality over quantity. Each environment is completely unique, and your jobs will differ everytime you reach a new goal. Whether it's sneaking onto a boat to steal an ancient stone, or co-directing a B-Grade, remake of a movie, or breaking someone out of a prison, each new task is a refreshing challenge, that the developers, Revolution, truly make use of everything in the environment.
In terms of gameplay, The Smoking Mirror doesn't have too many enhancements over the original Broken Sword, but has a number of small tweaks. This is because, with a game with such a simple interface such as the Broken Sword games, the gameplay doesn't need to be improved in many ways at all. One of the biggest improvements is the addition of playing as our favourite female hero, Nico. Although George still stands as the main character, Nico still has some fun little gameplay, and some interesting inventory items.
The music in The Smoking Mirror is the heart of the game. Seeing the graphics alone do not give you the final eery feel of this game in any way. Not until you've heard the mysterious soundtrack. The music is absolutely beautiful. And although it isn't the epic music of the third Broken Sword game, the music is still quite amazing, and it fits perfectly with the Mayan culture of the game. The small tracks pop in and out at random intervals, and this adds to the immersion. This isn't just for show though, it also helps when your stuck in the game, and begin to become bored, the music track kicks in, and your suddenly not going anywhere.
The graphics in the game stand out beyond any other game. The beautiful 2d paintings are an amazing sight that will take your breath away. When standing at the top of a cliff, gazing down on the trees below, and the beautiful blue sky is wavering with the sun, you will completely forget about any 3d game that tries to recreate this beauty. You'll travel from grand locations like Paris, London, Central America, and a small Mexican city, and each of these locations look and feel unique in their own right.
The Smoking Mirror takes a turn from the locations of the original Broken Sword game, going for a brighter, more tropical feel to the European style of the The Shadow Of The Templars. This is a welcome addition, and a refreshing change to the darker environments in its predecessor.
This time round Paris has a much smaller part to play than the original Broken Sword. In fact, it's only featured in the small campaign at the start of the game. With this area being so small, the map screen has also been scratched. Although this may make the game locations feel smaller, it also keeps the pacing tightly packed, and it is less confusing to the player.
All in all, I think this game is absolutely brilliant. And although the game may be over sooner than expected, and replaybility is minimal, while it lasts, this game is a thrill ride from start to finish. The story is its main selling point, and choosing whether you like the original more or less than this is simply a taste in your liking of literature. This is simply the peak of adventure gaming, and should appeal to anyone with a sense of patience, and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.