The Bard's Tale Hints II (PS2)

The Bard's Tale is an action-adventure video game developed by InXile Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. It was released for the PlayStation 2 gaming console and for the Xbox in October 2004. Later, a PC version was developed and, in July 2005, it reached gamers worldwide. It was conceived and marketed as being the successor of the defining role-playing game A Bard's Tale, which was released in the 80s.

The game is very tongue in cheek in its approach to the RPG genre. The main character is an unnamed bard who does what he does not for glory, nobility or to make the world a better place but rather because of the promise of cleavage and money. The entire story of the bard is recounted by an unseen narrator who is clearly biased against the Bard.

The plot is standard for the role-playing genre, with a bizarre cult promising reward to the bard in exchange for him freeing a princess. Another cult is against such an idea and attacks the bard. So battle and adventure ensue in the game. It's all weirder than the player might expect, with such encounters as loot dropping wolves, trainable fighting dogs, singing tribes of goblins and corpses that like music.

Even if the game is a parody at its core, it has similar mechanics to other role-playing games, with skills and spells that improve as the character gains experience and levels.

GAMEPLAY HINTS

Alternate storyline

If the puppy you meet in the beginning joins your party, it changes the story. For example, when you face The Pet it will crush your dog and kill it. Later when you run into the skull in the dungeon, it says that someone from your past wants to see you again and it brings your undead dog back into your party.

Cow tipping

While in Huton you can go around and find cows. Walk up next to the cow and press X. The Bard will push the cow over, and as soon as you walk off screen the cow will be set up again.

Final choice

In the final choice, if you have summons out you can ask their advice, unless they do not talk.

Here's the famous Beer Song from the PS2 version of the game: