Fit check
Is The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- RPG players who want to create and recruit party members
- Fantasy adventure fans who enjoy riddles, traps, and exploration
- Turn-based combat players who want adjustable gameplay settings
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking real-time combat may not suit its turn-based battle structure
- Those wanting a simple party system may find 21 classes and numerous skills too involved
- Players looking for a short campaign may not suit an adventure described as lasting more than 50 hours
Our take on The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut
Gameplay sliders define the experience by allowing changes to rules such as saving, mini-map visibility, and waypoint markers, including a save-anywhere option.
What is The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut?
The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut is a fantasy RPG with more than 50 hours of gameplay, 350 speaking parts, exploration, puzzles, and turn-based tactical combat.
Players choose among Bard, Fighter, Practitioner, and Rogue, each with 60–70 skills, with 21 classes available across them. Parties begin with one character and expand through recruited or created heroes. The Director’s Cut adds character customization options, items, enemies, a revised interface, and an expansion dungeon. The world includes towns, dungeons, rolling hills, forests, and icy wastes. Riddles, traps, and mysterious Elven weapons add investigation to the journey. Settings sliders adjust options such as saving, mini-map display, and waypoint markers.
How The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut plays
- 01Turn-Based Tactical Combat
- Battles use positioning, strategic planning, and combinations of attacks against enemies.
- 02Party Character Building
- Four character types offer 60–70 skills each, with 21 classes available across them.
- 03Adjustable Game Settings
- Sliders change options including saving, mini-map visibility, and waypoint markers.
- 04Puzzle-Based Exploration
- Riddles and traps can lead to treasure or advantages during exploration.
- 05Director’s Cut Additions
- This edition includes new character customization options, items, enemies, a revised interface, and an expansion dungeon.
The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut compared to similar games
Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition focuses on an unconventional story, characters, and soundtrack, while The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut combines party building, puzzles, exploration, and tactical combat. Back to the Dawn centers on investigating, fighting, surviving, and escaping a maximum-security prison; The Bard’s Tale IV instead follows a fantasy adventure across towns, dungeons, forests, hills, and icy wastes. Tales of Symphonia presents a story spanning two linked worlds, whereas this game emphasizes class selection, party creation, and turn-based battles.
The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut: platforms & release
Is The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut worth it?
It is worth it if: RPG players who want to create and recruit party members. Skip it if: players seeking real-time combat may not suit its turn-based battle structure.
Where can I download The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut on?
Windows, macOS and Linux.
