They say the adventure genre is dead, but if 2007 is anything to go by, we might be seeing a revival. New entries into classic franchises like Broken Sword and Sam & Max proved the old boys still have some life in them, and the establishment of new players like Hotel Dusk and Zack & Wiki have brought fresh blood into the genre.

After playing some of those exotic adventure games, the tale of Professor Samuel Hunt and his quest to decipher an ancient manuscript might not sound so exciting. The good professor lacks the charm some of the genre’s more recognised faces hold, and the prospect of travelling around Europe in the early 1900s is hardly thrilling. Truth be told, this adventure feels more like a contemporary detective drama you’d find on a history channel. Despite this, there is something quite enthralling about The Lost Sword of Toledo, part four of the Agon adventure saga, which manifests itself if you have the patience.

Naturally, if The Lost Sword of Toledo is the first Agon game you’ve played, there are three episodes worth of story you’ve missed out on. If you’re one of those people, a retrospective option allows you to review the key events of the previous episodes. Professor Hunt has arrived in Toledo, Spain, searching for a sword that has something to do with the manuscript. He’s arranged to meet a Spanish painter, but upon his arrival, the professor is burdened with news that he died a year ago (it’s the early 1900s remember; the journey from England to Spain is a long one and they didn’t have fancy cell phones back then!). Fortunately for Hunt, the painter’s daughter offers to host him during his stay in Iberia. Undeterred by his informant’s death, the professor sets about looking for clues in Toledo.

Exploration takes place from the first-person and is easy to accustom to. The hands-on, up-close-and-personal nature of the game makes it easy to explore your surroundings. And what marvellous surroundings they are. Even on a modest computer, the game looks gorgeous. The environmental modelling gives the city of Toledo a real sense of authenticity; it’s an actual Spanish city, and though this is hardly a perfect virtual replica, it’s a joy to look at. Short comic-book style intermissions present themselves when travelling between different areas of the city, providing a refreshing contrast to the rest of the game.

Toledo has its fair share of characters, too, as any adventure game worth its salt should. A butler with a troubled past, an incompetent policeman, and a shady antiques dealer are but a few that call Toledo their home. As you’d expect, Professor Hunt’s goals intertwine with the lives of many people. Unfortunately, not all of them are particularly memorable or significant. Much like our protagonist professor, the supporting cast lack that little bit of life and energy present in other games in the genre. Perhaps this is due to the grounding that comes with a game set in an historical period, but it’s still a tad disappointing.

The characters are modelled impressively, but some of their animations aren’t so convincing. Hiccups for the motions of the guitar-playing beggar are forgivable, but the mid-conversation gestures and facial expressions are a little disappointing. Still, the voice acting goes some way to remedy this. Emotions are conveyed a lot better in the subtleties of speech than the quality of facial animation, although there are one or two overzealous Spanish accents. It’s a blessing that the voice acting is of a good standard because you’ll be listening to it an awful lot. Conversations tend to drag on for longer than they need to, and with no way to skip them, even the most patient gamer will have their work cut out. And this is The Lost Sword of Toledo’s main stumbling block. The rambling conversations disrupt what it does best, which is to tell its story and provide clever puzzles to get your brain working.

Opening the tricky cigar box is one of the earliest puzzles, but it’s plenty challenging and really does get you thinking. For this particular puzzle, you need to align eight dials on the box in the correct way. Only problem is that whenever you turn a dial, three others are also turned. The difficulty of some of these puzzles won’t be appreciated by those with quick tempers, but you’ll get a real sense of accomplishment when you get through them.

Judging by this near-finished build, The Lost Sword of Toledo certainly appears to be an acquired taste. It goes without saying that fans of previous Agon episodes should find plenty to please themselves with, but it may be a little too much for the average gamer. The ability to skip conversations would be a welcome addition in the retail version, especially because you can review conversations you’ve had by consulting your journal. Besides that, the only other problem is the abrupt nature of the music. The tunes themselves are characterised with a distinctly European flavour. The Spanish guitar work is a joy to listen to, but the problem lies in the way it’s looped; there are long, uncomfortable pauses between the conclusion of one track and the beginning of the next. Considering the potential The Lost Sword of Toledo has in creating a great atmosphere, tidying up the background music in the full version would not go amiss.

Agon: The Lost Sword of Toledo is scheduled to hit the PC in February 2008. It certainly seems like one to keep your eye on if you’re an adventure fan with a little bit of patience.