PlayStation 2 action-adventure RPG The Bard’s Tale came out 14 years ago, but it took until this past weekend for one eagle-eyed player to reveal a hidden-in-plain-sight burn etched onto its very disc. Sure, innumerable players likely stumbled upon the easter egg in the intervening years, but they can’t be blamed for being too owned to say anything.
In a 2011 review of its iOS port, we called Bard’s Tale “satisfying,” “quaint,” and “charming”; we forgot, apparently, to add “saucy.” Bard’s Tale players are given the choice between being nice or being snarky in select encounters, which can veer in different directions based on your choice. It’s nice to see the game’s spirit translated even into its packaging.
Who knows what other surprises can be found on the game discs of yore; it’s not as if hungry gamers spent any time analyzing them, after all. But do approach them with caution. Burns this hot never heal.