For anyone who's just a little tired of playing the young lad destined for greatness or thrust into the role of hero and boy scout, The Bard's Tale has a story for you. Coming many, many years after the original Bard's Tale on the PC, which was one of the first role-playing video games, this great grandson of the original is available on Xbox and PS2. The titular bard is not your classic medieval hero: He views damsels in distress as targets of conquest and hard luck stories as opportunities, and he makes the game a lot more interesting than it would otherwise be.

There will be no confusion about the main character's leanings. Known only as "The Bard," his first act in the game is to conjure up a rat and send it into a neighborhood tavern in hopes of coaxing a free meal out of the proprietor. From that point on, The Bard's Tale declares all-out war on RPG conventions and cliches, then proceeds to embrace them whenever necessary. As you start breaking every barrel you see in hopes of finding treasure, for example, you'll be approached by a barrel maker who wonders why on earth you'd do such a thing. Then he turns around and tells you to please, keep doing it, because he needs the business.

The game is played from a top-down perspective, like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath. You'll start off with the ability to swing a sword and cast spells, but throughout the game your primary weapon is the Bard's sharp tongue. He and the narrator converse fairly regularly, with no fear of breaking the fourth wall. The Bard's interactions with other characters and often the story itself make for some of the best-written and best-acted moments in video game memory. It's not just irreverent - any game can be that - it's also funny, satirical and fully aware of the traditions it's flaunting. The sense of humor in most games gets old at about the halfway point, but the Bard (voiced by Cary Elwes) and those around him keep you interested through the whole show with a steady string of entertainment mixed generously with laugh-out-loud moments.

To keep the story moving and add a sense of chance, your dialogue options are not spelled out for you. You'll have to choose between being naughty or nice, with little clue as to exactly what the Bard will say once you've pushed the button. The game plays out fairly differently based on your choices, but the outcomes aren't so different that you end up with two completely different game experiences. It's about how you get to the end, not whether.

Those who enjoy action RPG's of this type in part for their looting, inventory and equipment upgrade elements will be disappointed. All of your loot is immediately converted into coins when you collect it. When you come across a better weapon, it is automatically equipped and the old one turns into coins. The same goes for armor. This makes for an incredibly streamlined process, and a new take on this mechanic is long overdue. But inventory management is one of the hallmarks of RPG's and this solution is a bit too far in the other direction.

The Bard is also a performer, and he learns new songs/spells as you progress. His spells focus on conjuring creatures to help you fight. Early on and throughout the game, the creatures you summon are just as important in a battle as your main character. They become more powerful and more varied, and you'll have your choice among a fair amount of options, but one option you don't often have is to go into battle without them.

Also unlike similar RPG's, The Bard's Tale has no co-op for sharing in the adventure with a friend. You'll meet some characters along the way that keep you company, if you let them, but it is a one player experience.

For all of these reasons, The Bard's Tale is a much more story-driven game than its contemporaries. The action is there, the fights are there, but the elements that support the action - the equipment, the magic - are clearly secondary and trimmed down. Much about the game seems focused on giving you less and less to do during and leading up to the action.

The scenery changes pace quite often, enough that you'll rarely tire of seeing the same thing. The range of outdoors, underground, dungeon and castle interiors covers all the bases with diversity. There also seems to be more visual depth to this game when compared to Baldur's Gate and Champions of Norrath. You'll find characters walking under tree branches all the time, for example, and those instances confer upon the game that much more life.

The Bard's Tale is a lesson in tradeoffs. If you enjoyed Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance or Champions of Norrath, the comparison is easy. The action is shallow compared to those games, and there is no inventory with which to bother. To make up for it, the Bard's Tale offers far more story than most RPG's. It's original, entertaining and the voice acting is superb. So if you've always been put off by the micromanagement inherent in most RPG's, Bard's Tale may be just your ticket. If those aspects are part of what draws you in, the game will feel very shallow.