The Bard's Tale is built up like most similar titles. First you'll receive a couple of small quests in order to warm up, after which 'the big quest' commences. You, a simple, lonely bard that spends his days making a pass at barmaids, is sent out to rescue an imprisoned princess, thus saving the world from evil. While traveling, you'll come along some side quests, but they never take very long to complete and aren't always obligatory. Due to this, the game is quite linear and after finishing it, there's no real force that makes you want to do it all over again.