The Bard’s Tale manages to slap you with its wry brand of humor before you even pop the game into your Xbox. The bottom of the CD’s face reads “For a really disturbing image…flip disc over.” I won’t disclose whether I fell for that or not, but I simultaneously surfed to TheBardsTale.com for a quick preview. Several of the front page characters jibe about the website’s features, but the barmaid’s more prominently displayed ‘features’ invited my mouse’s attention. I tried to click on her ‘treasure’ chest but my pointer was slapped away and she spat an unflattering rebuff. Really. More amused than juvenile, I again attempted to check out her ‘goods’. After a few more failed attempts my browser was suddenly redirected to a sexual harassment webpage.

I was convinced. This was going to be a fun ride.