Game: Steve Jackson’s Sorcery!
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Action, RPG
System: Nintendo Switch (also available on Steam (Windows & macOS), iOS Android, Playstation & Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: No Gravity Games | Inkle
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US E
Price: US $24.99 | UK £24.99 | EU € 24,99
Release Date: June 23rd, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Emily Morganti PR.
In the 1980’s, Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! printed gamebooks where released, a single-player four-part adventure gamebook series written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Blanche. The books even had their own Spellbook, enhancing the experience. In 2013 the books were made into video games, a perfect format for the adventures, allowing players to really feel like they are a part of the story.
Of course, as is much appreciated in fantasy novels, the hero (or heroine, your choice) goes on an epic quest to recover the stolen Crown of Kings. Now I love fantasy books, as my bookcase (and my Kindle) can testify, so this was an experience I didn’t want to miss. Exploring a beautifully illustrated world filled with unique and memorable encounters, vicious traps, magic spells, strategic turn-based combat, and moral tests that can make or break a heroine.
Inkle released Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! in four instalments for mobile and PC/Mac between 2012 and 2016. For the first time, this console release has all four chapters collected into one game. And played on the Nintendo Switch, you can even take your adventure book with you, anywhere you go.
Spoilt for Choice
The story is told using pieces of text describing the tale based on the choices you make. My warrior started her journey in Analand in search of the legendary crown of Kings. She got a spellbook, some battle training and a bag of gold and lots of good advice before she went through the gates into hostile territory.
With each stop along the way I got choices, simpler choices about whether to go left or right, but choices too about whether to help someone or leave them to their fate. Most choices are given to you in a very descriptive way like you are really reading a book. For instance, I meet a little fairy-like creature called Jann along the way. “What are you?’ The creature does a backflip and gives a low bow: ‘I’m a Minimite. Pleased to meet you’ It reaches out a tiny hand, and shakes your earlobe”. So I get a choice whether to take him along or not.
I know I can’t use any magic while he is around, but it feels good to go questing together, and he might have some invaluable knowledge. Or the choice might ultimately lead to my doom. I don’t know yet, I will have to let the story play out to see.
Four Books Rolled into One
Sorcery! consists of four parts. Each part can be played on its own, or you can load your character from one part to the next, carrying over equipment, stats, and narrative choices. The world in which I travel looks beautiful, like a Tolkien map of the land.
These are the chapters:
The Shamutanti Hills. You navigate the hills and plains surrounding Analand while defeating various monsters and avoiding traps and getting to grips with how Sorcery! works.
Kharé – Cityport of Traps. Finally, you reach Kharé, where you can interact with a lot of characters. Find the four lines of a spell required to open the Northern Gate and allow an exit from the city.
The Seven Serpents. Cross into Baklands, a vast and dangerous wasteland, and attempt to find and defeat seven magical serpents. These are servants of the Archmage who are travelling to warn their master of the Analander’s approach.
The Crown of Kings. In the final adventure you have to find and penetrate Mampang Fortress. This is the stronghold of the Archmage, you have to defeat the enemy before reclaiming the Crown of Kings.
Encounter Fantastic Enemies
Sometimes you just can’t avoid a fight. Some dangers I can flick away with a spell, but to survive others I must duel. The characters are static sketches, and it’s for you to decide if you defend yourself, taking only minimal damage, or attack. Your cue about whether or not to go headlong in battle and how much power you can put behind your slash and cut comes from the bar on the right. It shows me how much attack power I have. Combine this with the text and from the lever to the right showing the strength of the enemy. When the words suggest that your adversary is dizzied by your attack and can barely stand up straight, then that’s my cue to make another powerful attack.
The battling is oddly satisfying but can be dangerous too as I found out in the cave near Torrepani. I died several times, trying my luck against a super strong enemy and with no way to use magic because Jann sat on my shoulder.
A good thing that the game allows you to backtrack fairly easily. With the press of the L-shoulder you can just go back to where you have already been and give it another try. Or I can pray to the spirit that is guiding me at the moment… it’s always uncertain though if this will help!
Recovering from the wounds that are inflicted on you can only be done by resting and eating a meal, and of course, that costs gold. Another choice here: will you go spend the night in an inn, or save money and sleep in the wild. Which could lead to you waking up while bats are attacking you.
Great Package for Avid Readers
This way of making your own choices makes for a long and satisfying adventure. After all, it can lead to several outcomes multiplying your experience. And it’s not just the endings that vary, you can play the story once and miss out on several scenes and storylines just by choosing to go through the valley instead of going into the hills. Several playthroughs are in order if you want to experience it all.
Aside from the excellent storytelling Sorcery! has a very satisfying way of making your story choices into one on-screen book. See the way the bits are threaded together? Like the writer had a lot of book parts lying around and stitches them together just for you. I love this eye for detail, which is also found in the illustrations.
The graphics are beautiful and each image is made with the greatest care. The music is sweeping, taking you along in the story. And when there’s no music to accompany you, you hear background noises. Like the babble of voices on a busy street, the creaking of the branches in the wind. Headphones on, and it’s totally immersive!
Conclusion
Sorcery! is a classic fantasy novel and game rolled into one. The elements all fit together. The storytelling is ace, there are many, many choices to make all leading to a different storyline. It’s the kind of tale where you have to remember who you met along the road, pick up keys you find, try to find magical elements and more. It’s like you are stitching loose pages of a book together in the order you want them to be.
The graphics are gorgeous as is the soundtracks. If you have never played a Sorcery! game and you love your fantasy books, this is a lovely one to go for. And even if you have played the chapters before, it’s great to have them all rolled into one.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up! 