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Sorcery should have been one of the Move launch titles because not only does it take full advantage of both the Move and the Nav controllers but it does it in a fun, energetic and often imaginative way.
THE STORY
Sorcery is NOT an open world adventure. It's highly scripted and it follows the story of a fairy tale where you are the sorcerer's apprentice on a quest to, of course, rescue the charming princess who... but we're not supposed to reveal the plot, right? It's probably Okay to note that the story is a lot closer to a Brothers Grimm tale than Tolkien's.
I can reveal that you go through the story, page by page, chapter by chapter and, as you overcome increasingly difficult challenges, your sorcery skills grow. I've only covered the first 5 or 6 chapters so far and I'm looking forward to playing some more after I'm done spreading the word through this review :)
GAMEPLAY
Sure, there's a story and sure there's adventure and exciting combat but a lot in Sorcery is about showcasing the Move controller which is why I thought this should have been a launch title.
You would normally play standing up because there's a lot of wand waving, shaking and turning. You move in the world and initiate certain actions through the Nav controller and you cast spells, aim them and perform various other combat actions such as shield-bashing with the Move. It's hard to describe and it does involve learning new skills and it requires some coordination and good reflexes but you are learning things and tricks as you go and you have the opportunity to practice a lot on the weaker enemies before you fight the first really difficult boss.
From time to time you do die but you simply get back to where you were before the last battle started. It sounds like too easy but combat is hard and you may end-up dying 5 minutes into the battle so if you manage to die a couple of times in a boss battle it CAN be painful.
Like I said, the game is highly scripted and sometimes the dialogues that make sense the first time you engage into some specific melee don't the next time you face the exact same enemies how many times can you be 'surprised' that a certain enemy is immune to a certain spell and then here your wise companion suggesting that maybe you should try something else?
Oh, and there are several levels of difficulty. I'm surviving on the normal level but I can see how very challenging it would be to beat the game while playing in the hardest mode.
OVERALL QUALITY
The graphics are so-so, not exactly impressive with most of the enemies looking like Macy's parade floats but they fight... not too well or too smart but their relative ineptitude is more than made up by their numbers. Or this seems to be the case so far.
What makes the game fun is the original Move-based combat system. You get to use specific gestures to select your spell and specific moves to aim it including the equivalent of throwing curve balls. The Move-as-a-wand is also your key to opening doors, the stir when you make potions and the shield when you must deflect incoming missiles or bash back enemies that get too close. The Move interface is surprisingly good, precise and responsive.
THE FUN FACTOR AND MY RATING
Scripted as it is, the game has been very fun to play so far. My first 5-6 hours of playtime took me through several chapters. It's hard to tell how far from endgame I am now but I assume there must be at least a dozen hours or so left to play because there seems to be more powerful spells to learn, potions to make and tougher bosses left to defeat.
I'm giving the game 5 stars in the 'fun' category but I am not going to rate it as a 5-star overall, mainly because of the poor graphics quality and the overscripted and almost dumbed-down story line but this is not why most of as are going to play this game. As bad as the graphics are, the active waving of wands is immersive enough to make Sorcery a fun little game to play.
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UPDATE: I'm downgrading this game on the fun factor after playing 95% of the game because there are a *number* of annoying problems with this game. At times, the frustration really makes you want to stop playing.
**Be advised that you cannot play this game without the PlayStation Move, it might not be the clearest in the description, but it's clearly labeled on the box. You can't even start the game without calibrating the Move controller. **
After forcing gamers to wait way too long for a game that was originally a launch title, Sorcery is finally here, and it was worth the wait. The 1:1 tracking of the Move controller showcases the motion controller gaming like it was demoed, and it's quite fun using the controller as your magic wand. There are times it can be oversensitive, and you might miss your targets, but you'll get used to it over time.
Move controls include swiping left and right to move objects, drawing circles to 'mend' broken objects, and flicking your wrist to cast spells accurately based on how high you aim and what direction (and many more). Potions that you can craft are activated by shaking the motion controller, and then tipping it upside down like you are drinking the potion. Twisting your wrist and flicking to the side can also curve your spells which is fun to do and satisfying when you hit enemies behind cover with your spells.
This is definitely not the greatest game ever made. The game world is incredibly linear, annoyingly so. Instead of an adventure game that allows exploration and back-tracking, this game *prevents* backtracking after you move onto the 'next area'. So far, I have not been able to return to areas previously missed, and with trophies for finding all of the treasures, this is screaming the word annoying the entire way home. Some places the game does not tell you which is the "main" path, and some times you will find chests like you hope and other times you will skip them completely because the game only lets you move forward. While there are treasures to be found and sold, you are always restricted to following the path the game wants you to go; invisible walls are EVERYWHERE.
The Move is very accurate at spellcasting. However, since the game has a feature which allows you to curve your spells by 'side-casting', I found myself twisting the Move wand in my hand. If the Move wand isn't held correctly in your hand, I found that Finn will not cast any spells no matter how hard I tried. The movements which are required to 'select' your spells are a bit awkward and hard to do correctly and consistently while being in tight combat situations. When it works it's great, but when it's not, eh, not so much.
Voice acting is pretty good, although you can tell that it is more centered towards younger crowds. You get tired of hearing "Oh, you showed that rock!" pretty quickly. This actually improved as the game went on, no problems with the voice acting in this game.
There are 3 levels of difficulty, Casual, Gamer, and Hardcore. I've heard that there is a 4th difficulty which can be unlocked by beating the game the first time. I'll be able to confirm this in the next few days.
The combat in this game is *surprisingly* unforgiving. There have been a number of times where I have been knocked down or frozen, only to be knocked down and/or frozen as soon as I get back on my feet. I'm playing the game on CASUAL difficulty and I have died a number of times in some pretty ridiculously overwhelming combat scenarios. If you're looking at this game for someone who has never played video games, you may want to warn them that it's not going to be a cakewalk.
One last gripe, the save system. This is just atrocious, and I'm really hoping that it's something they patch on a future date. The game gives you the opportunity to "save the game", but this just saves it at the waypoint you LAST found, and nothing after that. Keep this in mind when you meet the alchemist and mix 4 different potions and then you die in the next encounter. (I just encountered this at a boss fight; made 4 or 5 potions, and was creative about how I chose my potions, etc. Boss killed me, and I started before talking to the alchemist, no potions mixed, and all of my stats were reset. The thought of having to do this 20 times if that's how many tries it takes to kill the boss just is *incredibly* annoying. You've been warned.
I can't say that this game would force me to buy a PlayStation Move if I didn't already own one, but it has definitely solidified my purchase from years ago, and I don't regret owning this thing anymore. This is one game that you'll definitely want to play to show your friends how the Move works. Adding in the spell combinations that can be unlocked later in the game, this game is inventive in ways that most games could only dream of. The spell combinations are surprisingly satisfying, and you'll have fun slinging your Move wand around throwing the various spells at different enemies.
Buy Sorcery Now
First, let me say that the Move controls are great! The game functions (for the most part) as advertised. I would definitely say the game is worth $20, but no more. It is way too short! I was not expecting Skyrim, but 6 hours is the most you can squeeze out of this game. I beat it on the next to highest difficulty, but there is absolutely no reason to go through it again, other than bragging rights (and let's be honest, who cares?). I had fun, but once it ended I felt completely ripped off! I have paid a lot less for downloadable games with more content!! As I said $20 is a decent price and it might be worth it, but $40 is way too high!
Read Best Reviews of Sorcery Here
If you are looking for a title that uses both the Move and navigation controller, then this is the one for you. After playing this game you can fully realize the potential of the Move controller. I would say that this title is probably the best Move title that I have played to date.
GRAPHICS
The graphics won't be taking on a title like Crysis by any means but they are still pretty good. The art design of the game is interesting and the array of characters and enemies I have encountered are unique. Cutscene art is interesting and is done in a style that makes sense and works for this game.
VOICE ACTING
The voice acting isn't going to win a 'best of' award but it is pretty solid.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is unique, providing an experience that can be addictive at times. The Move controller is used as a wand and the navigation controller is used to move your character around. The Move button is used with specific move control gestures to change spells, and it works seamlessly. This is the Harry Potter game people were looking for when Harry Potter was still relevant. Better late than never. There is also a potions mixing mini game so to speak. Your permanent ability increases are handled by researching and discovering new potions to increase your overall health, mana, etc. An interesting aspect to health potions is that you need to shake the bottles up with the Move controller and then tilt the controller to drink them. Drinking the health potion is done in real time, which adds some excitement if your health is aleady low because you can still take damage while trying to drink the potion. You can tell that the game developers put a lot of time into integrating as much Move motion controls into the game as possible. The good thing about it is, they did it without forcing it. Each move makes sense in the context of it's application in the game and the environment.
The fighting in the game is enjoyable and satisfying. Casting spells is fairly accurate although I have experienced the occasional errand cast. Enemies are designed such that certain elemental types affect them more than others. The developers made a deliberate effort to send enemies at you in groups that require you to switch spells often. For example, shield bearing enemies are impervious to all spells as long as they still have their shield. This requires you to cast an earth borrowing type of spell to hit them and make them drop their shield. The earth spell doesn't do much damage, so your are then forced to switch back to your Arcane Bolt in order to damage them. You can also combine a number of spells for increased damage. For example, you can lay down a wall of fire to keep enemies at bay and then cast a whirlwind, which combines with the fire making a fiery tornado. This tornado will suck enemies up into the funnel as they enter the tornado's path and do massive damage.
One draw back is related to character movement. I have had issues with movement where my character gets temporarily stuck when trying to move. It hasn't happened a lot, but when it does it can be annoying.
STORY
The story is about a young apprentice wizard that, due to circumstances as the story unfolds, is reponsible for protecting a princess. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at hat. There is more to the story than I expected for a Move title. It's no Heavy Rain by any means in that department, but it also is no Super Mario Brothers either. The story is enough to keep you interested without affecting the action and pacing of the game.
There is an epicness that surrounds getting new spells that as the game progresses you get the real sense that you are becoming a more powerful wizard, even if physically you still look like a puny apprentice.
SOUND
The sound is pretty good in this game. There is an orchestral score that adds ambience that is not obtrusive and pleasant to hear without becoming repetitive.
SCORE/RATING
As far as Move games are concerned, I would give this title 5 stars. The game is shorter than I would like, but I think it demonstrates the Move better than any other title I have played to date.
As for racking it up against other titles across all control types, I would give it 4 to 4.5 stars. There are enough minor things that need improvement that I can't flat out give it a 5 star rating overall. If they gave it another 6 months of polish the game might have earned 5 stars because it definitely is 5 stars in terms of fun.
As a gamer I think the game is a buy.
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SORCERY REVIEW
The game itself is very fun. The graphics are mediocre but the two main characters (one you control and the cat sidekick) have a really good story and voice acting. This surprised me in a very nice way. This is the first full game (not party games) I have ever played with motion controls that actually felt like the controls were a positive and not some side gimmick to sell extra controllers. The Move controller works well with the spells and it feels good plus there are some strategies. I would recommend the navigation controller for moving your character around. The camera can be slightly off at times but it's not a big concern.
My 7 year old son played most of the time (I played a little myself, especially in the hard parts) with me watching a lot. We've also had it on the lowest difficulty (apprentice) so he doesn't get frustrated and for the most part he rarely died. There are six different powers you accumulate throughout the game (like earth, wind, fire, ice, and lightning) and that keeps it fun and interesting. The game is a bit short as it took us around six hours to complete. I don't think it's fair to compare game length of a $40 game to a full $60 game though so I didn't have an issue with this. I would suggest playing on a harder difficulty so it takes a little longer but I have no clue how hard the game is on the higher difficulties (there are four settings).
The time you are playing is fun and the new powers the game introduces keeps the game from feeling repetitive. There are actually quite a few things to do with the six main powers you get through the game (secondary things with them too) plus a shield. The games powers and controls develop nicely so you are never confused as to how to do things. Some enemies can only be hurt by certain powers so you have to figure that out as you go. Some powers can be combined as well for some cool effects.
You can't jump up on things and the game is fairly linear and pushes you in the right direction which is a good thing for younger gamers. Some different potions you get also add some variety although this is an area where we have neglected to a degree. You have to collect a bunch of things and try mixing them together which provide powers and upgrades for your abilities. There are tons of slots for new potions and upgrades and I don't know if we got half of them. There is an alchemist who shows up occasionally that you can buy and sell stuff and I think we screwed that part up. Since we are on Apprentice it didn't hurt us too much. One thing that hurt us initially was not realizing you had to switch to the ingredients tab to test combinations for potions in order to be able to create them on the powers/upgrade tab.
There are a decent variety of enemies throughout the game with some cool boss battles, especially at the end. The motion controls are fun to use and don't feel like a gimmick. The story was really good and my son loved this game. I have to admit I enjoyed watching and playing quite a bit myself. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for the family.
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