Sorcery! (video game)

Sorcery!
Developer(s) Inkle
Platform(s) iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, OS X
Release May 2, 2013 - September 22, 2016

Sorcery! is a series of text/graphic adventure video games developed by Inkle for iOS, Android, and Steam having been first released on May 2, 2013. The games are based on Steve Jackson's Sorcery! gamebook novels: a four-part spin-off series of the larger Fighting Fantasy series.

Gameplay

The game is a text-based fantasy quest based on Steve Jackson's choose-your-own-adventure novels. The game incorporates visual and interactive elements not present in the gamebooks.[1][2]

The games contain expanded content vis-à-vis the original gamebooks. Additions include a different combat mechanic that includes turn-by-turn energy, the inclusion of your spirit animal, and spelling out names of spells from a star sky.[3]

Release

The series consist of four parts (first release within parenthesis):

  • Sorcery!, The Shamutanti Hills (May 2013)
  • Sorcery! 2, Kharé: Cityport of Traps (October 2013)
  • Sorcery! 3, The Seven Serpents (April 2015)
  • Sorcery! 4, The Crown of Kings (September 2016)

iOS

The first entry Sorcery!: The Shamutanti Hills was released by Inkle in May 2013 on the iOS App Store[4] and was a 'Game of the Year' finalist for TouchArcade,[5] Mashable,[6] and Gamezebo.[7] The subsequent iOS releases were Sorcery! 2: Kharé - The Cityport of Traps in October 2013, Sorcery! 3: The Seven Serpents in April 2015, and Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings in September 2016.

Android

The Shamutanti Hills was released on Android on March 12, 2014.[8] Khare: The Cityport of Traps was released in 2014, The Seven Serpents was released in 2015, and The Crown of Kings released in 2016.

Desktop

The first and second parts of Sorcery! were released as a single volume onto PC and Mac for |Steam in February 2016.[9] Sorcery! 3 and Sorcery! 4 were released in April and September of 2016 respectively.[10]

Critical reception

Sorcery!

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticiOS: 85/100[11]
PC: 69/100[12]
Review score
PublicationScore
TouchArcadeiOS: [13]

Sorcery! has a Metacritic score of 85 out of 100 based on 13 critic reviews.[11]

The game's innovative style of gameplay was lauded upon launch from outlets such as Hardcore Gamer, writing: "Sorcery! is one of the best games that this reviewer has played on the iPhone and iPad, offering a plethora of options and an excellent story."[14] IGN gave similar praise, adding: "Sorcery! relies on the often-ignored power of strong writing, and it’s better for doing so."[15]

Sorcery! 2

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticiOS: 88/100[16]
PC: 69/100[12]
Review score
PublicationScore
TouchArcadeiOS: [17]

Sorcery! 2 has a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews.[16]

The series's second entry had a noticeably similar aesthetic to the first, with Slide to Play mentioning how "Sorcery! 2 isn’t doing much different"[18], and MacLife making it a point to say "Sorcery 2 continues the adventure with very little iteration, but it’s built on a strong foundation that remains charming."[19] Other critics agreed noted that the game was still different enough to be worth it to returning fans, with 148Apps's review reading: "Building upon the success of its predecessor, Sorcery! 2 is a gripping and well told story of intrigue and adventure, amongst some great game features."[20]

Sorcery! 3

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticiOS: 90/100[21]
Review score
PublicationScore
TouchArcadeiOS: [22]

Sorcery! 3 has a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews.[21]

After a longer break in between entries, the series's third game is perhaps best summarized with TouchArcade's review: "Sorcery! 3 is easily the biggest and most robust gamebook inkle has produced to date. It offers all of the strengths of the previous chapters and builds a ton of improvements on top of them ... it's hard to imagine how they're going to top this for the concluding chapter, but I guess we'll find out whenever it's ready."[22] Gamezebo once more had praise for the Sorcery! series, remarking that "this is once again a seminal moment in interactive fiction."[23]

Sorcery! 4

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticiOS: 89/100[24]
Review score
PublicationScore
TouchArcadeiOS: [25]

Sorcery! 4 has a Metacritic score of 89 out of 100 based on 7 critic reviews.[24]

Upon release of what is thus far the series's concluding entry, critics still found Sorcery! 4 iterative and fresh with Rock, Paper, Shotgun calling it "utterly fantastic" and "a towering triumph".[26] Richard Cobbet characterized the game in the same light, proclaiming Sorcery! 4 to be "easily the most crazily advanced, ambitious CYOA ever put to page or screen".[27]

References

  1. ↑ "Sorcery!". Inkle Studios. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Sorcery! Review". IGN. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  3. ↑ http://appaddict.net/2013/05/03/inkles-ios-adaptation-of-steve-jacksons-sorcery-gamebook-is-something-magical/
  4. ↑ "Sorcery! - InkeStudios game page". inkestudios.com. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Jared (2013-12-25). "Best iPhone and iPad Games of 2013". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  6. ↑ "Mashable -The 10 Best Mobile Games of 2013". Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  7. ↑ "Gamezebo - The Best Games of 2013". Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  8. ↑ http://www.inklestudios.com/2014/03/12/android-is-live.html
  9. ↑ http://www.inklestudios.com/2016/02/02/inklecast-sorcery-special.html
  10. ↑ http://www.inklestudios.com/2016/03/23/sorcery-3-coming-to-pc.html
  11. 1 2 "Sorcery! for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  12. 1 2 "Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Nissa (2013-05-13). "'Sorcery!' Review – Inkle's Gamebook Gets It Right". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  14. ↑ http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2013/05/09/review-sorcery/
  15. ↑ http://au.ign.com/articles/2013/05/10/sorcery-review-2
  16. 1 2 "Sorcery! 2 for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  17. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (2013-12-13). "'Sorcery! 2' Review – Continue The Adventure In This Bigger And Better Chapter". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  18. ↑ http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/sorcery-2-review/
  19. ↑ http://www.maclife.com/article/games/sorcery_2_review
  20. ↑ http://www.148apps.com/reviews/sorcery-2-review/
  21. 1 2 "Sorcery! 3 for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  22. 1 2 Musgrave, Shaun (2015-04-22). "'Sorcery! 3' Review – Live The Mongoose Life In This Amazing Adventure". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  23. ↑ http://www.gamezebo.com/author/spanner-spencer, Spanner Spencer (2015-05-07). "Sorcery! 3 Review: A Superbly Serpentine Path". Gamezebo. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  24. 1 2 "Sorcery! 4 for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  25. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (2016-09-22). "'Sorcery! 4' Review – The End of an Incredible Journey". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  26. ↑ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/22/sorcery-part-4-review-pc/
  27. ↑ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/26/the-rpg-scrollbars-wussing-out-in-inkles-sorcery/
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