Right around now is the time to get back to getting rid of all the back logged games in my collection, just until gaming season is back on and I can get back to ignoring the pile of games I have yet to unwrap. Amidst the stack games, one stood out, a title which played a key role at promoting the Move peripheral, yet spent a countless number of months in development hell only to be forgotten before actually hitting the shelves. I am talking about Sorcery, and if you didn’t get that, you really should have read the fricken title of this review. The premise of the title bodes well with the Move interface, I mean during gameplay you are using a wand which requires waiving around to do stuff, and the Move peripheral is basically that, just seriously uncool though.
Audio and Video: The title is stylized to look like a cartoon, but to be honest, visually, this game is average at best. Character design is hideous, the main character in the game has an epic forehead which makes the teen look like he’s a really stressed middle aged man. The characters are pasty and pale, and enemy design is boring. You will encounter a fistful of different enemies, and those designs will be used from there on throughout the game. The environments aren’t bad, although after the first couple of chapters, everything looks the same. The frame rate is choppy, and even with nothing going on on-screen, there is an excessive amount of screen tearing. Voice acting is not so bad, and the sound effects and score are pretty average.
Gameplay Mechanics: Gameplay is straight forward. It’s a simple adventure title but instead of a weapon you have a wand. Waiving said wand will do all sorts of crazy stuff, including fixing, topple over, picking up toppled over stuff, and doing magic. Your main attack is shooting fireballs, which can be replaced with different elements you unlock during your journey. You’ll also unlock a shield, which as you can expect shields you from attacks. The battle system isn’t bad at all, even though it does tend to get boring quickly. The biggest flaw the game has is that the character can’t jump, so you tend to get stuck A LOT unless you follow the paths created by the devs. The game has no replay value what so ever, and I would really consider it as an 8 hour long one-time thing. After beating it there is no incentive to go back for more unless you are a masochistic individual and like punishment.
Personal Experience: This title to me, was a let down of epic proportions, even bigger than that time I ate what was supposed to be chicken at a Chinese place and it turned out to be something else entirely, I am sure. The screen tearing is unacceptable by anyone’s standards, and if you’re going to make a very linear game, players will get bored quickly. This game’s only two achievements in my opinion, are; making me look like a waving cunt, and giving me carpal tunnel syndrome.
Overall Rating: 5/10
Written By Matthew C.