Sorcery Preview

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Scheduled release date:

TBA

Publisher:

SCE

Developer:

The Workshop

Number Of Players:

1-2

Genre:

Action

Screenshots

PlayStation Move is only a few weeks away, which is why we’ve decided to take a look at what the future has in store. One of the most anticipated Move games is Sorcery, which took center stage during Sony’s E3 conference; that presentation definitely went over well with the audience. The presenter worked through a series of enemies by slinging magical arrows with his staff, and yeah, there’s a resemblance to “Harry Potter.” But the latter was never quite so immersive in the video game world, and besides, Sorcery has its roots in Gaelic/Irish mythology and it appears to be a bit darker in nature. What we’re most interested in is the gameplay, and the accuracy and intricacy of those Move controls. Based on everything we’ve seen and heard, such a game could prove to be extremely entertaining, and a great incentive to be a PlayStation Move owner. We just have to wait until next year to try it.

You may have noticed in that demo that Sorcery features a fixed camera, so you won’t have to worry about controlling the view while attempting to aim and fire at the same time. It was probably a good idea and to simplify the process even further, there will be an auto-aiming mechanic as well. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to be exact when singling out goblins to fire upon. The reason for this relates to the necessity of getting the spell casting motions just right: the game will require that you “draw” the specific spell designs in the air with your motion controller, and that could prove challenging when it comes to the bigger spells. We don’t imagine it would get overly difficult but at least there’s some depth involved, and it’s not only about flicking your wrist in one direction over and over. Motion-sensing games can indeed get a bit repetitive but the options offered by Move should add a new dimension to such mechanics.

Basically, you’ll have a handful of core spells that can be combined together. For instance, while one particular spell only requires a simple, quick movement, you can string it together with other supportive magic incantations. This will also factor into the environment and types of enemies you come across, as you should be able to get quite creative and inventive with your spell combinations. This is another example of depth and one that’s most intriguing; we really want to experiment with the core spells at our disposal. We’re also wondering if there will be any sort of character advancement system. It won’t be labeled as a role-playing game but even so, wouldn’t it be great to enhance the power of your spells, or your general casting ability? Perhaps we’ll be rewarded for being accurate, or maybe we’ll be able to unlock new core skills as we progress through the adventure.

The other thing we’ll want to see as Sony unveils more in the way of gameplay, is different environments; we’ve really only seen battles take place in that same dark dungeon. But the inventive ideas behind the spell-casting, combined with many possibilities that could include everything from platforming to puzzles, really put Sorcery near the top of our must-try Move list. They’ve got plenty of time before the game is scheduled to release (somewhere during the second quarter of next year), and we fully expect to see more media and info as 2010 draws to a close. We wouldn’t be surprised if the game turned out to be even more dynamic and involving than we’ve imagined…Move could really benefit from a potentially top-quality title; consumers can always use more incentive.