Back at E3 in 2010, Sony showed off a game at its press conference called
Sorcery. A PlayStation Move-enabled title based loosely around Celtic mythology, Sorcery invoked third-person action while using what appeared to be fairly accurate motion controls to put players in the role of a wizard named Finn. But since the game made its debut at E3 that year, we haven't heard anything about it. That is until just a couple of weeks ago, when IGN broke the news that
Sorcery was indeed still in development.
Sony recently visited the IGN offices to show off the game, one that I joked around with Sony PR that I didn't actually believe existed. But Sorcery does exist, and I was lucky enough to play it fairly extensively. The end result of my experience with Sorcery: you should be excited to play it for yourself. When it first made an appearance at that fateful E3, many a PlayStation 3 gamer said that Sorcery would convince them to actually use the PlayStation Move. From what I saw and played, I don't see why that wouldn't still be the case when the game finally comes out in the spring of 2012.
Sorcery requires the PlayStation Move and its accompanying navigation controller, though you could supplement the latter by holding the left side of a DualShock controller if you'd like. Moving Finn around is done on the navigation controller's analog stick, and the camera pretty much sets itself as you go, though you can center it at will by pressing the trigger on the navigation controller.
On the other hand (quite literally), you have the Move controller itself, which allows you to conjure up any number of spells and unleash them at enemies. Your primary attack, the Arcane Bolt, is flung at enemies by using the Move controller while aiming at enemies in real space. If an enemy is to the left, aim at it and fling a spell. Likewise, if a foe is shooting arrows at you from above and to the left, you won't be able to hit him by just holding the Move controller in front of you; you'll need to reach out at him and make sure the game knows that is who you're aiming at. You can even arc spells around corners once you get the gestures down pat.
For a game that's clearly catered to a younger audience, there's still plenty here to rope in the older and more experienced player. In that sense, Sorcery reminds me a bit of another PlayStation Move game I took quite the liking to, Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest, which followed a similar accessible-yet-deep path.
What impressed me the most in the case of Sorcery was how spells could be combined with one another to create something special. For instance, conjuring up a fire wall and then shooting a tornado through it creates a flame-riddled wave of air that careens into nearby enemies. Freezing an enemy and then shooting Arcane Bolts off of him will redirect those shots at enemies that may be obscured from view or otherwise difficult to strike. Sorcery will come complete with five different offensive spells, as well as magical skills that serve a more mundane, non-violent purpose.
There's something decidedly special and well thought-out about the two stages I got to play in Sorcery (Lochbarrow and Endless Stair). This isn't just a game where you'll run up to enemies and wave the Move around wildly until the screen is devoid of any threats. That technique (or lack thereof) would get you killed rather quickly. Here, combat is more about pinpoint accuracy, though to be fair, the game's aiming system could use a little bit of work in specific instances where Finn isn't on the same level as the enemy he's shooting at.
Sorcery will also come complete with a few other options that I didn't get to fully explore, but options that will nonetheless flesh out the experience and make it something more engaging. Hidden items will allow you to use an alchemy system that works towards making Finn and his spells more powerful. Likewise, gold coins collected in the environment can be used to buy items and more from merchants. I was told that the game is only five or six hours in length, but that returning to earlier areas after completing them to reach previously-unattainable locales and to find collectibles could add plenty of length, if gamers choose to thoroughly explore.
Developer
The Workshop, created by some ex-Treyarch employees, is hard at work at finishing Sorcery, which is that studio's very first project. My hands-on time with the game renewed my interest in a game that I previously assumed was cancelled, if not at the very least stuck in development hell. Sorcery seems like it's going to be the real deal, and for PlayStation 3 gamers looking for one of those rare reasons to pick up their Move controllers, that should come as really good news.
