Sorcery! Part 3
- April 5, 2016
- inkle
Almost as good as Parts 1 & 2, Part 3 suffers from having the player run around in circles quite a bit. That's by design, but it does allow late-game fatigue to develop.
Get on SteamSteve Jackson's Sorcery! is a four-part fantasy adventure like never before. With tens of thousands of choices, the story rewrites itself around your actions. Battle weird and deadly creatures, cast powerful spells, play with honour, or lie, cheat and steal. The fate of the land of Kakhabad is in your hands!
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Reviews
- The game features a rich and immersive story with a unique narrative that enhances replayability.
- The mechanics of time travel and exploration between two timelines add depth and complexity to the gameplay.
- The attention to detail in tracking past decisions and their consequences is impressive, making for a highly engaging experience.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, requiring players to redo actions to achieve the best outcomes.
- Backtracking is excessive, leading to tedious gameplay as players navigate large areas to find serpents and complete objectives.
- Some combat mechanics are underwhelming, with certain encounters resolved through dialogue rather than engaging battles.
- story50 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its intricate and engaging narrative, allowing players to choose their own paths while still being rooted in a rich world filled with background and exploration. Although some players note that choices primarily affect gameplay rather than the overarching plot, the attention to detail in tracking decisions and their consequences enhances the storytelling experience. Overall, the game is considered a strong entry in its genre, with a sophisticated narrative that rewards thorough engagement with the text and world.
“The plot threads and the clues to solve the larger puzzles are masterfully interwoven into the fabric of the world, and almost every location you visit yields a new surprise.”
“The story is so intricate and there are even more possibilities in this sequel compared to the previous games, with details hidden in every choice.”
“Strong story, fun, immersive environment far above an above CRPG.”
“Your choices don't really impact the story, but they affect what you own, which changes how the story unfolds.”
“The story, in this one we have to hunt seven serpents, and this is the part I don't like.”
“It is nothing like part 1, where you have branching paths that automatically exclude other paths and significantly change the story.”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players finding the mechanics dull and repetitive, particularly in combat, while others appreciate the innovative features introduced in Part 3, such as time-reversal lighthouses and engaging RPG elements. The series maintains a fresh approach by varying mechanics between installments, though some drastic changes in Part 3 have left players divided on their effectiveness. Overall, while the narrative and environments are praised, the execution of gameplay mechanics has drawn criticism for lacking depth.
“The massive journey is immensely fun, the time-reversal lighthouses are a genius mechanic, the environments are great and slaying the seven serpents is a blast.”
“Part 3 takes what parts 1 and 2 did and adds another great twist on the expected gameplay loop.”
“Part 3 brings mechanics that one could not predict and they make the game even more engaging.”
“Super boring mechanic, to be honest.”
“Fighting is a joke of a mechanic: just decide how hard you're going to hit or use a spell instead--both of which wind up being influenced by the 'do it over until you get it right' approach.”
“Also, the mechanics are pretty dull.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their stunning visuals and faithful homage to the original game book's art style, blending old drawings with new environments effectively. The simple yet gorgeous art style enhances the interactive storytelling experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The visuals are great, and Inkle does a fantastic job of maintaining similarities to the old game book's art style while incorporating the original drawings to visualize some of the environments.”
“It's a good game, an interactive storytelling experience with great visuals and art style that continues to evolve with each installment.”
“The art style is simple but gorgeous.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, particularly criticizing the repetitive nature of the sorcery games, which require extensive reading of pre-written content. The transition from a linear to a non-linear but grind-heavy second part further contributes to a sense of frustration, making the overall experience feel laborious.
“The sorcery games just make you read one that's already been written in the most tedious fashion possible.”
“Overall, my experience with this game could mostly be described as tedious.”
“After going through the pretty linear first part and a non-linear but grindy second, [i]Seven Serpents[/i] were simply a revelation.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its engaging narrative and the potential to discover missed elements in multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the depth and richness of the experience, encouraging them to revisit the game.
“This was a great rendition of the book, really brought to life and has a fantastic new narrative with replayability.”
“It's pretty easy to miss a lot of things in the game, hence the replayability.”
“Each one has a lot of replayability.”
“It's pretty easy to miss a lot of things in the game, which affects its replayability.”
“Each aspect of the game has a lot of replayability.”
“It's pretty easy to miss a lot of things in the game, which affects its replayability.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game, particularly the orchestral theme composed by Laurence Chapman, is highly praised for enhancing the epic feel of the quest. Players appreciate how the soundtrack effectively conveys emotional moments and complements the gameplay, making it a standout feature that contributes to their overall enjoyment of the franchise.
“The orchestral theme music, prepared by Laurence Chapman, is simply perfect for this epic quest.”
“I love the franchise and the people who converted it from the book. I am into RPGs, especially ones with simplistic mechanics that are easy to grasp. This game manages to convey most of its epic moments with just music, and I love that about this series. That's also why I will buy the next one.”
“Getting blasted with music every time you kill a snake is righteous.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, user experiences with the game's stability are mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with minimal bugs, others have encountered noticeable issues that affect gameplay.
“The game wasn't buggy for me, and the story is an interesting one, though I wouldn't argue that the writing is stellar.”
“However, this one as it stands is a little buggy.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere effectively conveys a sense of epic adventure and desperation, immersing players in its intense and engaging world.
“The atmosphere throughout this game really captures the epic and desperate adventure within.”
