Simon the Sorcerer: Origins Review
The game’s title screen.
Simon the Sorcerer is back. This offering, developed by Smallthing Studios and published through ININ Games, relates his origin story. The game is available on many platforms. I played on a computer using Steam. Aesthetically pleasing graphics put adventurers at the center of Simon’s story, and wonderful sound design built with music, sound effects, and voice acting grab adventurers by their ears and keep them there. They direct his every action with a simple point-and-click interface. Adventurers see Simon carry out their commands with masterfully crafted animation. Simon faces many diabolical challenges on his adventure, particularly in his efforts to master the magical elements of fire, ice, and wind, and then employ them toward light or dark ends. All these masterfully crafted assets make participating in Simon’s origin story an enjoyable experience.
Simon’s world is beautifully drawn and animated. Every location is so elegantly crafted that it is impossible to choose a favorite. The highlight of the graphics is the animation; Simon walks with an entitled gait, and he stomps around like he owns every location he visits. His physicality matches his slightly snarky, arrogant personality perfectly. The memorable idle animations make Simon feel like a real person. His energy and impatience show clearly when he alternatively glares at adventurers, blows a bubble, or angrily waves his arms to gain attention.
Simon hikes through dark and spooky woods.
The voice acting endows Simon with a soul. He’s funny, snarky, intelligent, and heroic. Adventurers will like guiding Simon when they play. The music is great, especially on the Menu Screen. The familiar tune connects this game to the rest of the series. This lovely world crafted of sight and sound is the setting of an exciting story.
After being expelled from school for inattention, Simon’s family moves to a new house. There, Simon finds a magic portal in his bedroom. After stepping through it, tomfoolery ensues in the form of an epic quest. Simon must retrieve the tomes of the first wizard in order to return home. Adventurers direct him using a very simple point-and-click interface.
Left-clicking spurs Simon to action. The interface controls Simon’s movement, gathering and using items, talking with characters, casting spells, and saving and loading the game. Left-clicking on a spot on the screen compels Simon to walk there. Pressing the tab key reveals all the clickable hotspots on the screen. Left-clicking on a character reveals a list of relevant topics. Left-clicking on one of them allows Simon to engage them in conversation. These conversations allow adventures to figure out Simon’s objectives. He records them in a journal that adventurers may access from the inventory or by pressing the J key.
Hovering over an object transforms the cursor into a hand. It’s a signal to adventurers that they may pick it up and add it to Simon’s inventory. He keeps every item he collects under his pointed hat. Adventurers access the inventory by left-clicking on the hat in the lower-left corner of the screen. Left-clicking on an item selects it for use. Sometimes it’s necessary to combine items. It involves left-clicking on an item, moving it over its partner with the mouse, and releasing the button. If it’s possible, the items will combine. Moving the mouse to a spot on the screen and releasing the button orders Simon to try to use the item. He’ll let adventurers know if he’s successful.
Simon uses the objects in his inventory to solve puzzles. For instance, at one point, Simon uses ingredients he has gathered to mix a sleeping potion. It requires left-clicking on ingredients from the inventory and releasing the button over a cauldron. Besides this inventory object puzzle, adventurers choose Simon’s words when bargaining with a cagey merchant. The game’s most interesting puzzles are those involved in learning magic.
Before he learns magic, Simon equips himself with this snazzy outfit.
Simon proves himself worthy of magic powers by solving puzzles. When he turns on a machine and chooses the proper place and order for three paintings, the machine grants him with the power of fire. Other puzzles allow him to master ice and wind. When he learns spells, they are found directly above the inventory. Left-clicking on a spell, moving it to a spot on the screen, and releasing the button casts the spell. Similar tests help Simon learn other spells. Simon’s magic affects the world around him. It can also transform the items he carries.
Casting spells on Simon himself transforms some of the items he’s carrying. He can transform them using the blessings of the gods or curse them with the dark powers of chaos. For the transformation to succeed, adventurers need to cast spells on Simon in the proper order. I couldn’t discern the proper order for blessing the items, and I wasn’t aware you could curse the items until I saw a walkthrough.
Solving puzzles is tiring for even the most skilled adventurers. Saving the game is easy. It requires pressing Escape and left-clicking on an empty save slot. The save slots are organized by date and time. Adventurers may load the game at the menu screen by left-clicking on “Load” or by pressing Escape and clicking on “Load.” Then, left-click on an occupied slot. Adventurers may also access the Autosave by left-clicking on “Continue,” then they may continue where they left off.
Unfortunately, adventurers cannot save their game during the finale. The game saves when Simon confronts the villain; their battle is in stages. Adventurers cannot save between each stage. The stages are timed. If Simon fails, he doesn’t die, but he returns to the first of the three stages. I struggled mightily with the timed aspect of the finale because of my slow reflexes. I succeeded only through luck. Other adventurers might feel the same way.
Simon the Sorcerer: Origins is a spectacular adventure game and a worthy prequel to the beloved series. The simple interface, beautiful graphics, and sound design, along with diabolical but appropriate puzzles, make it fun to play. Adventurers will enjoy Simon the Sorcerer: Origins. It’s available on Steam, Xbox, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Score: 9/10