It’s safe to say that Simon the Sorcerer has had a difficult time of late. Following the first two brilliant and critically-acclaimed entries all the way back in the 90s, our favourite foul-mouthed British wizard has struggled to regain its footing. The third entry, which attempted to bring the series into 3D back in 2002, fell flat thanks, in large part, to some dodgy visuals. Seriously, Google it and try and explain how that arrived six years after Mario 64 on more capable hardware. Since then, Silver Style Entertainment (who?) attempted to reboot the series with two immediately forgettable new entries, Chaos Happens? (what?) in 2007, and Who’d Even Want Contact? (eh?!) in 2010. So where are we? The last we heard of our ill-fated sorcerer was a failed attempt to reboot the series in 2014, with OG voice actor Chris Barrie once again set to lend his pipes to the 90s hero. Except this time he’s middle-aged and even more grumpy. That all changed back in 2022, when another developer you haven’t heard of, Smallthing Studios, decided to give a reboot another shot, this time with a prequel that takes place in the very year the original released: 1993. Once again, Chris Barrie is back to voice the eponymous Simon though you probably wouldn’t have been able to tell if you hadn’t looked it up. More importantly, though, Rick Astley’s in it. But this is a spoiler free review. If you’ve played the original game in particular, it’s hard not to get carried away by nostalgia when you first boot up Simon the Sorcerer Origins. It certainly feels familiar, even if it doesn’t look, sound, or even play like the original. At all, really. Visually, it very much looks like a children’s book come to life: which is fitting, really, as that very much seems to be the target audience. While the first game was very cheeky, and certainly contained humour aimed squarely at adults, it was a game designed to be enjoyed by all ages just like the best Disney or Pixar flicks. Witless banter? This time around though, the witty banter is just a little too tame, obvious, and so telegraphed you’d think you were watching a Marvel movie. It’s not that it’s particularly bad it’s even rather amusing at times. It just doesn’t quite live up to its namesake. And that kind of goes for the game as a whole. The music has its moments, but it’s no rival to the first, and the visuals are arguably less striking than the original, which is over 30 years old at this point. It’s all just a little too basic and safe. Still, if you’re a parent who played the original back in the day, this is a great introduction to the world of gaming for the younger crowd. You might even find yourself enjoying it alongside them, if you’re a sucker for nostalgia.
https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/simon-the-sorcerer-origins-switch-review-recaptures-the-magic/
Simon the Sorcerer Origins Switch Review – Recaptures the Magic?
