Thirty years after his first appearance on the screen, Simon is drawn into a foreign world by an ancient prophecy, that will tell his origins. This world is populated by powerful yet mostly useless wizards and strange creatures. On his journey, Simon must solve a series of tricky puzzles, operate alchemical devices, and learn powerful spells. And yes, he also has to taste a few disgusting stews...

It doesn't quite match the wit and charm of the original game

Simon the Sorcerer: Origins brings the charm of the original saga back in a completely hand-drawn graphic style, blending classic gameplay mechanics with a fresh, new world of magic. The original 1993 Simon the Sorcerer was a point-and-click adventure game, and this release attempts to recapture the charm of that first installment.

Featuring lovingly hand-drawn graphics and Simon’s original voice, performed by British voice actor Chris Barrie, this is a lovingly crafted nod to classic point-and-click adventures. I have to admit that while I love this genre of game, I've never been a great one for getting my head underneath the logic of some of the puzzle solutions. It's all down to subjectivity. What some game developers may think is an easy puzzle progression, others may be left scratching their heads. And at other times I couldn't fathom why I couldn't combine or use certain items in what appeared, to me, to be an easy solution. I suppose that's the unfixable issue with point-and-click puzzles.

Featuring lovingly hand-drawn graphics

I have to admit that I, sadly, had to resort to following online walkthroughs in order to get passed a few areas in which I was stuck. And I think, if it weren't for the Internet, that I would have not progressed very far at all - probably shelving the game after not a very satisfactory experience.

That said, the majority of the puzzles are, if you take time to think them through, fairly straight forward.

I enjoyed my time with Simon The Sorcerer: Origins, while it doesn't quite match the wit and charm of the original game, it's still a worthy contender.

9

Nick Smithson