Developer: Compile Heart, ZeroDiv
Publisher: Compile Heart, Aksys Games, Rising Star Games
Platform: PlayStation Vita
Sorcery Saga – Review
Do you like curry? If yes, do you like it so much that you would volunteer to go on a quest in search for legendary ingredients in order to make the most delicious curry in the world? Well, if that’s the case, then Sorcery Saga is just the game for you!
Story
The game follows the story of a teenage girl named Pupuru, a student of the Magic Academy. During an exam she knew that she would fail, so she just left it to luck. Thanks to her ‘magical’ pencil, she scored a perfect score, and is chosen to search for a magical orb. Sadly, it seems that the orb that was on top of a magical tower, was eaten by a cute little monster called Kuu. Instead of the orb, she finds a mysterious book, which is written in some kind of ancient language. After reporting that the orb was eaten to her teacher, she gets suspended for lying.
Not being able to return to school, she visits her favorite curry shop in town. The owner of the shop tells Pupuru that it might be possible that the shop will go out of business, thanks to the arrival of a world famous curry food chain. Pupuru offers the owner her help.
After wandering around town, she comes across a fortune teller, who offers her help. It appears that the book that Pupuru found on top of the tower, contains the recipes for a legendary curry. She then decides to go search for all the ingredients in order to help her favorite curry shop. Along the way she meets both allies and enemies who are also interested in finding the recipe for their own purposes, resulting in a sort of humorous race to see who can obtain the legendary curry.
The story is pretty basic and fun to follow. There aren’t many complicated things involved, so it is really easy to get into. Most of the times you will be laughing at the interactions. It is also quite original, since searching for food isn’t really a standard RPG-like plot.
Graphics
Sorcery Saga offers a cutesy anime art style, capturing the story fairly well. All the characters are well designed, and there are a lot of diverse enemies.
The game does not allow you to walk around town, so you won’t be able to see the city and buildings as a whole. Most of the time you will be watching dialogue screens.
All the different dungeons are themed after natural things, like forests. Your character becomes a chibi version of herself as she explores the different levels. You are also able to customize Pupuru by giving her different outfits and accessories.
Sound
The music in this game suits the story and art style really well, capturing all the different feelings like happiness and sadness. Being very catchy, the music will probably be stuck in your head after playing a while.
There isn’t an option available to choose between voice-overs, so the full game is voiced by Japanese voice actors, suiting each character really nicely.
Gameplay
If you are familiar with the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, then this game will feel the same. You can only move while you’re in a dungeon. Every dungeon level is divided in a square grid, where you take one step at a time, while your enemies does the same. After every dungeon, your level goes back to 1, so this game does not reward level-grinding, which might be a positive aspect for the most of you. Your items do not disappear after clearing a dungeon, but you do lose them if you die in battle.
The game can get quite difficult if you are just walking around without thinking. Every step you take restores your health, but the dungeons are filled with enemies, so it might not always be a good idea to aimlessly wander around. The most beneficial feature however, is the Curry on Demand system. This allows Pupuru to combine three ingredients together to make different curry dishes that restore your health or temporarily increase her stats. This gives you a nice advantage in boss fights and against the ambushes of enemies.
You are also able to customize Pupuru by giving her different outfits and accessories, which is always a nice thing for you collectors out there.
While the game is fun, it does have its fair share of frustrations. The first annoyance that comes to mind is Kuu. This pet does help you in battle, but most of the time he will just wandering off on his own, forcing you to chase him down. This usually tends to lead to a horde of enemies that you might not please you. Another issue that the game has, is the amount of lag while playing and the glitches that occur (like walking around while poisoned and taking no damage while you should).
Conclusion
Although Sorcery Saga has its share of glitches, the story and characters are enjoyable while giving you enough replay ability, as dungeons are randomized. If you are looking for a Vita game, Sorcery Saga offers plenty of challenges and lots of laughs.
No Comments