Simon the Sorcerer first saw the light of day in 1993, a new version with enhanced sound and better Windows compatibility were released in 1995. The enhanced sound means that the newer version is filled with speech dialogues instead of text.

In the game Simon’s dog (who is with him most of the game) has found an interesting chest in the attic. When Simon goes to investigates he finds a book, and when opened a magic portal is opened. On the other side a new world opens and Simon turns into a magician.

The environments in the game are much like a dream world. The creatures are quite strange, and there are some evil orc-like creatures hanging around as well. What instantly strikes you is how beautiful the environments are, even with today’s standards. Some of the drawings could have been sold as paintings, they are simply that good.

Simon the Sorcerer resembles other adventure games a lot. The interface is similar to Lucas Arts games like Day of the Tentacle. However you get the inventory system on the command screen, so it much easier to use items.

The game features a lot of puzzles, some are difficult and some aren’t. What’s really interesting is how big the game is. It takes a lot of time to play through it and there are a number of different settings.

Simon the Sorcerer does has some problems. The speech dialogues which is added in the more recent version of the game works good. But it can get difficult for people having trouble hearing; it isn’t easy even with good hearing to hear what the characters are saying. The game also features a soundtrack. It’s a loveable soundtrack with a really diverse and powerful sound, good job!

Personally I find the sub characters very uninteresting. The developers have tried to make them interesting and dynamic but they simply aren’t. However they have done a good job with the main characters. It gives a lot to a game if all the characters are a bit interesting, sort of like Zelda by Nintendo. The game can also be a bit childish for mature audiences and it might not simply appeal to the same audience that plays games like Hopkins FBI or Broken Sword. However players who love Lucas Arts adventure games will probably feel right at home.

Simon the Sorcerer does have some minor issues like any other game. It is a nice and entertaining game to play, not every player will like it though. The environments and drawings is a huge factor when buying this game, they look great!

Requirements:
386 40 MHz, 4MB RAM, CD-ROM
Tested on:
Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, 512 MB RAM, ATI Radeon Graphics Card, Windows ME