Sorcery Saga (1): Curry is happiness

 

I dislike the curry spice, as well as everything that is curry-flavoured; and yet, I found myself craving a good, warm plate of curry more than once as I played that game. That’s how powerful and compelling it is.

 

Okay, stop drooling. Let’s focus and start with a morsel of data. Developed by Compile Heart and ZeroDiv and released in 2013(jp/na) and 2014(eu), Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God, as it is fully named, is a dungeon crawler with a strong roguelike flavour, as well as a curry one. I always love when games incorporate food one way or another, and the way the curry element is implemented in that game is deeply satisfying—but more on that later. 

 

Sorcery Saga didn’t fare so well critically, reaping scores of 65 on Metacritic and 69 on Gamerankings as well as mixed reviews on merchant websites. Reviewers pointed at a variety of flaws, from various glitches and bugs to excessive difficulty to the impropriety of the game’s humour and dialogues. Had I taken these reviews into account, I probably wouldn’t have bought Sorcery Saga; and it would have been quite the loss, for I absolutely adored this game. It ticks all the boxes to qualify for the title of Perfect Game in my book, although it is not exempt of flaws—which I will cover for fairness’ sake. But for now, on with the goodness of Sorcery Saga! We’re talking about a perfectly wholesome game that can sate one’s dungeon crawling and roguelike appetites in more ways than one, and here’s how. 

 

Easy does it

 

Sorcery Saga undoubtedly lounges at the relaxed end of the roguelike spectrum. That still makes it considerably harder than any other game, granted; but as far as roguelikes go, this is a very forgiving offering that shouldn’t pose a threat to anyone. I am still very much a beginner in the rogueliking department and yet, I cleared this game without any major hassle. Don’t get me wrong, though: it is a challenging game that requires focus and dedication. However, this challenging game remains fair, balanced, and most importantly, rewarding, thanks to a handful of features designed to make your dungeon crawling more comfortable:

 

—Upgrading your weapons and shields is relatively easy. The game offers you a rather unusual blacksmith that I won’t spoil here: suffice it to say that weapons and shields can be upgraded in the cosy safety of the town at all times, providing that you own the necessary materials and monetary resources to do so. 

 

—Money can be safely tucked away in town—in a piggy bank in your own room, no less. 

 

—The game offers you an incredibly convenient item called “Transport Book”, which does exactly what it says, i.e. transport you back to town in the blink of an eye with all the items you collected. Transport Books are rather easy to find, and having one with you at all times is the safest way to go. They put me out of a bind more than once, saving me from painful and/or utterly stupid deaths in the depths and heights of the dungeons.

 

—Dungeons Merchants are a much more common occurrence than in, say, Shiren the Wanderer. They often sell interesting and reasonably priced items and are definitely a better shopping option that the single shop available in town, which only stores crappy random items that can easily be found for free in the dungeons. 

 

—A good range of useful Magic Spells can be learnt throughout the game. They include the classic elemental attacks, healing spells and buffs, as well as a couple of oddball abilities that can prove priceless to get out of a bind: one spell will revive you if you fall into battle on the same floor, which makes it perfect for boss fights, while another one strikes all the foes in the room, which makes it the best choice to clear Monster Houses swiftly and efficiently. There is a luck factor involved, however, since Spells can only be learnt through the reading of Scrolls randomly found in dungeons. 

 

—All dungeons contain Warps that can take you back to town with all your items. (For the record, the five main dungeons contain ten to forty floors each.) Should you not be equipped with a Transport Book, this is a good alternative if you want to rest in the safety of the town, refurbish your inventory or tuck away valuable items. 

 

—Curses affecting items will be lifted as soon as you set foot into town, so it may be a good idea to hold onto any valuable cursed item until you exit the dungeon. 

 

—The game offers you a welcome tag system. Using a so-called ‘ID Scroll’ on any item will prevent said item from breaking, being stolen and, last but certainly not least, from being lost forever if/when you die. Instead, the item will be safely brought back to town for further use. The tag will be consumed in the process, though, so you will need another ID Scroll to make the item safe and shatterproof again.

 

—Sorcery Saga also hands you on a silver platter a surefire way to keep your equipped weapon and shield if you die. I am not referring to the aforementioned tag system, but to a more reliable and enduring method that works at all times. This is actually a very important point that deserves more exposition—so much so that I’m planning to write a special addendum dedicated to the matter. For now, suffice it to say that losing your equipment is far from being a fatality in Sorcery Saga and can be avoided, and quite easily at that. 

 

—To conclude this list, there is no permadeath sensu stricto. Dying in a dungeon sends you back to town empty-handed—or nearly so—but doesn’t force you to restart the whole game from scratch: your progression up until that point is saved and any dungeon you cleared beforehand is cleared for good. 

 

Thanks to these excellent features, Sorcery Saga is as rewarding as it is challenging. Upgrading your equipment is a slow and deliberate process that can be time-consuming; however, the painstaking side of that process is balanced by the fact that you can hold onto your precious honed equipment with a bit of skill and care. Collecting money can be a pain and requires more often than not raiding dungeons and selling the loot, but any money you manage to grab can be safely tucked away for further use. Spells can be hard to come by, but they can be learnt on the spot and ready to equip as soon as you come back to town. And so on. Sorcery Saga always makes sure that your sweating and toiling won’t be wasted on a stroke of bad luck and dutifully rewards your perseverance by opening up slowly but surely. Indeed, if there are such things as forgiving and accommodating roguelikes, then this game is definitely one of them. 

 

A flair for details

 

The goodness doesn’t stop here: Sorcery Saga glazes these wholesome bites of gameplay mechanics with a scrumptious coating of delightful atmosphere elements, cooking thus a delicious dish of a game. Sorcery Saga boasts a vibrant and immediately recognizable visual identity, both in its gameplay and anime-based segments: colours are bright and festive and everything looks deliciously glossy and crisp, in typical modern fashion; yet the game strays away from boring hyperrealism—or from any kind of realism, for that matter. The sprites are both goofy and cute, with lovely detailed animations that make them incredibly endearing. 

 

The storyline is just the way I like it: unobtrusive and not taking itself too seriously—heck, not taking itself seriously at all would be closer to the truth. There is a pleasant light-heartedness to it and it is packed with humour, as well as excellently translated—which is quite a feat, especially given the kind of humour involved. After having read reviews denouncing the so-called sexual harassment of main character Pupuru by so-called much older guy Gigas, I somehow expected the worse dialogue-wise; however, my fears were totally unfounded. The dialogues are loaded with ludicrousness and dripping with irony, and it is simply impossible to take them seriously: the level of silliness and sheer nonsense involved is such that the whole narrative can only be described as a Japanese take on the Looney Tunes cartoons. As for Gigas’ supposed harassment of Pupuru, it is more hilarious than creepy, really, and consists in no more than over-the-top declarations of undying love—conveniently rebuffed by Pupuru’s sharper-than-steel tongue. (The guy is not even that much older than her: while she is 15 or 16, he is obviously around 20. I know it can be hard to attribute an age to anime characters, but it definitely comes across that way.)

 

Not surprisingly for a game whose storyline revolves solely around cooking a batch of curry, references to food abound everywhere. Pupuru fights with forks, spoons, cooking knives, ladles and ice pops while protecting herself with cutting boards and barrel lids—though fear not: there are more conventional weapons and shields available—and faces enemies shaped as curry ingredients. Beware the musketeer eggplant, the stern tofu and the deadly rolling meatbun! Your faithful ally Kuu can gulp literally everything and is the sole holder of the Hunger factor, a beloved staple in roguelikes: while Pupuru can go endlessly without eating a morsel, every step brings Kuu closer to starvation and the little chap must be fed regularly with whatever you find lying around. And sure enough, you can cook your own curry while roaming the depths or heights of dungeons. You wouldn’t expect less from a curry-themed game, would you? Such curry can be eaten by Pupuru or fed to Kuu and grants them a welcome stat boost; and while this is by no means a mandatory feature, it is incredibly satisfying to take a break in order to cook a batch of delicious curry—especially since the whole process is fully animated, with Pupuru throwing ingredients into her trademark pot and stirring them before wolfing down the whole plate and rubbing her belly with a sated look on her face. (Gee, I swear that I felt a pang of hunger every time I saw this.) 

 

All in all, Sorcery Saga’s atmosphere is incredibly pleasant, comforting and endearing. Just like the Shiren and Mystery Dungeon series, it pairs the brutal gameplay mechanics inherent to the roguelike genre with a setting so gentle and soothing that you are always inclined to come back to it, no matter how roughly the game treats you. This combination seems to be the blueprint for the vast majority of Japanese roguelikes, and it works like a charm.

 

Sour bites

 

Like I said earlier, Sorcery Saga is pretty much a perfect game in my book; however, while loving it to pieces, I couldn’t help but notice a couple of flaws that I will now mention for the sake of information and equity. Lo and behold, here’s the list of annoyances:

 

—This is a matter of personal taste, but I totally hated the music and voice acting. It is very much a miss-or-hit thing: the whole aural package is so idiosyncratic that you will either adore it or loathe it. While the music is brilliant and genuinely original and the voice acting is excellent, they are also so hectic and strident that they started grating on my ears and nerves after only a couple of seconds—so much so that I actually played the whole game with the sound off. However, the next gamer may adore that soundtrack—all the more so as the general consensus seems to be that Sorcery Saga indeed rocks in the aural department.

 

—The two post-game dungeons are an absolute bore. One of them is an exercise in fake longevity with its 256 floors—yes, 256—recycling the same layouts ad nauseam: this is nothing more than a senseless roaming marathon, an insane test of dungeon-crawling endurance. And I was masochistic enough to clear it. The other one is an exercise in frustration: it contains only ten floors, but must be entered without items and cleared while relying solely on whatever you find in it. This is a thrilling challenge on paper, but a half-failure in execution: the luck factor is so preponderant that there is virtually no chance to succeed unless you get a near-perfect combination of useful items and convenient enemy placements. More often than not, you just don’t have the right items no matter what, or enemies are too numerous and/or blocking the only path, and so on. Despite my 40-or-so attempts, I never managed to get past the 8^th floor, and I have no intention of doing so. These lacklustre extra dungeons are all the more disappointing as the main game dungeons are very well designed and an utter pleasure to roam; on the other hand, it could be argued that there is no need to make a fuss about the poorer quality of these extra offerings, given that are optional and not part of the main game. It would be petty to complain about the lack of flavour of the digestives when the preceding meal was so delicious, wouldn’t it? 

 

—Last on this list are the slowdowns (or frame rate drops, as they are called nowadays) that occasionally plague the game as you wander through dungeons. I normally don’t really mind such disturbances, and I wouldn’t even have mentioned these slowdowns if not for the fact that they are very pronounced, to the point of actually hindering the gameplay. Now, wait a minute: isn’t the Vita supposed to be the most powerful handheld in existence? I would have thought that it could run a modest dungeon crawler without breaking a sweat, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Oh, well.

 

Now is the time to wrap up this post. Sorcery Saga is a delicious gourmet dish of a game that should definitely delight the palate of any roguelike aficionado. It is pleasantly compact and keeps things mercifully short with its five main dungeons; however, it can be incredibly addictive, to the point of making you lose track of time. I was shocked to discover that I actually spent 40 hours playing that game, for they felt more like 15 hours to me, so engrossed was I by the gameplay. (Although I’d wager that a good 10 of these 40 hours were devoted solely to the post-game dungeons.) Most importantly, this game made me feel happy. I felt a massive rush of giddy joy every time I thought about it, and the idea of playing it was enough to put a smile on my face; I couldn’t wait to pick up my Vita and to immerse myself in that compelling gameplay and uplifting game world. Very few games can make me feel so elated: Dragon Quest IX was one of them, as well as Avalon Code and, more recently, Pokemon; and I am more than glad to add a new entry to this list. I’m not done yet with Sorcery Saga, both in terms of gaming and writing; I will most definitely replay it—and certainly more than once, at that—and I’m coming back soon with a meaty addendum full of yummy chunks of useful data. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!

 

4 comments:

 Kina 10 February 2015 at 01:07

"this is nothing more than a senseless roaming marathon, an insane test of dungeon-crawling endurance. And I was masochistic enough to clear it"
Yuuuup, I know that feel.

The combination of food + crafting + easy roguelike means Sorcery Saga is near the top of my list for if/when I get a Vita. I don't usually do postgame content and I don't mind playing games with the sound turned off, so even the flaws don't sound too bad. The slowdowns sound a bit worrisome, but I've seen worse. Do waaaant!

Isleif 10 February 2015 at 19:39

The slowdowns are very noticeable, but not that common: only one floor here and there is affected. Except in the 256-floor postgame dungeon, where they pretty much become the norm as you progress. Another reason not to like that dungeon.

All in all, Sorcery Saga is a excellent game. I can only encourage you to get it as soon as you get your hands on a Vita! You certainly won't regret it.

YvoCaro 21 February 2015 at 21:02

How nice to find such a grand review for Sorcery Saga! I've only had my Vita for a couple of months, and I bought this game based in the visuals and the fact that I like weird RPG. Hadn't looked at much reviews yet, and I'm glad I didn't. I like it!
So funny that you say that thinking of this game makes you happy, like Avalon Code did. Another one that I loved very much, thinkering around with the book to make the battles do-able!

Isleif 22 February 2015 at 10:23

Thank you for the kind words! Just like you, I've had my Vita for a short time, and Sorcery Saga is actually the first Vita game I've cleared. And my, what an auspicious start! I own a handful of quirky Vita RPG and dungeon crawlers, and hopefully they will turn out to be as excellent as Sorcery Saga.

Ah, Avalon Code... I can hardly find the words to describe how much I adore that game! It's so rich and complex, with a unique atmosphere and a gameplay like no other. Definitely a cult classic in my book, and one of my favourite games of all times!

Sonic Rush: Renewing the formula with zest

 

 

 

If Sonic Classic Collection had the distinguished honour of being my first DS game, Sonic Rush had the equally distinguished honour of being my second DS game. When I got my first DS in 2011, it took me quite some time to realise how humongous the DS RPG library was; as a result, the early stages of my DS career were littered with familiar references such as these. Not that it is a bad thing, really: I love my Sonic, and the Rush subseries is one of the best interpretations of 2D Sonic platforming that I’ve ever encountered, as I will try to demonstrate very soon.

 

But first, let’s have the usual bite of data. Co-developed by the Sonic Team and Dimps and released in 2005 in all regions, Sonic Rush was the first Sonic instalment to grace the DS, and it was exclusive to the system. At that time, the DS was still brand-new, having been released barely a year before in Japan; and yet, the developers managed to get the most out of the console and to craft an amazingly polished game that could pretty well pass for a late-lifetime release. Without further ado, let’s now explore the adrenaline-filled awesomeness of Sonic Rush! 

 

The name says it all

 

Indeed, the mention of the word rush in the title of that game is no mere coincidence: Sonic Rush is the first Sonic entry that puts speed at the heart of the gameplay. I’ve already established in my post about Sonic Classic Collection that if speed was undoubtedly an inner characteristic of the Blue Blur, the early instalments of the series featured a gameplay based rather on careful exploration and quicksilver reflexes, with bursts of speed acting as a well-deserved reward between lengthy segments of focused platforming. This template was abandoned in Rush and replaced by a brand-new one in which momentum must be built up and maintained in order to progress as smoothly as possible. The upper routes can be reached only through clever use of speed, as opposed to the 16-bit instalments in which they could be reached through careful platforming, and it is sometimes mandatory to muster and maintain the maximum speed in order to avoid obstacles and survive. (Think of the boulder scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark and you’ll get a good idea of what these obstacles could be.) Talking about mustering speed, this is done through the use of the “Tension Gauge”, a meter that stores momentum and empties itself as you use said momentum. This gauge can be filled by using special items, killing enemies and, last but certainly not least, by performing acrobatics while your character is being projected in the air by one of the many contraptions present in the game. On top of being useful, these acrobatics are a treat to pull out, and they replace the speed of old as the reward factor: they pleasantly break the game’s high-octane pace to offer the player a few seconds of giddy, silly fun. It is hard not to feel a thrill of pleasure and a feeling of contentment as you watch Sonic or Blaze twirl gracefully in the air in a flurry of swift motions. 

 

Sonic Rush may be fast enough to make your head sway, but it does not forget its platforming roots. There are a good number of tricky platforming sections that require concentration and excellent reflexes: on top of demanding top-notch precision, they include a speed factor that cannot be overlooked. React just a second too late and you will likely fall to your death, as there is no second chance with such sections. And talking about falling, it is worth mentioning that Rush is undoubtedly the most Mario-ish of all Sonic games: it contains a staggering number of bottomless pits, probably more so than all the other 2D Sonic entries combined. No stage is sparred from these wide, treacherous gaps, and they will claim a good number of lives before you manage to master the gameplay mechanics and remember where these annoying pits stand.

 

That game also manages the tour de force to introduce an awesome ally. The Sonic series is fairly known for not exactly mastering the art of creating secondary characters and for harbouring a couple of epic failures in that department. I won’t quote any name to avoid offending anyone’s sensibilities, but I think it is safe to say that the sidequick business went a tad astray after Sonic3&Knuckles. Not so with Rush’s resident ally, however. Not only is Blaze a great character in her own right, with her cat-like poise, fiery aura and ever-swishing tail that make her mesmerizing to look at, but she is also a completely viable alternative to Sonic instead of being a watered-down version of the Blue Blur: albeit a tad slower than Sonic, she has a handful of exclusive abilities than are well implemented and pleasant to use. Last but not certainly not least, her relationship with Sonic is incredibly well-crafted and is undoubtedly the narrative highlight of the game.

 

Said relationship is actually a revival of sorts of Sonic and Knuckles’ one: starting off as opponents on the basis of a misunderstanding, they occasionally interact and let the tension build up until a major showdown takes place, after what they realise that they ultimately strive for the same goal and decide to join forces. Rush reuses the formula and hons it successfully, managing to erase the disappointing parts of the Sonic/Knuckles relationship in the process. This is especially true regarding the epic showdown, which went from an anticlimactic, low-key fight in Sonic3&Knuckles to a frantic and intense confrontation in Rush. This fight takes place at the end of the seventh zone, Dead Line, and the way to it is conveniently paved by subtle yet effective means. For one thing, Dead Line is a conveniently difficult level that is bound to keep you on your toes and raise your blood pressure, making you all frayed and edgy by the time you reach the end of the stage. For another, the respective musical themes of Sonic and Blaze, which up until then only showed subtle variations, are now much more blatantly different from one another; this showcases the paroxysmal opposition between the two characters, soon to be resolved through that ultimate fight. Both Sonic and Blaze are tough nuts to crack, and the confrontation is backed up by a gorgeous décor and a frenzied, adrenaline-popping musical theme. This fight is a masterpiece and delivers in all departments, unlike the disappointing one against Knuckles in S3K. 

 

To close that list of goodness, a word must be said about the music. Composed by Hideki Naganuma, it incorporates vocal samples and can be a hard sell at first: it is definitely not your classic Sonic soundtrack and is bound to be divisive because of that. However, it boasts an undeniable originality factor and most importantly, it suits the game like a glove: it is hard to imagine a soundtrack that could better emphasize the feverish, nearly manic pace of Sonic Rush. 

 

Still needs polish

 

Of course, no game can ever be deemed perfect, and Sonic Rush is no exception. It actually has a couple of flaws that are quite noticeable, albeit not to the point of becoming deal-breakers. However, they are still worth mentioning, if only for information’s sake.

 

The most blatant one is the general shallowness of the level-design. The game’s emphasis on speed undoubtedly forced the developers to craft significantly less intricate levels than in the 16-bit instalments. Gone are the many secrets passageways, moving platforms and booby traps that acted as obstructions in the first entries; in their place come loop-de-loops, endless slopes and propelling devices that accommodate Rush’s faster gameplay and allow for the building-up of speed. The collateral damage of such a design choice is that levels feel a trifle too streamlined and simple. Crossing them at full speed remains highly enjoyable, that much is sure, but it is also hard to deny that they feel just a little too empty and linear for their own good. 

 

Another irritating flaw is the general mediocrity of the boss battles. These fights that should be moments of tension and epicness play the part visually, featuring humongous mechas and gorgeous backgrounds; however, they turn out to be quite tedious and clunky gameplay-wise. For one, they are incredibly repetitive. Apart from the deliciously inventive bosses of Mirage Road and Night Carnival and the epic showdown between Sonic and Blaze, all the battles unfold in the exact same way: Eggman tries to crush your frail rodent or feline body with a part of its giant contraption before retreating in the background to fire at you; rinse and repeat. This becomes old very quickly. The fights are further marred by hitbox issues: the mechas have a single sensitive spot that must be hit to hurt them, and it can be incredibly hard to aim precisely at the said spot, especially as it tends to become smaller and smaller as the boss fights unfold. (The boss of Altitude Limit is probably the worst offender, with its slippery head that seems to deflect blows.) As for the final showdown in space while sporting your super-form, it really doesn’t deliver. Instead of being the climax of the game, it turns out to be a long, boring and tedious fight in which landing a hit is way too difficult and random. Be prepared to cringe and shatter the time limit more than once before you manage to master the mechanics of that confrontation. 

 

On a more personal note, I resent Rush for being the first 2D Sonic entry to have introduced a ranking system. I loathe trophies, achievements and ranking systems with a passion, and it is supremely annoying to have a crappy rank slapped across my forehead after I enjoyed myself immensely while clearing a level—call me childish, but it does ruin my fun. It doesn’t serve any real purpose in the context of that particular game and seems to be nothing more than a thoughtless concession to current gaming trends, which makes it even more galling. 

 

Still, these flaws remain minor ones. Sonic Rush remains a dazzling gem of a game that manages to renew brilliantly the series’ trademark gameplay. Rush’s brand-new mechanics are easy to learn and master and soon become as pleasantly familiar and intuitive as the 16-bit ones. As a matter of fact, I found myself instinctively trying to perform them in instalments that don’t support them, such as Sonic Colours; this is similar to the Spin Dash attempt case in the first entry and definitely shows that these mechanics are efficient and bound to endure. Most importantly, Sonic Rush gloriously conveys that feeling of giddy joy and blissful happiness so typical of the series, perhaps more strongly than ever before: this game is a rapturous maelstrom of sparkling colours, thrilling music and non-stop delirious action that can send the player on cloud nine—it did so for me, at least. It is definitely one of my favourite 2D Sonic entries, and I fervently hope to see a third Rush instalment grace the 3ds before the end of its lifetime. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!