Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2

Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2 is inkle's digital adaptation of Steve Jackson's classic gamebook series, bundled here as a single PC release covering the Shamutanti Hills and the Cityport of Kharé. If you've never heard of gamebooks, think of this as a choose-your-own-adventure novel with actual mechanical depth - a living map you drag your finger across, branching dialogue that remembers what you've done, and a combat system that plays out like a slow-burn bluff between you and whatever creature is trying to kill you. The core hook is the spell system. You have access to over fifty spells, each coded by a three-letter combination you select from a ring of letters before casting. Some spells are obvious utility, some are weird situational tricks, and figuring out which spell to throw at which problem - without a guide - is genuinely satisfying. The game doesn't hold your hand here. Cast the wrong spell at a troll and you'll find out the hard way. Cast the right one at a seemingly mundane NPC encounter and a whole new path opens. That discovery loop is where Sorcery earns its reputation. The writing is the other strong point. inkle has a clear house style: economical prose, dry wit, and branching text that doesn't feel like it's just padding out a word count. The Shamutanti Hills section (Part 1) is a slower wilderness crawl with environmental choices and resource management. Part 2 picks up the pace considerably in Kharé, a city rotten with factions, locked gates, and a puzzle that spans the entire area. The tonal shift works well, and the two parts feel like a complete act rather than a half-finished product. That said, the Metacritic score around 69 reflects some real friction points. Players expecting traditional RPG progression - leveling up, loot drops, stat trees - will find the loop thin. Your character sheet is minimal. Replayability exists in theory because of the branching structure, but a second run through the same prose moves slower than the first. The interface is distinctive but takes adjustment; the map-dragging navigation feels more natural on a touchscreen (this started as a mobile game) than with a mouse. None of these are dealbreakers, but they're worth knowing going in. This is a game for readers who want their reading to have consequences, or for RPG players who are tired of being the chosen one and just want to make weird decisions in a strange fantasy world and see what sticks. The 89% positive Steam rating from a smaller review pool suggests the people who find it are mostly the right people for it. If gamebook or interactive fiction has ever appealed to you even slightly, Parts 1 and 2 together make a strong case.

Alex · Scout Team

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