"Simon the Sorcerer Origins": Clever Comeback

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“Simon the Sorcerer” is a legend of point-and-click adventures. Developed in 1993 by Mike Woodroffe and his team at Adventure Soft, the game was one of the best-known and most successful genre representatives alongside LucasArts adventures. Three decades and a few sequels, remakes, and spin-offs later, its fame has faded somewhat. The prequel “Simon the Sorcerer Origins” aims to bring back the glory of earlier days.

Once upon a time…

It begins, as so many adventures before. Shortly after moving, the cheeky eleven-year-old boy Simon is transported through a portal into a fantasy world full of wizards, witches, and trolls. To return, he must solve the mystery of the first sorcerer and sets off with the help of the old magician Calypso and the yapping mutt Chippy. However, there is also the evil Sordid, who has his own sinister plans for the first sorcerer and the mysterious portal.

If you think after these lines: Well, that doesn't sound like a prequel at all, but rather a remake of the classic, you should wait until the end credits. Until then, it's a Simon as old fans know him. Like the original, the prequel ironically plays with genre clichés and sometimes breaks the fourth wall. A self-referential adventure that genre connoisseurs can easily play through in less than 10 hours.

Classic Point'n Click Adventure

The Italian development studio Smallthing doesn't reinvent the genre. Simon trudges through the area, looks for clues, and combines items. At one point, Simon has to brew a sleeping potion or find a few owls that have escaped from a laboratory. Then there are trolls who don't want to leave their posts or runestones that only reveal their secret with a trick. This is logically structured, and once players understand the basic principle, there are hardly any frustrating moments.

There is no “Game Over,” and no path leads to a dead end. In our playthrough, we only got stuck once. And that was only because a game mechanic was not clearly explained in the game. On the other hand, there are always open and hidden tips in the game that facilitate progress.

The prequel has some original ideas. For example, Simon can learn spells with which he can illuminate lamps or freeze water. However, careless use of the magic wand can sometimes backfire. Later, Simon transforms his magic hat and changes the properties of certain items.

Sometimes players have to think a little outside the box. At the end, there's a real boss fight where they have to combine their skills.

Irony is King

The game's real strength is its tongue-in-cheek approach to numerous genre clichés. Old, confused wizards; simple-minded trolls; and constant comments and humorous references to the game series itself. This leads to funny moments when Simon has to “fill up” a wizard with his favorite drink or help a witch brew potions as a mindless zombie. “Origins” doesn't take itself seriously from beginning to end.

What's a bit lacking is the scope of the game. A small town with a pub and a general store, a magic academy, and a stinking swamp—players have seen everything quickly. They often have to revisit familiar locations because they only have the right items to combine then. Although this is facilitated by a fast travel function, it lacks variety. On the other hand, the cartoon look has a fitting retro charm, and the voice acting is excellently done in German and English.

Conclusion

“Simon the Sorcerer: Origins” by Smallthing Studios is a fun point-and-click adventure with nostalgic charm that will delight fans with a few clever game ideas and a lot of irony. The puzzles are logically structured and only challenge the brain cells in a few moments—but then really. We would have liked more variety in locations and puzzle design. However, this is hardly noticeable amidst the witty dialogues and quirky characters. With “Origins,” Simon achieves a successful and entertaining comeback for old and new fans.

“Simon the Sorcerer Origins” will be released on October 28th for Windows, PS4/5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, macOS, SteamOS, and Linux. It costs approx. 25 – 35 euros (digital) or approx. 30 – 50 euros (disc) and can be found on the usual platforms. USK from 6. For our review, we played through the Windows version.

(mho)