Here's for an unexpected prequel announcement. Publisher Leonardo Interactive and developer Smallthing Studios have announced a brand new entry in the classic Simon the Sorcerer point-and-click adventure series. The series debuted on the DOS and Amiga, and next year's upcoming entry, Simon the Sorcerer Origins, will be the first entry in nearly 13 years.
The Simon the Sorcerer games were known for having humour that was comparable to the Monkey Island series and Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. The first was developed by British studio Adventure Soft, and the character was voiced by Red Dwarf and The Brittas Empire comedian Chris Barrie.
The franchise has changed hands over the years, with Silver Style Entertainment handling the fourth and fifth games. A sixth game was in development around 2014, but in 2016, Irish studio StoryBeasts announced that it would be halting the Kickstarter due to the departure of a key member of the team. You can read the developer's statement from back then right here.
The game is coming to multiple platforms, but most importantly, the Switch! We've grabbed all the details from the game's Steam page:
About
Simon The Sorcerer Origins is the official prequel of the legendary Simon’s saga.
The game starts a few weeks before the events of the first episode, which left the players of the time with many unanswered questions about the reasons why Simon ended up in that mysterious magical world.
Origins tell a story about what happened before the events of the first chapter.
Simon’s rebellious life will be shattered by the unexpected arrival in the wizarding world where he will unleash an absurd and ancient prophecy that will trigger a lot of trouble! During his adventure, the rebellious Simon will do something great, obtaining moral redemption and proving that he is not just a disappointment to his parents.
He will meet his guide and mentor: Calypso. Thanks to this encounter, Simon will be able to gain a new friend who will represent a symbolic grandfather for him.
The narrative and gameplay paths unfold in countless ways without forgetting about the core elements of the saga: comedy and sarcasm. A strong bond with these features has been maintained in the dialogues, situations, and animations. Simon will often break the fourth wall by speaking directly to the players. “Hey, I am talking to you, the future player I can magically sense who is reading the Steam Page about my game!”
Key Features
- Legacy – A tale that travels through time from a legendary past towards a great future.
- This is Not a Remake, Guys! – Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a brand new game with its roots deeply bonded with the contemporary gaming world.
- Stunning 2D Art – Simon the Sorcerer Origins‘ visuals and animations, refined in every detail, let the player live his adventure in a continuous flow that goes from gameplay to cutscenes and vice-versa.
- Puzzle and Comedy – The player will encounter a wide range of different kinds of puzzles. You could either challenge your wits with the classical “take and use” ones, seasoned with unexpected comedy interludes, or you can be called to solve magical arquebuses that will require the help of a little bit of sorcery. Hunt for clues, objects to combine, and all the weird stuff in the middle to reach the skill of a decent mage.
- Original License – This is a canonical chapter of Simon’s saga.
- Easter Eggs – Look for them because they could be anywhere, also in a description of a Steam Page.
We've got to wait a bit before we can start practicing magic with Simon as the prequel isn't due out until 2023. Steam currently lists the release date for 28th March 2023, but this might just be a placeholder for now. You can also get most of the games in the series on PC and mobile nowadays, but regardless, this is an exciting update for Amiga and point-and-click fans!
This origin story also comes with a brand new art style for the series, with lovely hand-drawn characters and painterly backgrounds, which is in line with the styles of some of the Monkey Island rereleases!
Let us know your thoughts on this surprise prequel in the comments!
[source gematsu.com]
Comments (21)
Two great point & clicks returning! All we need now is a new Discworld game ^_^
@sikthvash Gimme a new Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle and my year is made.
@kerplunk And Full Throttle too.
"Solve magical arquebuses"? Is this some weird British idiom that I'm unfamiliar with? I don't understand how medieval firearms fit in this sentence's context.
One google later, no, the publisher and the studio are both Italian. So maybe it's some weird Italian idiom that doesn't really translate.
@Vyacheslav333 YES!
I've just started re-playing The Secret of Monkey Island and recently re-played Broken Sword.
I never played any of the Simon the Sorcerer games so think I should before this is released...
I'd love them to bring some Amiga classics back! Speedball 2 Deluxe, Rick Dangerous, Super Frog, Nitro, PP Hammer and many more. They would play so well on the Switch
I'd love them to bring the originals to the switch too. As i cant remember ever finishing it. But that was a VERY long time ago.
@Patendo Super Frog got a re-release on the Vita, complete with new levels. I'd love a Switch port of that.
Will definitely be looking to pick up this game when it releases, though.
Lovely news for fans of these classic point & click adventure games, like me.^^
Huge fan of point and click adventures (King's Quest and Monkey Island are my two favorite franchises) so I'm very excited about this! Can't wait to pick it up. Will probably pick up on Xbox though to play with achievements.
The series debuted on the DOS and Amiga
For real I don't recall seeing it on Amiga or did I miss something there.
@SwitchForce If memory serves me right, the original was released on Amiga and PC (with dazzling VGA graphics ). First on floppies and later on CD with spoken dialog.
@Vyacheslav333 And Loom! And The Colonel's Bequest!
@SwitchForce You must've missed it.
A cracking game, with or without Rimmer.
Wait. Hang on..
If this is a prequel, then McSwampy's won't exist yet, and we won't get a new version of the Burger Life song...
... I'm disappointed now..
It better have Chris Barrie returning as Simon. I’d buy this just for him alone.
@Kochambra Colonel's Bequest!! Oh I was trying to remember this title and I had forgotten its name! Yes, you read my mind. What a game! Truly classic! I was playing on 8088 PC with black & white graphics, no sound and still I was enjoying it!
@Patendo Yes, I would buy Rick Dangerous 1 & 2 !
I still haven't tried the original on my A500 mini. Too busy with Alien Breed and Chaos Engine. I'll have to give it a go soon.
This is such a great news! The first two have been some of my first experiences in gaming! This is really great, can't wait and I really hope they are going to get the feeling of those first games (not the ones that came out later... They are just bad...)
The first 2 entries in the series are highly regarded, and so I'm off to download them for PC!
Hopefully these new reboots and sequels work out too!
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