PlayStation Move 'Sorcery' Story Trailer, Does It Hold Up?

With the long awaited PlayStation Move game, ‘Sorcery’ set to launch in about a months time, Sony has finally revealed the games box art (pictures above) and released an all new story line trailer which helps set the world and mood for the game. Players will grab their magic wands (PlayStation Move controller) and play as Finn, the sorcerer’s apprentice, and Erline, his magical cat who must go on a magical adventure to save the world.

Originally shown over two years ago, Sorcery has changed quite a bit from the original vision when the game went dark for nearly a year, leading some to speculate that the ambitious PlayStation Move enabled game for the PS3 had been canceled. Instead, Sony and the team at Santa Monica Studios were working on stream lining the games storyline which would allow gamers to jump into the magical world faster. As Brian Upton, Creative Director at Santa Monica Studios put it:

Finn’s backstory – where he came from, how he became an apprentice – was pared down because it was getting in the way of kicking off the action. There was a whole sub-plot about a guild of fame-hungry rival sorcerers that just got dropped. And, as other elements fell away, Finn and Erline’s relationship moved to center stage.

Having had a chance to play the games most recent public build at CES 2012, I can vouch for the games improvements which allow for a much more interactive and immersive world. Harry Potter fans should take note that while you might not get to verbally launch and change your magic, different strokes will used to conjure your arsenal of magic which can range from a wall of fire to a raging tornado, ravaging through a herd of enemies.

A lot of the details of the story grew organically out of gameplay. The team would have a cool idea for an enemy or a puzzle or an encounter and I’d weave the rest of the narrative around it. For example, the civilization of the bogeys (an early-game enemy) is crude and brutal because that’s how they behave when they attack. And a lot of the mythology of the Faerie Forest had its roots in the boss battle you fight there. We wanted the player to feel like there was a tight link between the story and the gameplay. Everything you do and see in Sorcery ties into the world or narrative in some larger way.

As the game is nearing its launch window, Sony has released a story trailer, helping depict the games world and the adventure that you will set on. Unfortunately, unlike the game which I thoroughly enjoyed at CES, the story trailer seems to fall flat on its face or maybe I’m just too old to enjoy it. No matter, a game like this should be judged more on gameplay and I hope that Sony will release a better trailer in the near future which better shows off the games ability to use the PlayStation Move. Sorcery is set to launch exclusively on the PlayStation 3 on May 22nd.