Sorcerian

Lore & Background

Sorcerian was developed by Japanese developer Nihon Falcom as the fifth installment in the Dragon Slayer series. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987, and later ported to other personal computer platforms such as the NEC PC-9801, the NEC PC-88VA, the Sharp X1 Turbo, and the MSX2, for which it was released under the title Dragon Slayer V: Sorcerian. An English version for MS-DOS was published by Sierra Entertainment in 1990. Ports for the Atari ST, Amiga, Apple IIGS and Macintosh platforms were announced but not released.

The game features side-scrolling action-RPG gameplay where the player can create up to ten characters, from whom up to four members can be present in a party at the same time. Each character is highly customizable, with four different classes/races (fighter, wizard, elf, and dwarf) and over 60 possible jobs/occupations. The player can choose from fifteen different scenarios to play through in the order of their choice. The party must battle enemies and perform tasks within the given levels to clear each scenario. Sorcerian also employs class-based puzzles, such as using a high-strength character to force open doors.

All characters have a default starting age of 16. Each time a player begins a new scenario, a year passes by, while additional time passes in towns as a character goes through training or enchants items. Characters age at different rates depending on their race, with humans reaching old age at 60, dwarves at 100, and elves at 200. Upon reaching old age, for every year that passes, a character can die permanently at a random time. The aging system was created with the additional scenario packs in mind.

Reader's Guide

Sorcerian holds significance as an early action role-playing game that introduced an episodic format and an aging system, which were innovative for its time. Its character customization, with four races and over 60 jobs, allowed for varied gameplay and replayability. The game's influence is noted by game designer Hideki Kamiya, who cited Sorcerian as an inspiration for his work on Scalebound, particularly its fantasy theme, gigantic monsters, and different scenarios.

Reception was mixed. In a 1990 review, Theo Clarke of Games International criticized the animation as rudimentary and lacking realism, awarding it a 6 out of 10. However, in 1991, Scorpia of Computer Gaming World praised the division into many miniquests for variety, though she disliked the magic system and noted the arcade-style action typical of Japanese games. The game's legacy includes numerous ports and re-releases across platforms, including a 2012 iOS version and a 2021 Nintendo Switch release via G-Mode Archives. The soundtrack, composed by Yuzo Koshiro and others, has been released in multiple albums, including arranged versions.

Did You Know?

• Sorcerian was the fifth installment in the Dragon Slayer series by Nihon Falcom.
• The game features an aging system where characters can die permanently upon reaching old age.
• An English MS-DOS version was published by Sierra Entertainment in 1990.
• The soundtrack was composed by Yuzo Koshiro, Mieko Ishikawa, Reiko Takebayashi, Hideya Nagata, and Takahito Abe.