While the Fighting Fantasy series pretty much defined the format for the choose-your-own-adventure format, the spin-off Sorcery! expanded the concept dramatically while also attempting to adapt it to a more adult audience. The good news is that this series is being brought to the iPhone and iPad by Bright AI with the release of the first book, The Shamutanti Hills.
Briefly About Sorcery!
The Sorcery! series was originally written by the co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy books, Steve Jackson, who would go on with the other co-creator Ian Livingstone to start up Games Workshop. [Note, this Steve Jackson is the British Steve, who should not be confused with the Steve Jackson from the US who started Steve Jackson Games and who also wrote a few books for the FF series just to REALLY confuse people...] Starting in 1982, four books were eventually written, the last being finished in 1984.
One of the defining characteristics of the game books was the levels of complexity and wealth of options that it provided the player. While you could play the game using the traditional Fighting Fantasy format for combat and the like if you wanted to, choosing the Warrior option, you could play a Wizard and have access to spells. It was this option that made the game unique. You would need to remember three letter codes that represented spells in the game and each would have their own effect on the situation that you were presented. If you did not know the spells, they would not work, or would have unintended consequences.
The stories were also told in a slightly more adult tone. While the more traditional Fighting Fantasy books were targeted at children, the Sorcery! series tried to appeal to adults (even using the marketing line “Why should children have all the fun!”). The extra freedom that this gave the author allowed him to create a remarkable depth to the storytelling, and also allowed a break away from the 400 references mark that was a mainstay of their previous work – the final book would have 800 references.
The iPhone and iPad App
After having enjoyed this series of books as much as I did growing up, I was a bit nervous over how it would be converted to the iPhone and iPad. The Fighting Fantasy books that have been released needed a few updates before they were really playable and I was concerned that these books would go the same way. I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the adaptation of the book.
First up, the important bit – the text is easy to read and of a good size. The links to the references are clearly labelled in the text, and best of all – they use the original numbers! It would have been very easy to just give the text of the next reference, but the developers have been careful to keep to the character of the original book.
The other thing that really surprised, literally, was the tremendous amount of detail that they have put into reflecting the story in a new medium. The background music changes to the sounds of an inn when you stop in for a meal, or changes to reflect a combat. You also can’t cheat. The program keeps track of your inventory, whether you have eaten, slept or have completed some task previously.
The end result is a wonderful way to re-visit a book that I enjoyed so much from my childhood. Reading through the first couple of pages filled me with a tremendous sense of nostalgia as I remembered adventures past. If you have never had an opportunity to experience one of these books before, this would be a good place to start.
You can find it on iTunes for $2.99 (at a temporarily reduced price, apparently it will be going back up to $5.99 eventually).
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