Sorcerian Preview

Nippon Falcom first released the side-scrolling RPG Sorcerian in 1988 for the 8-bit PC and PC88 series in Japan. The game was later ported to different platforms and was recently released for the Windows platform. The Dreamcast version, titled Sorcerian: Disciples of Seven Star Magic, is the latest installment in the series.

The game in general will sport the side-scroller format, but the field map and characters are rendered in 3D polygons. You start the game by creating your own character, and you begin your adventure in the town of Pentawa. The next thing you want to do is visit the Sunflower Inn to choose your party members. You will then visit the king, and he will give you 15 different missions (or scenarios) to choose from. You can select which of the 15 you want to start with. Ten of the scenarios are taken from the PC version, while the remaining are new original scenarios exclusively for the Dreamcast. Missions vary from fighting a dark mage to seeking out the lost talisman.

If you are not prepared for a mission, you can train and level up your characters in a training room located in town. You can also visit the magic shop to acquire magic spells. Unlike in other role-playing games, you can only acquire magic spells by letting the mage at the magic shop infuse the Star Power onto your items. There are seven types of Star Power: sun, moon, earth, fire, water, gold, and wood. How you combine the Star Powers will result in different types of magic spells. Interestingly, the game also has character alignment. Depending on whether you are good, neutral, or evil, the people in town will react differently.

Sorcerian: Disciples of Seven Star Magic is slated for a April 27 release in Japan.