Review

Simon the Sorcerer Origins: The Return of Simon’s Acid Wit

Thirty years after a smart-mouthed youngster introduced many of us to the finest traditions of point-and-click adventure games, Smallthing Studios decided it was time to open his spellbook once again. This is not the...

Introduction

Thirty years after a smart-mouthed youngster introduced many of us to the finest traditions of point-and-click adventure games, Smallthing Studios decided it was time to open his spellbook once again. This is not the kind of sequel the mainstream industry spends years waiting for. It is something rather braver: a prequel developed by an independent Italian studio willing to revive a cult British franchise not by modernising it beyond recognition, but by doing almost the opposite.

In a market where Return to Monkey Island proved that beloved classics can successfully return, and Thimbleweed Park had already shown that the genre never truly went away, Simon the Sorcerer Origins arrives with a clear purpose: to recover the pure spirit of the 1990s without compromise. There is no design-by-committee here, and no softened puzzle structure intended to welcome absolute beginners. This is very much an adventure game for people who still like their coffee strong.

A Story Overflowing with Sarcasm

The first striking difference is that Simon is not yet the grown-up hero setting out to rescue Calypso. Here, he is a teenager expelled from school and struggling through a particularly traumatic house move. Just when life appears incapable of getting worse, an ancient prophecy drags him into a magical world where he will discover the origins of his own legend.

Narratively, this is where the game shines brightest. The team has captured something many modern adventure games lose: the kind of cutting humour that constantly prods at the fourth wall. Simon does not merely talk directly to you, the person holding the mouse. He appears acutely aware of every convention, shortcut and absurdity of the genre itself. There is a trace of Discworld’s Rincewind in him without his ever being exactly the same character, which is fitting given that Adventure Soft never held the official licence even though Terry Pratchett directly influenced the 1993 original.

Chris Barrie returns as the voice of Simon. At 65, he naturally cannot sound exactly like the sarcastic youngster from the original, yet his performance remains razor-sharp and perfectly tuned to every ridiculous situation. The dialogue is biting, the relatively small supporting cast has charisma, and quiet references to previous games will make veterans smile, even when those jokes gently acknowledge a continuity that was never entirely sensible in the first place.

The drawback is that, for all the talent in its execution, the story can occasionally feel flat and loosely structured. Too much of it becomes a matter of solving one puzzle after another while the narrative lingers in the background. The game could have benefited from longer conversations, richer character development and more moments that allow its story room to breathe. Ultimately, its plot is carried almost entirely by Simon’s wit.

Visuals That Quietly Charm

Artistically, the game contains the good, the bad and the slightly strange. Smallthing Studios chose a fully hand-drawn style inspired by classic animation, using pastel tones and something resembling a Disney aesthetic filtered through an Italian sensibility. Most of the time, the result is genuinely charming. Simon is beautifully animated, his direct grimaces towards the camera land perfectly, and the locations possess exactly the nostalgic appeal the developers were aiming for.

The problems emerge when you look more closely. There is a distracting visual inconsistency: while Simon and certain elements are polished and detailed, some backgrounds and secondary characters show their seams. It feels as though the team devoted its strongest resources to specific parts of the experience and simply ran short elsewhere. Several scenes are static and lacking in life, with little environmental movement beyond what is strictly necessary.

The fast-travel map also suggests a much broader world than the game actually contains. In reality, there are only three or four primary locations, none of them especially large. The game is functional and often beautiful, but it leaves behind the impression of a project that never quite reached its intended scope, as though the developers wanted to build more and eventually ran out of time or budget.

Puzzles: Triumph and Torment

This is where Simon the Sorcerer Origins embraces its identity without hesitation. These are classic point-and-click inventory puzzles: collect objects without knowing what they will be used for, combine them in improbable ways, speak with characters in search of implied clues and use whatever you are carrying on the environment. Anyone who has played Monkey Island or Day of the Tentacle will immediately recognise the mechanics.

What may feel less familiar is the opaque logic behind some of its puzzles. Solutions do not always emerge naturally from careful observation. In one instance, you already know precisely what needs to be done, but Simon simply refuses to do it until you have spoken with a particular character first. You can then return and perform the action you already knew was required. There is logic present somewhere, but it is buried beneath somewhat arbitrary layers.

After spending eight hours completing the game, I have to admit that roughly half of that time involved wandering around like a headless chicken, trying item combinations as though I were performing experimental alchemy. There is no hint system. Simon does not offer contextual nudges. Nothing. When you become stuck, looking up a guide becomes almost unavoidable.

For veterans of 1990s adventure games, this may be exactly the challenge they have been missing. For new players, it creates a formidable barrier to entry. The game sits uneasily between respectable difficulty and unnecessary frustration. An optional hint system could have helped considerably.

Where it does innovate, albeit timidly, is in its spells and magical hats. Simon learns three elemental spells and can acquire hats that change the effect of objects in his inventory. It is an interesting idea, but one that feels significantly underused. Perhaps an Origins 2 might allow it to fulfil more of its potential.

Sound: The Most Consistent Element

The audio maintains a level of consistency that supports the entire adventure. The soundtrack brings back musical motifs from the original games, remixed so they sound fresh while preserving that catchy melancholy of the 1990s. Sound effects carry the cartoonish character needed to reinforce the atmosphere, and the English voice direction, accompanied by German audio support and very well localised Spanish subtitles, is the highlight. Chris Barrie leads a capable cast that understands the game’s mocking tone perfectly.

There is also free DLC allowing players to enjoy the original Simon melodies.

Length and Value for Money

Played quickly with a guide nearby, the game can be completed in around four or five hours. Take your time, allow yourself to become lost and aim for every achievement, and it will probably take between eight and twelve hours, half of which may be spent stuck on a puzzle. It is not a long game, but in real terms it is not especially short either. At roughly €25, the price feels reasonable given its audiovisual production and overall duration.

The Good

• Simon’s humour and Chris Barrie’s performance: his acid wit returns intact, the dialogue is sharp, most jokes land well and the fourth-wall breaks produce genuine smiles.
• It proudly recovers the essence of the genre. This is unashamedly old-school, for better and for worse, and Adventure Soft veterans will feel at home.
• When the visual presentation comes together, the game has real charm and personality. Simon feels alive and wonderfully expressive.
• References for fans: returning elements, familiar characters such as Sordid and moments of nostalgia. Previous knowledge is not required, but it makes the journey considerably more enjoyable.

The Bad

• Inconsistent puzzle design: some are excellent, while others demand surreal leaps of logic you would be unlikely to discover without a guide. A hint system is sorely missed.
• The game would benefit from more characters, longer conversations and quieter moments in which the story could breathe.
• Inconsistent graphics, with some locations feeling static and lifeless.
• The possibility of cut content: its map suggests a broad world, but the final game contains few areas across its three main locations, leaving the sense that ideas were left behind.

Conclusión

8/10

Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a love letter to a genre that never really disappeared. It is a game made for players who enjoy classic point-and-click adventures, without pretending that it can also cater effortlessly to beginners.

The quality is unquestionably there: brilliant humour, excellent voice work and a clear artistic vision. Yet the complete package feels unfinished, as though Smallthing Studios possessed ambitions greater than it was ultimately able to realise. This is a prequel that makes the most sense to anyone who played the originals, and it embraces the difficulty of the 1990s without making life easier for anyone. It is tempting to wonder whether this is partly an attempt to test the waters, and whether sufficient success might eventually lead to a larger, more polished and slightly more accessible return for the series.

That said, for genre purists, for the players who missed being stuck for hours and who genuinely enjoy the trial-and-error ritual, this is perhaps the modern graphic adventure closest to that unfiltered nostalgic feeling. It is not perfect, but it has character, and that is worth more than any score it might receive.

Simon returns with all his sarcasm and humour intact, accompanied by a handful of puzzles that will make you wish you had Calypso on speed dial.

Final Score: 8/10

Recommended For

• Veterans of 1990s adventure games looking for an uncompromising challenge.
• Nostalgic fans of the original Simon series.
• Curious newcomers to the genre, provided they bring patience and access to a guide.

Available platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

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