Our regular look back at the early years of Japanese PC gaming, encompassing everything from specialist ’80s computers to the happy days of Windows XP, brings us to a beloved classic: Sorcerian.
I've been building my character up for a while now. Learning new spells and gathering equipment when I can, carefully clearing tough quests, felling monsters twice my size, and piecing together stories told in short snippets by scattered NPCs who, depending on your point of view, are either enticingly under-explained or irritatingly undercooked.
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Released: 1988-1990
Japanese PCs: PC-88, PC-98, X1 Turbo, MSX2
(Image credit: Nihon Falcom, Mobygames)
As you’ve hopefully already guessed, this hasn’t been in preparation for a death-laden dive into Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. I’ve been playing the chart-topping 1987 action RPG Sorcerian and its numerous expansions, which rolled out with much the same impact as Shadow of the Erdtree (at least, within the context of the late ’80s Japan-only PC gaming market).
Sorcerian's Expansive World
FromSoftware games, there’s an internal consistency to the lands I visit here, a sincere attempt to visually tell a story, to make me believe I’m standing in a single continuous location, even though Sorcerian was made for hardware so basic it was always much happier if it didn’t have to worry about demanding tasks like “moving things around the screen” and “animation”.
(Image credit: Comptiq)
The first expansion opens with a panoramic stroll past white sands and bumpy seas. Sengoku’s filling my screen with dramatic war banners before I know it. Pyramid chooses to dedicate some precious disc space to an atmospheric approach to its titular edifice. These aren’t just screens; they’re spaces, and these byte-sized worlds feel so much bigger for having them. I have to actually climb up the sloped side of the pharaoh’s monument just to get to the rest of the level, and elsewhere when I fall down holes or work my way inside somewhere I really am walking under and in. Rooms are physically located above and below and within each other wherever possible, and because all the areas are built this way, I know that going off and exploring purely for the pleasure of it will always be rewarded. Not necessarily in the obvious treasure-dispensing sense, but I’ll learn my way around and become a more knowledgeable, aware, and hopefully alive adventurer if I put in the effort.
(Image credit: Comptiq)
A Legacy of Creativity
I know I’m not the only one enthralled with Sorcerian’s approach to storytelling. Japanese gamers were so in love with Sorcerian and the narratives that sprang up in its later expansions that Comptiq magazine—which is still going, even if it has skewed more towards covering mobile games like Granblue Fantasy and Fate/Grand Order these days—partnered up with Falcom to launch a grand scale competition to make even more.
A serious amount of thought and effort was expected from these fan entries, just like more modern contests to design new weapons, furniture, and even hairstyles created for the likes of Final Fantasy 14. Wannabe designers needed to fully complete a four-part entry process, running from July to October 1988, filling out detailed forms and submitting intricate designs that would be judged by a panel of experts.
This collaborative spirit not only enriched Sorcerian’s universe but also set a precedent for community-driven content in video games, a trend that continues to thrive in today's gaming culture.