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Sorcery is an adventure arcade game along reasonable similar lines to that of Alchemist. The earth has fallen into the Dark Ages and an evil Necromancer and his demonic servants have conquered the lands, enslaving the people. But there is still a ray of hope - You. As the last of the great sorcerers, you must travel from your homeland to Stonehenge, where three fellow sorcerers are held captive.

Sorcery is played out over many screens with trees, lakes and castles. Each screen contains one or more demonic monsters as well as useful and harmful objects such as keys, swords and cauldrons that sap your energy. There are also cauldrons which replenish energy.

Half the trick, as with a text adventure, is to discover what objects, collected on one screen, with do on another. Keys will sometimes open trapdoors on another, without which you cannot leave the screen. All the while you are pursued by the monsters which flit about all over the screen. The Sorcerer can fly and try to avoid them, for any contact will (reduce his energy.

One problem is that the exit doors on each screen have different characteristics: some must be walked into, some flown into. Falling into a lake means instant death.

Control keys: Q/A left/right, 0 fly
Joystick: none
Keyboard play: responsive, but poorly positioned
Use of colour: good
Graphics: smooth, fast, detailed, good
Sound: fair
Skill levels: 1
Lives: energy drain, only one if you land in the drink

'Like an adventure, in this game you must sort out what objects to take along with you. The problem is that collecting them means an almost certain encounter with the demonic monsters, whereas ignoring a key or a sword may mean you can get straight through .the screen without a problem, only to encounter a door that won't open for you, or a monster that could have been killed with a sword. The screens are all played through very fast, no danger of getting bored with one. Some even take as little as 10 seconds. Good, large graphics and an imaginative use of landscape in some screens make this one of the best and most original yet of Virgin's games.

'Sorcery is a fast-moving arcade adventure game with quite an original plot, and it is carried out well. There isn 't much going on iri each screen but it is still difficult. The graphics are colourful and well drawn, smooth moving and fast. Unfortunately the responsive keys are rather poorly positioned with left/right positioned one above the other. A good game, and certainly one of Virgin's best.'

'Once you have sorted out what objects do what and on what screens, Sorcery loses some of its magic (groan). However, the arcade element still makes it enjoyable, and the amount of energy drain, when making contact with monsters, has been calculated very well, so that even a successful run through the screens will leave you on a knife edge in the last couple. Perhaps not very addictive after a few plays, but playable and nicely implemented with large, colourful graphics. The movement keys are a bit odd, but as there are only three, not too difficult.'