Zen Studios’ latest downloadable addition to its Pinball FX2 collection is a table that will look familiar to players who have Zen Pinball for the PlayStation 3. Sorcerer’s Lair is themed around magic, the supernatural, and a general spooky theme that’s a perfect complement to the approach of Halloween. There are a few minor problems, but they don’t detract much from yet another great original pinball experience.
Much like other pinball tables, Sorcerer’s Lair has a few different objectives for players to complete in order to rack up big points. There are four different multiball modes, shot mastery options, and multiple missions that lead up to a finale that can rack up hundreds of millions of points. The pacing of the scoring on this table is slow and gradual at first, but taking the time to learn the different shots on the table and how to activate the missions and multiball modes is unquestionably the key to success. Expect a slightly longer learning curve than Zen Studios’ last table, Ms. ‘Splosion Man, had… but once you know the layout and what you’re shooting for, high scores should come naturally.
Activating and completing missions is probably the most important goal when playing Sorcerer’s Lair. Missions are initiated with shots to The Cellar, which is raised after hitting three flashing targets just underneath a rotating disc in the upper portion of the playfield. Hitting these targets isn’t as easy as it sounds; the rotating disc tends to redirect shots unless they’re pretty strong. It’s a challenge. Once in the Cellar, one of a set of various missions begins. A couple of missions take place on a different playfield with smaller flippers and several different ramps to aim for. Three more take place on the original playfield and challenge players to hit specific shots, such as ramps, spinners, or bumpers to succeed. One other mission is more of a gear puzzle that requires a bit of thinking and some quick reflexes to solve. Players don’t have to complete the missions to pass them, but completing them does earn Obsidian Stones. Collecting as many of these stones as possible is the key to the final mission, which is a timed multiball session where points are accumulated and any balls lost are launched back into play. Some individual shots are worth up to 2 million points. After the timer expires, the total points gained during the session are multiplied based on how many Obsidian Stones the player collected. The point totals can be staggering if a fair number of Obsidian Stones can be accumulated. One such session for me racked up over 250 million points.
The Sorcerer’s Lair table has plenty of ways to engage in multiball action outside of completing missions. Completing enough shots on the Citadel ramp initiates one multiball mode. Locking three balls in the gate just underneath the left side ramp is another way. Citadel Multiball challenges players to hit a lit shot in order to capture the jackpot. The latter form of multiball is similar to other Pinball FX2 tables in that ramp and orbit shots are lit for Jackpot scores, followed by a Super Jackpot if all shots have been completed before the extra balls drain. Sorcerer Multiball is the most challenging of the multiball modes. Players must lock three balls in the Sorcerer Ramp (to the left of the flashing targets to raise The Cellar) when lit. Sorcerer Multiball then requires players to hit three specific shots (Citadel Ramp, Staircase, Left Orbit) and then hit the Sorcerer Ramp with each of the three balls in play for a maximum bonus of over 10 million points and an Obsidian Stone. Careful ball and flipper management is needed here, but it’s certainly rewarding when completed.
The missions and multiball modes are the main highlights of Sorcerer’s Lair, but there are shot mastery challenges, extra ball opportunities, bonus multipliers, combos, and other features to be uncovered as you play and learn the table. Although the learning curve is a touch stronger than some other Pinball FX2 tables, a bit of practice will go a long way to unlocking the secrets and scoring opportunities that Sorcerer’s Lair has to offer. My experience went from about 20 million points to 110 million points after a couple of games, and then shot up to over 1.5 billion points in my best effort–and that’s a personal best for any Pinball FX2 table. Much like Ms. ‘Splosion Man, Sorcerer’s Lair falls on the easy side of the tables available so far…but that’s really not a bad thing.
Zen Studios has done a nice job here with the aesthetics for Sorcerer’s Lair. The visuals are awash in purple and blue and a few of the objects are animated, including an angry tree and the sorcerer at the top of the playfield. The secondary playfield for some of the Cellar missions is full of spiderwebs and empty barrels, much like a dungeon. Just like the previous Pinball FX2 offerings, all of the action moves at a consistent and smooth frame rate–even with up to four balls in play. The sound is mixed; the music is downplayed while the sound effects for the flippers, the ball, and the bumpers are the most authentic effects so far. Some will opt for more subdued sound after the aural assault that Ms. ‘Splosion Man offered, by comparison.
It probably sounds redundant to give kudos to Zen Studios for a job well done on its original pinball tables, but the praise is well-deserved. Creating original and engaging pinball tables and experiences is a challenge that Zen Studios keeps meeting head-on with consistent quality and results. Pinball FX2 will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its release later this month, and support is still quite strong. If licensing for existing classic tables can somehow be obtained, it could add another dimension to the Pinball FX2 experience. Zen Studios has certainly earned the opportunity to bring some dearly missed classic tables back to the masses…and with enough continued support, we might just see it happen.
GrE Grade: A-
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