Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

Last updated
Superbrothers:
Sword & Sworcery EP
SwordAndSworceryEP-logo.png
Developer(s) Capybara Games
Superbrothers
Publisher(s) Capybara Games
Composer(s) Jim Guthrie
Platform(s) iOS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseiPad
March 24, 2011 [1]
iPhone
April 27, 2011 [2]
Microsoft Windows
April 16, 2012 [3]
Mac OS X, Linux
May 31, 2012
Android
November 2012
Nintendo Switch
November 30, 2018 [4]
Genre(s) Art game, action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is an adventure and indie game created by Superbrothers and Capybara Games, with music by Jim Guthrie. It was initially released for iOS devices, with a version for Microsoft Windows via Steam coming later. Mac OS X and Linux ports were included with the release of Humble Indie Bundle V, [5] while a port to the Android platform was released as part of the fourth Humble Bundle for Android. Additionally, a port to Nintendo Switch was released, combining both mobile and computer-like control schemes, as well as adding controller support. [6] The iOS and Android versions make use of device orientation during gameplay. [7]

Contents

Gameplay

The player taps where they want the character, a Scythian warrior, to go. The accelerometer is incorporated into the gameplay, with the user turning the device 90 degrees to make the Scythian take out her sword (the PC version uses the right mouse button). The player taps the shield button or the sword button to use them. If the Scythian is harmed during a conflict, the player can heal by finding and consuming small, red mushrooms. Eating these mushrooms also activates a special musical track, only played in such an event.

Most of the dialogue is done through thoughts, once the user has acquired the "Megatome", a magic book that lets the character read people's minds. The character can jump between two worlds; the "real" world and the "dream" world. The user jumps from one world to the other by letting the Scythian sleep, which is done through making them sit down at a specific place in the game.

Touching and holding on the Scythian will initiate a "song of sworcery", a mechanic that allows the player to telepathically interact with the environment. This is usually used to solve environmental puzzles which summon sprites. The sprites are needed to obtain trigons.

Certain events and passages of play, including discovering some sprites, may only happen if the moon is in a certain phase. The moon phase in the real world is synchronised with the game world based on the system clock. However, moon phases can also be skipped by visiting the "moon grotto". This is a hidden cave that is unlocked late in the game. Entering this cave will also play a unique musical track that can not be found on the official soundtrack.

Plot

The Scythian crosses the bridge into Mingi Taw. Logfella and Dogfella wait underneath the stone arch. Sword and Sworcery - Gameplay.png
The Scythian crosses the bridge into Mingi Taw. Logfella and Dogfella wait underneath the stone arch.

In the game, there are 4 "sessions". In Session I, The Scythian travels through the countryside near the Caucasus Mountains on a quest. She meets a black-haired girl, colloquially called Girl (Samae in the Switch version [8] ), tending to some sheep in a meadow near the start of her journey. Eventually she comes upon a man cutting wood named Logfella, and a dog named Dogfella. Logfella reluctantly agrees to lead them to the mountain Mingi Taw. The path ends at a canyon, on the other side of which is a massive face carved into the mountain, the mouth being an entrance to a cave.

The Scythian raises her sword under a rainbow near the canyon and a "tongue" extends from the mouth. The Scythian crosses into Mingi Taw alone. The Scythian arrives at her goal deep under the mountain: a book of powerful "sworcery" known as the Megatome. The Scythian's sword reacts to the presence of the Megatome, and she uses it to cut the book free from the skeletal hands that hold it in place. Suddenly, the hands and an antlered skull hovering above it come alive and chase the Scythian through the caves of Mingi Taw. The Scythian escapes, but the eyes and mouth of the face on Mingi Taw close and exude black smoke, and a thunderstorm begins overhead. A wolf-like creature with three eyes pursues the Scythian, the dog, and Logfella as they make their way to Logfella's cabin. The first "session" ends with the Scythian triumphant having obtained the Megatome.

Afterwards, the player is presented with the second session by "The Archetype". He monitors the Scythian's progress throughout the story, calling her journey a series of tests, or sessions. Shortly thereafter, the player returns to the Scythian, teleporting to a platform east of Logfella's cabin. The Scythian makes it back to Logfella's cabin, where Girl suggests awakening several nearby sylvan sprites – mystical creatures that grant miracles to those who summon them – to break up the thunderstorm. She reminds the Scythian that these sprites emit bubbles (which could be interpreted as a scent) and a specific sound whenever they are around. The Scythian travels the countryside, locating the three sylvan sprites and breaking up the thunderstorm. To reach the third sylvan sprite, the Scythian traverses to the side of Mingi Taw, but the door to the path leading there is locked. Logfella, who holds the key, tells the Scythian that he lost it while dreaming. He explains that by sitting near the hearth of the fire inside the cabin one enters a dream space.

Inside the dream, the Scythian watches a Boor who's dancing about. Approaching it, the Boor begins to run away. Following it, she reaches the side of a lake, where Logfella's key is. With it, she travels to the side of Mingi Taw to awaken the third sylvan sprite and break up the storm. When all the sylvan sprites are awakened, Girl and Logfella see this event as a "time of miracles", as told in tales between folks of the Caucasus. Once the storm has passed, a mysterious light emanates at a maze-like structure in the meadow near Logfella's cabin. After chanting a song of sworcery, a geometric figure appears. This geometric figure, an upside-down triangle, is recognized in the Megatome to be the "Golden Trigon", a piece of the Trigon Trifecta. Approaching the Golden Trigon, the Scythian readies her sword and shield as it begins to attack. The Trigon's attacks begin with a projectile-like beam before progressing to lasers being shot out of an eye-like figure which the Trigon assumes, all of which follow the pattern of the song being played during the battle. After defeating the Golden Trigon, the Scythian stores it in the Megatome, and the session ends.

In the third session, the Scythian searches the dreams of Girl and Logfella and finds the remaining two Trigons. Each of those Trigons can only be obtained during a certain moon phase. The Scythian then attends a rock concert, with the musician Jim Guthrie, where she reassembles the Trigon Trifecta.

The Archetype introduces the player to the final session, explaining that completing the Scythian's woeful errand will be fatal. The Scythian uses the Trigon Trifecta to teleport to Mingi Taw to vanquish the antlered being (referred to as the Gogolithic Mass). After a final showdown with the three-eyed wolf, the Scythian detonates the Trigon Trifecta and the Megatome at the summit of Mingi Taw, sacrificing herself and vaporizing the Gogolithic Mass. Logfella and Girl somberly cremate the Scythian's body.

Development

A trailer was released for the game in February 2011, [9] and the iPad version was released on March 24, 2011. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP won the Independent Games Festival Mobile Achievement in Art award in 2010. [10] The developers initially stated that they had no intention of creating an Android version of the game. [11] However, on November 8, 2012 it was announced that Sword & Sworcery will come to Android initially through the release of a beta version within the Humble Bundle for Android 4 package. It later was widely released on Google Play on December 21, 2012. On November 30, 2018, a port of the game was released on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop. [12]

Reception

The game has sold over 1.5 million copies. [17] Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP won the Visuals award at IndieCade 2011. [18] It was also featured as a free download on the 5th Anniversary of Apple's Appstore. Pocket Gamer awarded it both Most Innovative Game and iPad Game of the Year in 2012 [19]

In a review of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP in Black Gate , John ONeill said "On the surface Sword & Sworcery looks like a point-and-click adventure game, circa 1995. But the artistic design and innovative touches make this unlike any game you've ever seen." [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Secret of Mana</i> 1993 video game

Secret of Mana, originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2, is a 1993 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1991 game Seiken Densetsu, released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest, and it was the first Seiken Densetsu title to be marketed as part of the Mana series rather than the Final Fantasy series. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to prevent an empire from conquering the world with the power of an ancient flying fortress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel art</span> Form of digital art

Pixel art is a form of digital art drawn with graphical software where images are built using pixels as the only building block. It is widely associated with the low-resolution graphics from 8-bit and 16-bit era computers, arcade machines and video game consoles, in addition to other limited systems such as LED displays and graphing calculators, which have a limited number of pixels and colors available. The art form is still employed to this day by pixel artists and game studios, even though the technological limitations have since been surpassed.

Royal City was a Canadian indie rock band from Guelph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Guthrie (singer-songwriter)</span> Canadian singer-songwriter

Jim Guthrie is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded both as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Islands, Royal City and Human Highway. He has also composed music for TV ads and video games, and has scored multiple films including Indie Game: The Movie, A Short History of the Highrise, and The Bodybuilder and I.

<i>20XX</i> 2017 video game

20XX is an indie action platform video game developed by American indie studio Batterystaple Games. The early access version was released for Microsoft Windows on Steam on October 12, 2016, and in full on August 16, 2017. It later launched on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 10, 2018, and on Xbox One on July 11, 2018. A sequel, 30XX, was released on Steam Early Access on February 17, 2021, and in full on August 9, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral Interactive</span> British video game publisher

Feral Interactive is a British video games developer and publisher for macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows platforms. It was founded in 1996 to bring games to Mac and specialises in porting games to different platforms.

<i>Swords & Soldiers</i> 2009 video game

Swords & Soldiers is a 2D sidescrolling real-time strategy video game by Ronimo Games. It was released in Europe on May 15, 2009, and in North America on June 8. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, Wii, PlayStation 3, iOS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. Two Tribes released Swords & Soldiers on the Wii U eShop, which was released in North America and Europe on May 22, 2014.

indiePub American video game publisher

indiePub Entertainment, Inc. was a publisher of video games based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.

<i>Bit.Trip Beat</i> 2009 video game

Bit.Trip Beat, marketed as BIT.TRIP BEAT, is an arcade-style music video game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It was released in 2009 in North America, and released in Japan and PAL regions in the same year. It was later released for the Windows and Mac OS X through the download service Steam in 2010, while Namco Bandai published it for iOS on iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad in both Bit.Trip Beat and Bit.Trip Beat HD versions. Android and Linux versions debuted in the Humble Android Bundle 3.

<i>Super Meat Boy</i> 2010 platform game

Super Meat Boy is a 2010 platform game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes under the collective name of "Team Meat". It was self-published as the successor to Meat Boy, a 2008 Flash game designed by McMillen and Jonathan McEntee. In the game, the player controls Meat Boy, a red, cube-shaped character, as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the game's antagonist Dr. Fetus. The gameplay is characterized by fine control and split-second timing, as the player runs and jumps through over 300 hazardous levels while avoiding obstacles. The game also supports the creation of player-created levels. Super Meat Boy was first released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, and was later ported to Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch. A Wii version was in development but was ultimately cancelled.

<i>Dust: An Elysian Tail</i> 2012 action role-playing video game developed by Humble Hearts

Dust: An Elysian Tail is an action role-playing video game developed by American independent designer Dean Dodrill, published by Microsoft Studios. It was released for Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in August 2012, and subsequently for Microsoft Windows in May 2013, for Linux and OS X in December 2013, and for PlayStation 4 in October 2014. A version for the Nintendo Switch was announced at E3 2018 and was released in September 2018.

Gamevice, Inc. is a Simi Valley, California based tablet and tablet peripherals manufacturer specializing in gaming products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superbrothers</span>

Superbrothers is a video game, illustration, and design studio based in Quebec, Canada, most known for their work with Capybara Games and Jim Guthrie on the 2011 iOS release Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. Superbrothers contributed artwork and concepts to Sound Shapes (2012) by Queasy Games, a videogame for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 4.

<i>Monument Valley</i> (video game) Puzzle video game

Monument Valley is a puzzle and indie game by Ustwo Games. The player leads the princess Ida through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects while manipulating the world around her to reach various platforms. Monument Valley was developed over ten months beginning in early 2013 based on concept drawings by company artist Ken Wong. Its visual style was inspired by Japanese prints, minimalist sculpture, and indie games Windosill, Fez, and Sword & Sworcery, and was compared by critics to M. C. Escher drawings and Echochrome. The art was designed such that each frame would be worthy of public display.

<i>Riot</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Riot is a 2019 indie video game about a riot simulator based on real events. The project started with an Indiegogo campaign in February 2014, which ended in a success. The game was released on December 6, 2017, for Steam's early access. The director of the game and previously an editor and cinematographer at Valve, Leonard Menchiari, has experienced riots personally and the game "Riot" was created as a way to express it and to tell the stories of these events. The player can pick between playing as police or rioters. The game will potentially be released on Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The producers are interested in bringing the game to these platforms, but are currently restricted by their budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Versus Evil</span> US-based video game publisher

Versus Evil LLC was an American video game publisher founded by former ZeniMax Online Studios marketing director Steve Escalante to focus on the independent video game market. Versus Evil was bought by another publisher, tinyBuild, in November 2021. In December 2023, all Versus Evil staff were laid off, days before Christmas.

<i>Altos Adventure</i> 2015 video game

Alto's Adventure is a 2015 endless runner snowboarding video game developed by Team Alto and published by Snowman (iOS) and Noodlecake Studios (Android). The player-character automatically moves to the right of the screen through procedurally generated landscapes. The player taps the screen to jump and perform tricks (backflips), and works towards goals, competitive high scores, and upgrades. Snowman, a Toronto-based, three-person indie development team, previously worked on productivity apps before Alto's Adventure. The game was made to emulate the ethereal atmosphere of snowboarding, and was inspired by Ski Safari (2012), Tiny Wings (2012), Jetpack Joyride (2011), Journey (2012), Monument Valley (2014), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000), and Windosill (2009).

<i>SpellTower</i> 2011 puzzle video game

SpellTower is a 2011 puzzle video game by Zach Gage in which the player creates words from a jumble of letter tiles to clear the screen before it refills. The game has several game modes and a multiplayer battle mode. The impetus for the game—the concept of combining elements from Tetris and Boggle in what was a prototype of the puzzle video game Puzzlejuice—inspired Gage to create SpellTower. The game released for iOS in November 2011 to generally favorable reviews. Versions for OS X and Android followed over the next two years. In 2017 SpellTower Minutes was released. This browser-based Flash game created special "blitz" like modes not found in the mobile releases. A new iOS version released in 2017 swapped out the unnamed dictionary and began using Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. French and Dutch language specific versions were also released. A 2020 release, SpellTower+, added new game modes, cleaner visuals, and a jazz soundtrack.

<i>Jett: The Far Shore</i> 2021 video game

Jett: The Far Shore is an action-adventure exploration video game developed and published by Superbrothers and Pine Scented Software. It was Superbrothers' first game released since Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (2011). The game was released on October 5, 2021 for Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

References

  1. Hinkle, David (2011-03-21). "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP comes to iPad on Thursday". Joystiq . Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  2. Buchanan, Levi (2011-04-27). "Sword & Sworcery EP Micro iPhone Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  3. "s:s&s ep – NEWS – point & click?". 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  4. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Releases On Switch eShop At The End Of This Month". Nintendo Life. 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  5. "s:s&s ep – NEWS – get up-to-date on ipad 3". 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-04-27.
  6. GameCentral (2018-12-04). "Game review: Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is a strange concept". Metro. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  7. "GDC 10: Sword & Sorcery EP Hands-on". IGN. 2010-03-10. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  8. Dale, Keith (2018-12-01). "@CAPYGAMES Playing #Sworcery on #NintendoSwitch and Girl now has a proper name! I'm confusee but excited at the same time! ^.^pic.twitter.com/phic9ez2qo". @AwesomeKeifers. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  9. Groen, Andrew (2011-02-28). "SuperBrothers' Creepy New Trailer for Upcoming Sword and Sorcery EP". MacLife. Archived from the original on 2011-03-03. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  10. "Trailer: Superbrothers – Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara)". IndieGames.com. 2011-02-26. Archived from the original on 2011-03-05. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  11. "s:s&s ep – helpemail" . Retrieved 2012-04-27.
  12. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Releases On Switch eShop At The End Of This Month". Nintendo Life. 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  13. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  14. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  15. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  16. Hodapp, Eli (2011-03-23). "'Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP' for iPad Review – An Incredible Pixel-Powered Audio Visual Experience". TouchArcade . Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  17. Matulef, Jeffrey (27 July 2013). "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP has sold over 1.5 million units". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  18. "The Official IndieCade 2011 Award Winners in All Categories". indiegamereviewer.com. October 9, 2011. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  19. "Pocket Gamer Awards 2012". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014.
  20. "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP – Black Gate". 14 July 2012.