Credit Roll Chronicles – Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens

In the Credit Roll Chronicles, Rob (DM4S for his online friends) takes on all the games he left unfinished over the years. From childhood classics that beat him back in the day to forgotten gems that slipped through the cracks, he is determined to finally see the credits roll. Along the way he shares memories, frustrations, and the joy of rediscovering the adventures that shaped his love for gaming. This time case Simon the Sorcerer 4 : Chaos Happens.

During my 39 years of gaming, I’ve always had a great interest in point-and-click adventures. But during that time, I never realized there were more than three games in the Simon the Sorcerer franchise. Apparently, the IP rights were licensed to a German developer studio called Silver Style Entertainment. Point-and-click adventures have always been a big deal in Germany and, over the years, have maintained a strong fanbase compared to the rest of the world. So I wasn’t really surprised that a German studio would try to bring back this franchise to its former glory after the debacle known as Simon the Sorcerer 3D. Curious as I was, I didn’t have to think twice about playing it. I got myself a copy of Simon the Sorcerer 4 and immersed myself in the magical kingdom once more.

Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens picks up right after Simon 3D. In the opening, Simon gets knocked out by a remote control to the head, courtesy of his little brother. While unconscious, he has a vision of Alix, the granddaughter of Calypso, whom we already know from the earlier games. Alix tells him the magical kingdom is in danger and that he must return to save them once again. Simon wakes up, doesn’t hesitate, and dives into his dimension-warping closet to play the hero one more time.

Once he arrives, he runs into Alix, who seems just about to break up with him. Wait, what? Since when are Simon and Alix a couple? Apparently, Simon has a double who has taken his place in the magical realm. Who is this imposter, and why is he with Alix? Simon wants answers, and from that moment his adventure takes off, sending him on a journey to uncover what’s really going on—and whether there’s more to it than meets the eye.

During my playthrough, I felt the story never really took off. I knew my mission from the start and could see exactly how it would unfold. Even the so-called plot twist halfway through the game was easy to predict. Along the way, you’ll run into several familiar faces and a handful of new ones, but none of them left a lasting impression. The conversations lacked the sarcastic edge that defined the original trilogy. Even the new nemesis turned out dull and couldn’t capture the mischievous charm that Sordid once had. My biggest gripe with the story, though, was the dreadful voice acting. The voices often felt out of place and sounded amateurish. Swampy’s voice in particular made me wish I had a hearing problem, just so I wouldn’t have to endure that high-pitched tone.

For Simon 4, Silver Style Studios returned to a classic point-and-click interface—and thankfully dropped the terrible mini-game puzzles from Simon 3D. Most puzzles are solved through dialogue choices that move the story forward. This makes the game a bit too easy for my taste, as I rarely had to stop and think about how to solve anything. At times, I even completed puzzles before the actual hints appeared simply by combining the right items in my inventory. If you do get stuck, the hint system nudges you in the right direction, but any point-and-click veteran will probably breeze through without much help.

When it comes to visuals, I’m glad to say Silver Style Studios went back to a 2.5D art style. The environments are nicely detailed and offer a good variety of scenery. I wasn’t too fond of the character models, though. They look lifeless, and the animations feel stiff. Another disappointment was the soundtrack. It felt completely out of place, too modern for the setting the game aimed for. It’s as if someone composed the music without knowing what kind of world it belonged to. A fitting score could have added much more personality and charm.

Overall, Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens isn’t a bad game—it’s just painfully average. It lacks the wit and charm of its predecessors, and much of the humor falls flat due to translation. Visually, it’s a step up from the third game, but still too stiff for my liking. If you’re a fan of Simon the Sorcerer, it’s worth giving it a try, just don’t expect too much from it.