Zen Studios is back in action yet again and this time it’s a new table, the Sorcerer’s Lair, for ZEN Pinball on PSN. The table is set in an ancient magical Citadel and as the player you’ve got to help Jake and Amanda, a brother and system duo, to defend against and evil sorcerer.
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At first glance, Sorcerer’s Lair is a relatively solid addition to the ZEN Pinball collection. Admittedly, it takes a little getting used to for your eyes as nearly the entire playing field is bright purple, and I sometimes found myself losing track of the ball which forced me to pay extra close attention to the game.
The Sorcerer’s Lair is made up of various ramps and features a few hidden traps to capture the ball. It features six modes including Freaky Forest, Tower Crawler, and Gates to the Void. Different modes seem to unlock various mini-games if you hit the sweet spot on the board, and you can easily earn bonuses of 500,000 or more points quickly. For example, in Arachnid Attack cellar mode, you can earn a trophy for defeating all 10 spiders within 20 seconds. It’s tough, but you’ll be nicely rewarded if you manage to pull it off.
Of course the table includes all the little extras you would expect, including kickbacks and other ball save techniques, score boosters, and extra ball rewards. Whisper, the friendly ghost is one of the helpful characters on the table, and if you strike her hideout four times you’ll be treated to random rewards commonly including speed boosts. Nothing felt too out of reach with the table, but like any pinball table it’s going to take time and practice to unlock all of its secrets.
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Pinball FX2 owners, don’t be saddened. Mel Kirk who runs the Zen Studios Twitter account has already made mention that you’ll be able to get your hands on this table later this year. Personally, I’m anxious to play it again in Pinball FX2 as I just find the ball physics feel more realistic and the gameplay doesn’t feel quite as stiff.
This DLC costs $2.49 and will include three new trophies to earn for your collection. Originally it should have been released on April 26, 2011, but due to PSN being offline, the release date has been slightly delayed. Expect the table to be released almost immediately once the PlayStation Network is back online which is currently expected to be around May 3, 2011.
Sorcerer’s Lair is a solid table to add to your collection, and $2.49 is a fair price to pay when you consider the amount of time you’ll put into playing it if you’re an avid fan of pinball games. It’ll take you 1-2 hours of practice to even learn the majority of the table, but if you want to match up against the best on the leaderboards, you’ll need to spend a lot more time with it.
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