Sorcery hits store shelves next week, Tuesday, May 22nd. For more info on this eagerly anticipated PlayStation Move title, visit our official site.

In this installment of our “Making of Sorcery” video series, we turn our attention to the music and sound design in this upcoming PlayStation Move title. It was very important to have a Celtic inspired score for this game, but we wanted to do something a bit unusual with Celtic music, almost stretching the use of the instruments where possible in an effort to give the world of Sorcery its own unique sound. As you’ll notice, we have drums, flutes, and other instruments that give the music somewhat of a medieval feel, but at the same time we didn’t want to be limited to that.

We wanted to bring in as many other sounds as possible to create a wider palette. The result is a fusion of traditional Celtic music with more contemporary instrumentation and sound effects that boost the feeling of immersion you get by casting spells with the PS Move controller. Here’s a look, and don’t forget Sorcery will hit stores in North America on Tuesday, May 22nd!

In this installment of our “Making of Sorcery” video series, we take a look at the fantasy surrounding the spell-casting gameplay and tap a few members of the development team (including myself) to discuss the origins of the story. Our key leads at The Workshop and our Santa Monica Studio were able to provide some great insight into the relationship between the main characters, the motivation of our villain, and the inspiration for the world we created. As you know, Sorcery brings the world of magic and wizardry to life using the PlayStation Move motion controller. To give you a quick refresher on the story and gameplay…the Nightmare Queen has broken the ancient pact with mankind and threatens to cover the land in eternal night.

As a young sorcerer’s apprentice, it is up to the player to master the arcane arts and fight back the foul creatures of this magical realm. Sorcery puts the power in the players’ hands letting them conjure and command powerful magic as they brave the dark world of the Faerie Kingdoms. On their journey, players will encounter a multitude of enemies, solve ingenious puzzles, learn powerful spells, and craft strange potions with the in-game alchemy system. With over eight spells that can be used in various combinations and countless items to discover and collect, Sorcery immerses players in a unique fantasy adventure like never before. Enjoy!

While some motion-controlled games feel like you’re playing “Simon Says”, the gestures in Sorcery are fluid and organic. Aiming spells and chaining them together into powerful combos requires both creative thinking and quick reflexes. Here’s a look…

Sorcery will be available in stores in North America on Tuesday, May 22nd.

A lot of the details of the story grew organically out of gameplay. The team would have a cool idea for an enemy or a puzzle or an encounter and I’d weave the rest of the narrative around it. For example, the civilization of the bogeys (an early-game enemy) is crude and brutal because that’s how they behave when they attack. And a lot of the mythology of the Faerie Forest had its roots in the boss battle you fight there. We wanted the player to feel like there was a tight link between the story and the gameplay. Everything you do and see in Sorcery ties into the world or narrative in some larger way.

As development progressed, the story became more streamlined. Finn’s backstory – where he came from, how he became an apprentice – was pared down because it was getting in the way of kicking off the action. There was a whole sub-plot about a guild of fame-hungry rival sorcerers that just got dropped. And, as other elements fell away, Finn and Erline’s relationship moved to center stage. At its heart, Sorcery is a road movie. You’ve got these two mismatched characters who’ve been thrown together on a quest to save the world and they’ve got to learn how to get along.

Stay tuned for more on Sorcery as we move towards our May 22, 2012 release.