It’s a shame that sometimes we miss out on playing fantastic games because of the popularity factor that most people seem to follow. Some gamers have the “if its not by a well known company, it simply registers as trash” mentality, and sadly, this formula can be used against some titles without even giving the game a try. This was the case in 1990 when Innerprise released Sword of Sodan, a game that can be described as one of the worst uses for a cartridge in the lifespan of the Sega Genesis. There is simply no words that can describe the horror put together by what seems to be one of the worst games ever conceived, making it not only a game you never played, but a game you shouldn’t consider playing.
Sword of Sodan revolves around two characters, a male and a female. Each character has a sword, which you use to fight off all your enemies. Although it sounds exciting, the whole game gives you as much enjoyment as watching grass grow in the desert. The gameplay is extremely stiff and unresponsive, making you feel as if it is impossible to play and get through the stages. The enemies don’t make things any better. Somehow, they just keep coming, in unforgiving numbers, which don’t mix with the horrible gameplay. There is also a confusing potion system to help you replenish energy, make you stronger, and even warp from stage to stage. These potions take effect when you collect them throughout the stage, mixing colors until you get the potion of choice. After a while, this becomes a tedious task, annoying even the most patient gamers.
The graphics, although not bad, are far from eye candy. Sure, graphics don’t make the game, but if you're going to forget about gameplay, it would be nice to at least give us something good to look at. The enemies in the game, for the most part, look down right stupid. The best example is the parrots you have to fight during the early stages (yes, parrots). The zombies are also extremely laughable; sporting what can be the worse character animation I have seen in this game, or any other. The stages are a redeemable factor in the graphical aspect of the game, but it doesn’t help when you can’t play in them because of the broken gameplay discussed above.
To say the sound is terrible would be giving it a compliment. Just to make it clear, there are no soundtracks in this game, just an occasional chord before the stages. and sound effects, which is all I can really talk about, since it is what you will be hearing most of the time. The game’s sound revolves around chirping birds and grunts from enemies that makes them sound like whoever did the voice sample put no effort into it. I can guarantee the person who decided to take the task of creating this game’s sounds did not put any effort into this job at all. Everything sounds horrible.
Not all games you never played will be gems. This is a game many people never touched, and for a very good reason as well. Crippled gameplay, horrible sound, and strange visuals not only makes this a game that has never been played, but also keeps it as a game that will NEVER be played. Stay away, far away.
