The whole is more than the sum of its parts. And it's such a wonderful and enchanting whole.
1. Is this a game? Well... sort of.
2. Is it worth it? Totally. I enjoyed every bit of it. And every pixel.
I gave it a perfect ten, because even if the game part of it is limited, the interactive experience part is superbly crafted. Give it a nine then. Well, do I have any complaints with it? No. Allright then, it's a ten. And what is a "game" anyway? Isn't it an interactive experience?...
This is a rich and detailed world that you will get fond of. A story that is both minimal, and satisfying. The game mechanics, stripped to bare essentials, are required in order to give the player the means of interacting with this enchanting little world. Yup, it's not a vast world, but what is there, is top quality. How many times did you encountered games where you just stop to take in the surroundings? This is a game where so little pixels mean so much and have both style and charm. Where music and visuals intertwine to perfection and steal your heart.
What is wonderful is how much there is in this little game. There's sacrifice, moral choice, magic, exploring dreams, fighting, destiny, self-humor, boss fights, world-altering-powers, puzzles, conversations, creepy moments, enchanting moments. Yes, it's just a little of everything, but that's everything you need anyway. It's like one of those well-thought out small apartments, where the small space is intelligently used, you have everything you need, and actually living there is cozy and satisfying.
It happened to me to play this or that big PC game, where beautiful visuals and great level design feel quite empty and I'm left saying with regret: "It's a shame there's nothing to give this place purposefulness, meaning, to give you a reason to hang around this beautiful corner of the world. No, you just run and gun and move on". Sword and sworcery manages not only to do just that, but does it with such limited means. The conversations are sketchy at best, the story both typical and quirky. Yet that quirkiness itself makes the game not seem like it takes itself too seriously, it's like saying "Hey, I'm just a game, I'm supposed to make you think, relax and enjoy this time you spend playing me."