Developer: Kimmo Factor
Publisher: Kimmo Factor
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch (2)
Tested on: Switch 2
Sektori – Review
The Switch 2 has been out for almost a year now. In that short time, it has proven to be a surprisingly capable little device, able to run multi-platform titles that its predecessor couldn’t hope to run in a million years. Despite this, some games still arrive on the hybrid console with a delay *cough* LEGO Batman *cough*. Sektori is such a game, having launched on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in November of last year, but only now making the jump to Switch 2. What have Nintendo fans been missing out on, and was it worth the wait?
Story
In classic arcade fashion, narrative content in Sektori is very, very sparse. The game harkens back to an era where a story was something you’d find crammed on half of a page in a manual. These days, video games don’t come with manuals anymore (that’s subtle foreshadowing for later on in this review), and so, you’re given little more than your ship’s name, the Redeemer, to contextualise what is going on. Then again, this is an arcade game. Who’s here for the story anyway?
Graphics
Taking inspiration from classics like Geometry Wars and Resogun, Sektori embraces a neon-heavy, kaleidoscopic aesthetic. The static screenshots included here really don’t do the game justice, as Sektori really needs to be seen in motion for the full effect. The combination of bright, fluorescent colors, explosive effects and swirling backgrounds contributes to the overall flow of the game. For an onlooker, Sektori will look like pure chaos, but if you’re the one actually playing it, the on-screen action becomes almost hypnotic. We’ll be the first to admit that we were a bit concerned whether or not the Switch 2 version’s visual performance could keep up with the frantic pace of the gameplay, but it turned out that those concerns were unnecessary. The game maintains a rock-solid 60fps, even in the hottest of battles.
Sound
Finnish DJ and electronic music producer Tommi Lahtinen provides the perfect soundtrack to accompany Sektori’s gameplay. The techno tunes are as at home here as they would be at a dance club, and dynamically reinforce the game’s intensity and flow, contributing heavily to that aforementioned hypnotic atmosphere. It doesn’t stop there either, as Sektori’s sound effects are top-notch as well. Weapons sound pleasingly retro, bringing to mind classic arcade games, and explosions have real punch to them. Audio cues bring tension, such as when alarms start to blare whenever the battlefield changes shape.
Gameplay
Initially, Sektori felt like a love letter to some of the great classic arcade twin-stick shooters, but the more time we spent with the game, the more we realised that the game actually surpasses the titles it took inspiration from. The game is built around fast, high-intensity twin-stick shooting. It feels like you’re juggling several plates at once, as your survival, movement and score optimization all happen simultaneously. You pilot the Redeemer with one stick to move and the other to aim and fire, as waves upon waves of enemies flood the screen. Eventually, a boss shows up and tests your mettle to its limit. The basics are easy enough to understand if you’ve ever played a twin-stick shooter, which makes it all the more apparent that Sektori is an extremely difficult and unforgiving game to master… in the best way possible.
There is more to Sektori than just bullet-hell style action though. The game layers several elements on top of that core, first and foremost being the so-called strike mechanic. This is a powerful dash attack that both repositions your ship and destroys enemies in an explosion. It has a cooldown, but striking through specific pickups resets it instantly, meaning that there are instances where you can chain multiple strikes together, ensuring both your survival and massive score multipliers. Speaking of pickups, as enemies drop these, you gradually can improve the Redeemer using an upgrade track reminiscent of that of the Gradius series. You can enhance things like your speed and blasters, but also your score multipliers. As if that wasn’t enough, each run provides you with a deck of upgrade cards that can grant new abilities. It all adds up to a game that has a surprising amount of strategy and customisation, especially for something that initially comes across as a straightforward arcade shooter.
That inevitably does bring us to Sektori’s biggest weakness. We told you that the lack of a manual would come back, didn’t we? Because of the deceptively simple core mechanics, we were caught off guard by the complexity of some of these systems, and if there’s one thing we really have to call out, it’s that Sektori’s onboarding isn’t very good. We can forgive the game’s brutal difficulty, as that is part of the appeal, but the game really would’ve benefited from better in-game explanations for some of its finer systems. That’s a small price to pay for one of the best twin-stick shooters we’ve had the pleasure to play in recent years. The icing on the cake is another small price, this time literally speaking: Sektori will set you back a mere €14.99. Compared to some other arcade shmups, that’s a ridiculously low price. Sure, Sektori is “light” on content in that a single run is short (provided you survive it), but this is the kind of game that is built around replaying and score chasing. Beyond the main campaign, Sektori offers several additional modes, including one focused entirely on strike attacks and a boss rush, online leaderboards and medals. If twin-stick shooters are up your alley, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The student has surpassed the master. We apologise if it seems like we’re gushing, but Sektori really is that good. It’s definitely not the most beginner-friendly twin-stick shooter, but then again, not every game has to be. This is a game that knows its audience and caters to exactly them. If you’re in that audience, you’re in for a treat.
No Comments