Bullet hell shooters are a genre that is hit or miss with many, but those who like them will always swear by the genre. There is real excitement to be had, and some great entries in the genre were made by Alfa System, especially with their Castle of Shikigami series. They have now returned with a new game that will delight fans in the form of Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire, an offbeat shoot em up with an interesting plot. To sum it up, five sisters are squabbling over which of them will marry the angel Yashin and fighting ensues. As I said, it is a very offbeat game, but that is part of the charm.
Sisters Royale gives you the option to choose one of the five characters and go all out against the others, while dodging attacks and taking out enemies. The game’s story is woven into the stages and gameplay, and you will need to replay the game with each character in order to fully experience everything. Each character has their own playstyle, such as wide shots, heavy attacks and more, and your strategy must be adjusted for each character you try. I like this idea, as it not only provides replay for the story elements, but the game actually feels different for each character that you play.
Alfa System didn’t hold back in terms of visuals, ( although people with photosensitivity may have some problems with the game) not the audio, and they are of the highest quality imaginable., albeit a bit hard on the senses at times A nice anime aesthetic and a catchy soundtrack easily get your attention and add to the overall experience. Sisters Royale feels like an evolution of their creative process and that is something we can all enjoy, Sisters Royale even has easy modes, for those who struggle with this type of game. There is also the use of TATE mode available in the game, so those playing on the Switch, or with a vertical display unit can take full advantage of that.
Lastly. I want to mention the Tension Bonus System. This mechanic will multiply your score and number of coins based on your distance from the enemies. The attacks are also different, as the Powershot System will change normal attacks into strong attacks, and you need to factor this into your movements and attacks. This adds a nice amount of strategy to the game and forces you to think quickly. A nice bonus is that multiplying the Tension Bonus System by two within the right amount of time, a new bonus is unlocked with secret fairies who will be hidden in the stages.
Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire is an excellent shoot em up and one that every fan of the genre should play. While the visuals can be a bit intense on the eyes here and there, it is overall a great experience and one not to miss.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
In addition, we would like to add that there is an active Shmup retrogaming Facebook community group you can join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SHMUPSretrogamers/
For more, visit Retro Gamers Hub (www.retrogamershub.com) for their extensive collection of retrogaming interest groups to choose from.