A High-Octane Sensory Assault
I am a firm believer that every game has its target audience. I hate football (well, hate is a bit strong, I just really don’t care about it at all) so I’m not going to be playing whatever number EA FC we’re up to. Equally, I like shooting and Soulslike games, so I’m happiest when I am found playing those types.
This brings us on to Sektori from Kimmo Factor Oy; a game that promises to blend twin stick shooting, which I like, with pumping techno music, which, being the wrong side of 50, I really don’t. So, can the shooting charms make up for the soundtrack, or should I play with earplugs in?
Forgoing a story (for there really is nothing going on), and we’ll start with the elephant in the room: that soundtrack. From the instant the game loads there is a thumping beat in the background, and while this doesn’t affect the gameplay (it does feel odd that the music is such a big part of the game, and yet there is no place for the beat in the shooting action) it is always there, smacking you around the face if you dare turn the volume up too high. Mix in the explosions and shooting sound effects, and suddenly ear plugs begin to look very desirable. The best thing to say about the noises Sektori makes is that they suit the action on screen perfectly.
Visually, Sektori is almost as much an assault on the old optic nerves as it is on the ear drums. We have a variety of ships to choose from (once unlocked) and a variety of ridiculous colours that you choose for said ship to be: neon pink triangle, anyone? The rest of the graphics are pretty simple, and while the size of the arena that we fly about in seems to constantly change, from fighting in a phone box to flying around a sports hall kind of vibe, it works quite well.
The enemies that we face are a variety of geometric shapes – squares, plus signs, arrow heads – and everything moves at a heck of a pace. Trying to look five ways at the same time, testing the old spatial awareness to the limit as we attempt to plot a path through the many enemies that not only fly towards us but also appear right in our teeth, gets to be a little intense.
Mastering the Art of the Shifting Arena
Luckily, the controls are very simple, and extremely responsive. The twin stick controls are very traditional: the left stick moves the ship around, and the right shoots in the direction you move it. Obviously, if you want to fly left but shoot right, this is not only possible but actually vital, as attempting to clear a tiny bit of breathing space around you is vital. Of course, all the time you are blasting away and trying to clear that space, more and more enemies are spawning in and trying to fly towards you. Add this to the way that the arena constantly changes size and layout (getting caught in an area that suddenly becomes a solid wall is a quick way to bring the run to an end) and you really need to be awake to take this challenge on.
The Upgrade Loop
Luckily, there is an upgrade mechanic in place, and this requires you to kill things to grab glimmer. Once you have collected enough, various things can happen. There are some bluish shiny things that spawn, clearing a small area of the screen around you when collected, speeding up your shooting. And from there are some golden things that give you a letter when collected, spelling out a word in the bottom right of the screen. The final shiny thing (and I hope you are enjoying these cracking descriptions) allows us to select an upgrade from a choice of three.
These give access to decks, which in turn sort out some further abilities. One of the most useful I’ve found is the drone deck, as it gives us increased firepower with a couple of little drones to bring the pain. So, by killing, collecting the currency and upgrading, you can make your ship much stronger. In fact, keeping the upgrades coming is vital in order to survive. Of course, there is a random element in play as well, so things are in the lap of the gods a bit, but you soon learn which upgrades do the business.
A Fast and Furious Arcade Blast
And that is pretty much it for Sektori – set off on a run, try to stay alive, upgrade, and see how much of a score you can accrue before the inevitable happens and you explode in a shower of pixels.
When you begin, staying alive for a couple of minutes feels like an achievement in itself, but as you get better, this time extends, the score gets bigger and new ships come your way. Each run is short, fast and to the point, and demands total concentration.
Give Sektori a chance and it may well grab you. But no matter whether it does or not, there is no doubt this is good for a short blast. Of course, some may crave more than noise and spectacle in their games, but while Sektori provides both, the deeper gameplay loop is just not there.
Important Links
Techno-Thumping Chaos – Sektori Blasts onto Xbox, PS5 and PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/techno-thumping-chaos-sektori-blasts-onto-xbox-ps5-and-pc/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Sektori/9N08R5G14Q0H
