[Review] Sisters Royale (Nintendo Switch/ PS4/XB1)
So let's just start this review with this, I'm really not used to this type of Shoot Em Up Gameplay, but I was intrigued by the concept and the key art sold me.
Sisters Royale is a game in which 5 sisters battle it out for the Love and affection of one Gentleman, who isn't who he seems to be. The game is akin to the older arcade shoot em ups, like Ikaruga. The game is incredibly challenging for a number of players, including those who are new to this genre like myself.
There are modifiers you can use to make the game easier or more difficult , however at the time of writing this , I'm not sure if this will be accessible to those who purchase the game. I wasn't able to access it. Speaking of that, I'm not sure why there is a e-shop button for a game that doesn't have micro-transactions , so it may be the case that we could get story , character or stage DLC. If this is true then it's very disappointing , as the game it's self has 5-6 stages , which are the same for all characters story modes.
The stages in this game, although few are well designed , beautiful backgrounds with unique gameplay mechanics in each stage. For example Nur's stage has you manoeuvring through dutch windmills, that aim to push you off the stage and cause you to lose a life. Or during the ice stage there are patches of ice that slow your movement etc.
Other than this the stages are very similar and linear. Starting with smaller easier enemies, leading into a mini boss in the middle to end with a final boss, often with a 2 part fight. However I can't fault Sisters Royale for that, as this is the very nature of Shoot Em Up Games.
From a design perspective this game is absolutely beautiful. I haven't seen an indie title as wonderfully designed since Va-11 Halla. Featuring a lot of vibrant colours and a graphical user interface that's easy to understand in multiple different languages. The HUD itself is fantastic, although I feel as though it's taking up a lot of space. I understand this is natural for shoot em ups. however i feel that there is a missed opportunity, for the switch port of the game. I think there should have been an option for tabletop mode, in which the HUD is changed to portrait orientation. I found my self wanting that especially when using a pro controller in hand held mode. I'm not sure why but the game's HUD , layout combined with the chibi avatars and auto scroll made it felt as if it was a port of a mobile game.
The controls in this game are simple, using only 3 buttons for attacks and the left control stick for movement. I must say Bravo , as I'm truly impressed by the ability to change and remap controls to any face button, triggers or bumpers, making it easier to play the game with one hand using a single joy con. Personally I set the shooting buttons to the left and right triggers, as that what was natural to me.
All in all, Sisters Royale is an excellent little game for the, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. The gameplay is great with a loveable cast of characters. If it wasn't for the lack of content at launch it would be getting a much higher score ... but alas this game gets a 6.5 unfortunately. There was a lot of potential for this game to be better in my eyes