Sine Mora EX

So, what your getting into: This is a shoot-em-up, in the same vein as Raidian, R-Type, Jamestown, etc. So this means you have a ship that moves by way of a pre-determined path most of the time right to left, and your goal is to stay alive by shooting down enemy ships and dodging projectiles. By this definition, I would say that this game is a bit easier than those games just due to the fact you can take more than one hit, though there still is consequence to that which I will delve into. The mechanic that has itself to be different from the rest is time travel, you have a timer at the top of the screen, every time you get hit the timer loses more sec until it reaches zero, then you fail, it's filled by checkpoints. It's also used as the bomb of the game, it slow's everything down while you remain at full speed. You may see this as a gimick, but it is explained in the story why this is, and why your doing what your doing. Not to say the story is ground breaking, though I do consider it the best compared to other shmups out there. And don't be fooled by the screenshots in the store page, those are actually from the game. It is verry pretty. So, what does the EX add? 16:9 Aspect ratio (instead of 16:10 which is still an option) Full English Voice Overs (Original Hungarian ones are still available as an option) Local co-op for up to 2 players in Story mode 3 New versus modes: Race, Tanks, Dodgeball New challenge levels Improved Rendering Native 4k at 60 FPS I personally just like the fact it's DRM Free now. So if your into side-scrolling shooters and want something a little different than you normally play, or want introduced to the genera with something a bit more forgiving, give this one a pick up. I guarantee you this, you will never see a game like this ever again.

Honestly most of the gameplay elements and things have already been discussed in other reviews. Let me make a quick summary of my own experience and you can see if it will relate to you. I've played a lot of SHMUP. This one is unbelievably easy, with a storyline that interrupts gameplay and has sections not strictly based on shooting enemies and bullet patterns. I'm aware there is arcade mode. I'm just saying I was expecting a lot and was very disappointed, especially after seeing how Raiden V incorporated a "story" without disrupting game flow. Don't get me wrong, Raiden V story is hardly a story, especially compared to this. I'm just pointing out that you can have gameplay and story at the same time. Yes, the story is more mature, but I honestly found not only the story but some of the characters more than a little distasteful. Time mechanic is interesting but ultimately not well utilized. Again, the game is very simplified and feels slow compared to other contemporary games. Music is awful. Look, I know some people won't notice/care, but for this genre and game style the soundtrack is usually a highlight. So- couple boring gameplay with boring music and you have... a boring game. Ultimately the game and environments are beautiful, it certainly has the most in-depth story you'll ever find in this type of game, and it does have unique mechanics. For me the parts didn't add up, and I was really disappointed. Very glad I didn't pay full price.

Sine Mora EX will grab you with its beautiful graphics and melancholy war story. The music, is not the best I've heard, but fits the game's darkness. These elements of the game's presentation are the strong points of the game which engrossed me to to continue on. What isn't striking is the gameplay design. There is nothing here that a Shmup fan has not seen, but I feel that it has refined the regular stuff to perfection. Bullet patterns are nothing new and there isn't anything here inovative or unique on how you avoid them (meaning there is nothing like Radiant Silvergun's unique bullet-hell avoid mechanic). The controls are excellent and you'll be able to pass through the bullet-hell with precision, and possess a "slow-down" effect if things get impossible which is the game's way to effectively avoid bullet-hell. The slow-down effect is a fun way to avoid projectiles, but it doesn't really stand out as an innovative or amazing feature, and it relates to the story. You'll collect power-ups to level-up your weapon and you have a special. The levels feel like short bursts of action and then slows down to implement the story, and then throws action at you again, while bumping you back and forth between characters. I really enjoyed the aethetics of the game which reminded me of Metal Slug's round dumpling-like designs. The bosses are massive and were my most enjoyable times with the game. Overall, it's worth playing and you may like it for the same reasons as I enjoyed it; the presentation, story and cool looking bosses being the attractive features, but to some hardcore Shmup players, the gameplay may be a feel too mundane for their liking and leave them feeling unsatisfied.

My Video Review is available here: https://youtu.be/1STDwo2CZS4 Can I recommend Sine Mora EX to non-hardcore players with their families? There are for sure many pros - original game concept based on time, useful power-ups, time manipulation ability, wide variety of enemies, variability of the environment, precise controls, beautiful graphics and atmospheric sounds along with dubbing. However, there are also the cons that I can hardly overlook - hard to follow story, frequent flying through the narrow caves, the punishing difficulty making you repeat the whole game over once you run out of continues and uninspiring music. Sine Mora EX contains local multiplayer and also three other game modes. These features would make the game perfectly suitable for family playing. Unfortunately, the frequent narrow caves along with a limited number of continues making you start the whole game over once you run out of it make the game frustrating rather than enjoyable. Pros: - original game concept - useful power-ups - time manipulation - variability of enemies and environment - controls - graphics - sounds Cons: - confusing story - flying through narrow caves - punishing difficulty - music It is a shame that a couple of bad design decisions ruined the game with such original mechanics and beautiful presentation. With a heavy heart I am giving Sine Mora EX Thumbs Down and VideoGaming Father’s Index 5+ out of 10 - not recommended.