Sektori sounds more like a side dish I’d order at an izakaya, but in reality is a double-hard bastard of a shmup that I couldn’t help but love the minute I picked it up. Gaming doesn’t exactly instil movement besides rage quits and ‘Really, I am an athlete’ Ring Fit Adventure on the Switch, however, the minute the beat blasted through the telly, I legitimately stood up and awkwardly swung my hips while subsequently having my arse served to me by the gameplay.
I love a good rogue-like, but this ain’t one. It would have been great if it were, as it would give a bit more of a carrot dangle for making progress, as it’s certainly not a swift experience. With only one immediate option available, the campaign, there’s no way you’re going to unlock anything without attempting that first – and you have to beat the first three worlds to even make a dent!
And ‘beat’ means everything in Sektori. From the Thrasher-like thumping of the soundtrack to the pew-pews of your enigmatic triangle, to the sounds of the ever-shifting arenas, this game from Kimmo Lahtinen is a proper assault on the senses. I think that the incessant dancing which I was ‘performing’, if you can legally call it that, wasn’t just because of the rhythm, but because of the sheer overwhelm. Engaging my body a little bit reduced the need for my eyes to pop out or my ears to explode. So that’s an exaggeration. There was only minimal leakage.
I’ve put off writing about this a handful of times, as I don’t know what to cover despite the feels. It’s essentially a modern version of Asteroids, only with Vampire Surviors-like waves, more shapes than a CBeebies marathon, and that landscape shift I mentioned. What happens in this scenario is you destroy a couple of waves, and then the arena changes shape. The floor will often flash red to indicate enemies spawning, but also to signify that things will change quite rapidly.
This inevitably means positioning is important in Sektori, and you will find yourself continually moving. Without a doubt, you will get cornered and overwhelmed. To counter this, there’s a boost option that crashes into enemies, typically eliminating a batch, but also getting you to safety. More importantly, for all the shapes you crush, there will be power-ups throughout that award shields, increased fire rate and speed shifts, among others.
And here, friends, we get to the wall, which means either ending it here, or climbing over and waffling about something like a story that doesn’t exist, or discussing the various bright shapes you can unlock as a way to customise your avatar. Instead, I will say Sektori is the best shmup I’ve played on the Switch 2 thus far (bearing in mind, there aren’t that many), but it’s also a game I am more likely to revisit long term well after this review, much like another shmup indie I enjoyed called Terror Squid. Less colours and fanfare, but these sorts nail the quick fire genre for those seeking an arcade experience without the bloat.
