It’s quoted that the best defence is a good offence. In Sektori, your tiny spaceship will often be completely surrounded by enemies with your back firmly against the wall. There’s no room to manoeuvre; no brief moment to contemplate a way out. The only option is to hammer through the advancing hordes in a hail of lead and laser beams, with explosions lighting up the screen as you push onward into the fray. No surrender; no retreat. You will die over and over again, but by god you’ll keep coming back for more.
Sektori is a pure top-down arcade shooter in the lineage of classic 360 title Geometry Wars. It’s difficult not to compare the two, given the simple geometric graphical style and thumping electronic soundtrack, but there are a few key differences. Sektori sees the arena constantly shifting around you, walls moving to create new pathways, jump pads spawning to allow access to other areas of the battlefield. You’ll always have to be on your toes just to avoid being crushed, an instant game over should you fail to dodge away. Luckily you have a short dash ability, a strike, that allows for last-minute repositioning as well as allowing you to tear through the enemy forces in an explosion of metal and shiny goodies.
Collectibles spawn as you collect this particular currency from your fallen foes, granting abilities that you can select to create a build particular to your own playstyle. Speed boosts, missiles, extra shields, and more can be added to your arsenal, provided that you stay alive long enough to deserve them. Add to this the ability to select from a number of pre-chosen cards, abilities that will open up more as you blast your way further and further through the waves of enemies intent upon your imminent demise.
These cards can synergise with your base armaments, perhaps adding more missiles to an already potent arsenal, or allowing a further upgrade to your overall speed. I love the opportunity to craft your own abilities as you see fit and it’s just one of the things that separates Sektori from the rest of the shooter crowd. It’s through tactical choices and more than a dash of luck that you’ll create your most powerful runs, as you speed headlong through each world towards the boss standing in your way.
It’s these boss encounters that provide the most spectacle in Sektori, the screen turning into a bullet-hell nightmare as you hammer away at glowing weak points. You’ll have to weave your way through tiny gaps, constantly moving to avoid the hail of gun fire and missiles as you chip away at these behemoths. These confrontations will be the breaking point for many players, as I can imagine that hitting your head against a brick wall isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. These bosses are all tough as hell the first few times you encounter them, even on the lowest difficulty setting, but after a few attempts and a little pattern memorization, they will fall and you will emerge triumphant.
Aside from the base campaign, there’s a slew of other challenge modes to try your hand at. From boss rush to a classic single open arena mode, each offers a slightly different experience, testing different skills that you’ve honed in your previous attempts. There’s plenty to keep you occupied and with a leaderboard for each, there’s always something to aim for. There’s even in-game progression as you unlock new ship types offering varied gameplay styles, colours to customise your tiny death machine, new decks of abilities and medals, and even an in-game achievement system to work your way through. It all adds up to an addictive experience that is genuinely hard to put down.
Whether in handheld mode or playing docked, Sektori plays wonderfully on its Switch 2 incarnation. For a game that relies so heavily on twitch reactions, performance is key and I’m happy to say that this never disappoints. I know that many will prefer the big screen experience, probably with a Pro Controller in hand, but I’ve come to love and even prefer the small screen experience and the shorter throw of the Joy-Con sticks.
Sektori is a frantic, eyeball-melting arcade blast-em-up that deserves a place in the pantheon of all-time great twin-stick shooters. Brutally unforgiving on anything but the lowest difficulty setting, it’ll chew you up, spit you out, and then teabag you for good measure but, time and time again, you’ll still come back for more. Whether you’re into leaderboard clout, achievement chasing, or simply hate yourself, Sektori will challenge you to “git gud” in the best possible way. A modern classic of the genre that sets one hell of a high bar for those that follow.
