Diesel Punk Justice

Lasting First Impressions of Sine Mora from Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality

In this day and age of the ever popular First Person Shooter, where every new games seems to feel it needs to be next best FPS, Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality take a journey back to the days of the good old-fashioned shoot-em up with their XBLA exclusive, Sine Mora.  Sine Mora is a classic side-scrolling shmup boasting the best of this generation’s presentation presented in a fantastical diesel-punk world.

I’ve always loved a good side-scrolling shmup, dating back to the classic R●Type and even Zaxxon.  Sine Mora was looking to promise not only a return to this style of game, but to also bring along some unique gameplay.  It certainly delivered on all accounts.  This title is absolutely gorgeous.  Set in the aforementioned diesel-punk-esque world, the colours just jump off the screen with such vivid constitution.  It’s really a shame that the game is such a fast paced ride that one can’t just sit back and enjoy the jaw-dropping stereoscopic 3D scenery as it flies by.

As with any side-scrolling game, the controls are straight forward but Sine Mora adds a new element that allows the player to extend time, allowing more precise control during those hectic boss battles.  With this, you have the ability to essentially slow down time around you so you can manoeuvre your craft more precisely, to dodge the multitude of enemy fire that you will constantly be barraged with.

Sine Mora is a wonderful new addition to the Shoot-em Up genre of gaming and one worthy of playing if you are a fan.  You will certainly not be disappointed.  But you will also not find this an easy play. The first couple chapters of the game act as a sort of tutorial as you are introduced to the various aspects of the game: Time Extension, weapon upgrades, shields, and super weapons.  Learning to use all these to achieve success, however, will take much practice.  And practice you can certainly do. Once you have completed a chapter, you can replay it anytime as well as enter the Boss Battle trainer to practice defeating each of the bosses that you have so far encountered.  And believe me, there are quite a few!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Sine Mora even though I came across a section in Chapter III that I was completely stuck on and couldn’t figure out what I need to do in order to move on.  No matter how many times I tried, I must have been missing something because my ship was destroyed in the same spot every time.  Despite my inability to move past this section, Sine Mora is a fantastic new addition to the classic shmups of times past.  If you are a fan of this genre of game, you will not be disappointed with this title.

Digital Reality/Grasshopper Manufacture I gave you an hour and I am IMPRESSED.