Video Game Review: Sisters Royale Five Sisters Under Fire!

Sisters Royale Five Sisters Under Fire!

Chorus Worldwide

Shoot Em Up

Nintendo Switch & Playstation 4

The Shoot ‘Em Up genre is full of fast games that require great precision and reflexes from players. The high score nature of these games has made them ideal for the arcade setting, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a home on other platforms. The bullet hell subgenre, in particular, is perfect for short bursts of gameplay, making the games ideal in either an arcade or handheld format.

Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire is a new bullet hell game developed by Alfa System and published by Chorus Worldwide Games. It is Alfa System’s first major North American release in 12 years, with their previous game being Castle of Shikigami III in Japanese arcades and the Nintendo Wii. Sisters Royale feels like it is Castle of Shikigami III‘s spiritual successor. The level designs are similar and so is the structure. The only major difference is the story, which is far from important in a game like this. 

Sister Royale puts the spotlight on the five playable sisters who are all battling to get married. It’s a ridiculously silly plot that shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and fortunately, it won’t be. Sisters Royale‘s gameplay steals the spotlight and it does it so well. Players will choose one of the five unique sisters and select a difficulty. Then the player will go through five stages and a big boss at the end to come out alive and with a high score.

The concept is ridiculously simple but the gameplay is so tight that this game is much more enjoyable than it looks. For those who are unfamiliar with the genre, players control a character top-down and shoot at enemies that approach in waves. In Sisters Royale, they play one of the characters as she constantly walks forward. The enemies shoot tons of bullets at the player, and the player will need to carefully maneuver around the bullets while destroying enemies. 

Players have access to their main weapon and a familiar. The main weapon is safe and doesn’t affect the character in any way, while the familiar leaves the player exposed. The familiar gives more points than standard attacks, which leads to a dilemma. Should the player play it safe or go for a high score? Balancing the two attacks is the key to succeeding in Sisters Royale and adds tons to consider for the hardcore crowd. 

Each character plays differently, giving the game tons of replayability. Players will want to find their favorite sister or attempt to master all of them. The levels vary depending on the character selected, adding a bit of length to the game, though the added time is nothing too noteworthy. Casual players will only get a few hours out of Sisters Royale, while veterans of the genre can get limitless gameplay out of it. 

The replayability is brought on by not only the number of levels but the many ways to play and the difficulties. On higher difficulties, Sisters Royale can be absolutely brutal. Trying to master the game is further encouraged by online leaderboards, allowing for players to go for both personal and worldwide bests. Sisters Royale also utilizes the “Tension Bonus System” which rewards players for getting close to enemies, adding the game’s strategic and long-term value.

Visually there isn’t much special here. The 3D graphics look dated, with weak models and nothing that really stands out. The bullets flying in every direction are a spectacle though and make up for the rest of the game’s bland visuals. The anime-style characters look fine, though some characters are full of fanservice, which might turn some away. Still, the mayhem on the screen makes this a feast for the eyes, even if the models and environments are lacking.

Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire is an excellent game for fans of the genre. It’s tight controls, difficulty, and leaderboards make it a game worth coming back to. The game is ideal on Switch so players can enjoy it on the go, but regardless of the chosen system, this is a fine bullet hell game and a great return to prominence for Alfa System. 

Sisters Royale is available now on the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop

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