Rating of
3.5/5
Fun Rail Shooter, Weak Multi-Player
dbarry_22 - wrote on 09/28/12
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor may have a confusing plot and weak 2-player coop mode, but setting those problems aside, this is a fun and expansive rail shooter for the Wii.
I'm not going to go much into the plot because honestly, the details really didn't make any sense to me. You play as a character named Isa who at the beginning of the game encounters a girl named Kachi. Kachi is being sought after by the enemies you fight and of course you spend the game protecting her.
The game-play is fun, challenging, and quick paced. Your character can run along the ground or fly in the air and you can either shoot a ranged weapon or melee attack the enemies. There's also a charged ranged shot which can come in quite handy when there's a large group of enemies in the area. You do have a dodging ability where you can avoid attacks, it's very similar to a Super Smash Bros. dodge, and you must learn how to master it to avoid a lot of damage. It's also not a one hit and your dead game either, you have a health bar which can be filled from med-packs periodically in the stages. This can bring a wide variety of strategy to the game, since it's unwise and often deadly to attempt one type of attack approach.
The Wii remote does a good job of aiming on screen, and the nun-chuck is used to move your character around on the screen. It's a good fit for the game.
There are 7 levels to beat, each with several stages to complete within. Every time you beat a level, you can then re-access it and play it again if you want to try and obtain a higher score. The levels are bright, colorful, and diverse. Sometimes you're playing a side-scrolling level, sometimes you're flying straight on in a 3D environment.
By far the most difficult part of the game is when you must face a boss. Also, there are multiple bosses in each level, so there's plenty of opportunities to die in this game. With that said, these bosses are probably where your high score is going to be ruined, because when you die it goes back down to zero. Each boss has a health gauge you can track and has multiple stages to them. It's difficult to know what's coming the first time around, and even when you do know, it's hard not to take damage. It can be frustrating at times, but there's definitely a sense of satisfaction when you take one down.
The most disappoint part of the game is the 2-player coop. The second player is not on the screen, but only an extra cursor. So, not only do they not dodge attacks, they can't melee either. Also, add on the fact their attack is far weaker then the first player's, your friend at times will feel like they're doing nothing.
This game sure has a Japanese flavor to it which can affect how much you enjoy the game but it didn't hurt my opinion of it really. So, if you're in the mood for a fun, challenging rail shooter to play by yourself this is a good game to pick up.
3.5/5
