Sin and Punishment is a classic shoot-em-up sequel to Treasure's N64 cult hit.
The gameplay is smooth and unfaltering and takes you literally on an adrenaline ride. Each level is entirely different from the last and the experience never gets rotten with each new brute shooting across your screen. The boss battles are incredibly satisfying with different weakpoints and different techniques that you must manipulate in order to defeat. Each and every one of them has their own signature style and patterns that you will have to pick up and utilize to your advantage. Luckily, the game gives you an unlimited amount of lives for you to learn the game at your own pace. The game is challenging, but not to the extremity that it's impossible to play. As you progress further into the game, the intensity increases and you must fend for yourself in a very retro, stylistic approach. You are in control of either Isa or Kachi, two of the main protagonists in the game; the latter is part of an other-worldly species that Isa was initially sent to kill. Each has a basic type of attack and movement; one is by jetback and another on board. The only difference excluding their genders is the fact that Isa can execute a powerful blow targeting a single enemy and Kachi executes a less-powerful special attack that targets multiple entities on the screen at once. There is no words to express the amount of variety that the game provides. There are absolutely tons of different environments and enemies in each and every level, that keeps you on the edge of your seat and immersed in the game.
The controls are exercised with incredible fluidity and are a prime example of how the Wii remote+nunchuk combination is effective. There are other options as well, including the classic controllers, but the Wii remote and nunchuk is by far the best pairing. By the first twenty minutes after you boot the game up, you will be tackling enemies extraordinarily easily, almost on a second instinct. You can avoid enemies by swiveling in any compass direction by a flick of your finger, something very useful, especially in the later half of the game. You can also use a melee attack that can counter enemies' bullets and send them flying to the original offender, resulting in a satisfying explosion and an extra boost to your multiplier. The higher kills you can manage without getting hit by the oncoming fire, the higher your score. These scores can later be deposited to an online leaderboard where you can compare your skills to that of the world.
The audio is extremely retro and classic and fit and dramatize the action constantly around you. Some of them are unique pieces that hint at Sin and Punishment's roots and others are brand new and complement each and every coin you collect, health packs you pick up, and basically all of the complexities. It shows the developers' time with this game and simply just amplifies the game's atmosphere. The problem is the voice-over for the characters. They simply do not fit with the characters' seemingly young appearance; a minor encumbrance, but it does distract from your impressions of the characters thereafter.
The graphics have some grapples with them, but are very good nonetheless. The framerate stays impeccably steady even at the most hectic times during battle and they show the in-depth background, enemies, and screen-filling bosses to a T. They take on a very stylistic aptitude and are very reminiscent of old-school shooters. The only problem I have with the graphics are within the cutscenes scattered regularly throughout the game's missions. The characters are poorly rendered and looks weirdly disfigured in the game. It isn't game-breaking at all, but the developers could've definitely improved the characters.
The game lasts a decent 6-hours at most but a glorious and thrilling experience throughout. The camera swivels along an axle at an excellent pace and keeps track of the action well, careful to highlight all of the visuals and eye candy that are littered in every stage. It pans in different angles and does not distract from the action and your line of sight at all.
This game features no full-fledged co-op mode, something of a disappointment but with good reason. An extra entity flying in the screen would've made everything overly-crowded and you will definitely have a hard time scrying out opponents and determining who is who. In its stead, is a reticle similiar to your own that can join you in every segment of the game. This is a great option for new players who don't want to be entirely in or out of the game and helps people get into the game easily and help the main player. The extra person is also welcomed especially in the harder stages where every hit counts.
SUMMARY:
Treasure has created an ambitious and thoroughly thrilling experience that is extremely apt for the hardcore while maintaining the accessibility required for newer players. Its shooter roots are shown off in this glorious adrenaline ride that can be enjoyed with another friend. The constant action, incredible panning, expansive overworld, splendid graphics, and sheer variety are positively overwhelming. You will find yourself immersed in this 6-hour game even with its bizarre story and disfigured characters. The intensity of the game and unbroken formula of shooting for your life. It's just pure awesomeness in all of its shooter glory.
The classic run-and-gun approach that Treasure has taken for Sin and Punishment: Star Successor results in a fresh and amazing experience that shouldn't pass you by.