Sairento VR
- January 19, 2018
- Mixed Realms Pte Ltd
- 9h median play time
If you're looking for a solid action game to really show what the PSVR and Move are capable of, Sairento is arguably the best available right now.
Sairento VR is a highly emotional and visually stunning cyber ninja simulator in VR, allowing for bullet-time acrobatics and a variety of weapon choices. With a tough-to-master yet approachable gameplay system, players can enjoy slow-motion mayhem and replayable levels, earning its reputation as a favorite among popular gamers. However, it does have some grinding and bug issues.
Reviews
- Incredible movement mechanics that make you feel like a badass ninja.
- Variety of weapons and customization options enhance gameplay.
- Active development with frequent updates and community engagement.
- Graphics and performance issues, especially on lower-end hardware.
- Repetitive gameplay and limited enemy variety can lead to boredom.
- Some controls and mechanics can feel clunky or unintuitive.
- gameplay316 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Sairento VR is characterized by fast-paced, action-packed mechanics that emphasize fluid movement, including wall-running, sliding, and bullet-time, which many players find exhilarating and immersive. While the core mechanics are well-designed and offer a high skill ceiling, some reviewers note that the gameplay can become repetitive due to limited enemy variety and mission types. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging combat and customization options, making it a standout title in the VR genre despite some minor bugs and graphical shortcomings.
“I love Sairento because it just focuses on good gameplay; this isn't a $10, 20-minute 'VR experience' or a full-price desktop game ported to VR that has you clicking on 2D menus, but it's not flawless either.”
“The gameplay is highly enjoyable and there's a very compelling 'just one more mission' feel to the game.”
“The movement mechanics are groundbreaking, and with a little practice, actually cure your motion sickness that a lot of VR games can give you.”
“The gameplay is a bit monotonous, just shooting and slashing not-so-intelligent enemies.”
“But it's essentially an arena shooter; the gameplay doesn't necessarily evolve much past the first level, and there is not much variety in enemy types.”
“The way the movement is done is incredibly nauseating, and the gameplay is not fun enough to try powering through that nausea.”
- story299 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, with many players noting its brevity and lack of depth. While there are ten story missions that provide a basic backdrop, they often feel padded and serve primarily as a setup for the more engaging gameplay. Overall, the narrative is seen as a minor aspect of the experience, with players more focused on the enjoyable combat and mission-based gameplay rather than a compelling plot.
“The campaign has a solid (yet short) storyline, but the real appeal is the fast gameplay that you can easily just jump in for a quick mission or two, or play for hours.”
“The campaign tells a short story of conspiracy in the Sairento organization, the cyber-ninja elite protectors of Neo-Japan.”
“Voice acting is unexpectedly good and the story is interesting, although not the main focus of the game.”
“The story is weak and forgettable, but the gameplay is 100% adrenaline fueled fun.”
“The campaign is quite short, not counting the interludes where you complete a few arcade-style missions before doing the next story mission; I'd say the campaign took me about four hours.”
“The only thing you do is get missions/told to kill some guys in your way; for me, this does not make a full story.”
- graphics124 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear outdated or simplistic compared to modern VR titles, often describing them as "mediocre" or "low-res." However, some users appreciate the game's unique cyberpunk aesthetic and vibrant art style, which can enhance the overall experience despite the technical shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, they are considered serviceable and contribute positively to the game's immersive atmosphere.
“The graphics on my index with a 2080 ti were stunning and enjoyable - so all pros there!”
“The graphics are excellent for a VR title and I haven't had a single crash while playing.”
“The fast-paced combat is handled so well for a VR game and the cyberpunk aesthetic is amazing.”
“The bad - outdated graphics, models, and animations.”
“The graphics and controls (turning especially) are terrible; paid $35 and played under 2 hours.”
“The game is amateurish in the graphics department and a bit buggy here and there, but movement and gameplay are absolutely amazing.”
- replayability53 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its random missions, extensive customization options, and a robust progression system that encourages players to experiment with different builds and playstyles. While the short campaign may leave some players wanting more, the variety of weapons, skills, and enemy types, along with continuous updates from developers, contribute to a highly engaging experience. However, some players note that the limited variety in mission objectives and enemy types can lead to a sense of repetition over time.
“The time slowing, aerial movement, wall running, and ground sliding give you freedom of movement and a combat experience unlike anything I've seen in VR, and the customization and loadout options promise tons of replayability and an experience tuned perfectly to your liking.”
“Great progression system that upscales the replayability above almost any other VR game out there, and even still the devs continually update the game.”
“Tons of replayability stemming from level progression system for your character and equipment, enemies scaling difficulty to match that, and a diversity of weapons, skills, and adversaries.”
“My gripe with it is that the 10 mission campaign is so short you will barely unlock a fraction of the skill upgrades. Once the main campaign is done, there isn't a lot of replay value to playing the randomly generated missions. The small number of enemy types and mission objectives aren't really pulling me back into the game to keep upgrading the skill tree.”
“Despite being different with every play, the limited variety in the types of rooms available makes sessions feel repetitive, which subsequently limits the game’s potential replayability.”
“Too limited in terms of replayability after getting cap level.”
- optimization50 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, lag, and glitches, particularly in high-action scenarios. While some users have noted improvements with recent updates, others still find the game unplayable on certain hardware configurations. Overall, the optimization appears to be a work in progress, with developers actively addressing bugs and performance concerns.
“Although, I like how the developers are releasing frequent updates which actually make a difference to the gameplay and performance.”
“The team behind Sairento are continually updating and tweaking the performance, content, skills tree, movement, enemies, and weapons with more to come in the future.”
“Even in its earliest development builds, Sairento already showed a lot of polish and optimization.”
“Very poorly optimized.”
“It's poorly optimized at times and really janky.”
“Performance is extremely bad with flickering frames and shudder for this mobile-game level of graphics.”
- stability39 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the experience. While some users have noted that the game runs well on certain setups, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by instability, including problematic movement mechanics and visual freezes. Despite its fun gameplay, many players express frustration over the technical shortcomings, leading to a mixed reception regarding stability.
“I've been playing it on a HTC Vive (1.0) and it runs great, and is so much fun to play.”
“Runs great on my setup - i5 processor and 970 card.”
“But I'm having no screen tears, no shuttering, no glitches at all.”
“The game is a buggy piece of garbage right now, which is a shame because this game used to be so much fun, especially when it was just released into early access.”
“Game is very buggy with crash issues.”
“Now you get clipped by things you shouldn't, the angles the guns shoot are off to what they used to be, and the levels cannot end since the last enemy freezes and cannot die.”
- music32 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the cyberpunk soundtrack for enhancing the atmosphere and action, while others find it lacking and recommend using their own playlists for a more engaging experience. The soundtrack is described as fitting the game's aesthetic, but often gets overshadowed by the chaotic gameplay. Overall, while the music contributes to the ambiance, there is a call for more variety and improvement in this aspect.
“Cyber ninja-ing to a synthwave soundtrack through beautiful maps, leaping through the air in slow motion while headshotting one dude and cutting another's head off when you land, trying to stay alive longer to get more legendary rewards... it's a real good game.”
“There's a cyberpunk atmosphere, Ghost in the Shell-like, enhanced by some nice music.”
“The soundtrack is pretty great too, cyberpunk electro that's not too obtrusive.”
“The music is almost non-existent, so find yourself some raging tunes.”
“Place for improvement: better story, more variety in the music and more variety of enemies.”
“One little note, the music is meh, so I recommend turning it off, and listening to something from this list (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=epic+battle+music), this list (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=yoshida+brothers), or anything hard hitting like Offspring's Smash album or old school Metallica. Turn on the tunes, turn it up, and lay waste to all that stands before you!”
- grinding17 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it offers a decent amount of content and RPG elements for leveling up and loot collection, many players find the experience tedious and repetitive, particularly due to cumbersome menu navigation and a lack of engaging storytelling. Some appreciate the engaging combat and randomized loot system reminiscent of games like Diablo, but others feel that the grind can overshadow the enjoyment, especially in the absence of diverse mission types. Overall, the grind is present but can detract from the overall experience for some players.
“While the game itself is good, it gets pretty tedious after a while.”
“I do not recommend getting this game as it is not a fun experience and is just tedious.”
“I understand it's still early access, but I'm hoping the devs may read this and add these features because the game will get repetitive and tedious without some sort of story or more diverse mission types in my opinion.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players overwhelmingly express that the game delivers a powerful emotional experience, making them feel like a "badass" cyberninja or action hero, akin to iconic characters like Dante and Deadpool. However, some users report technical issues that detract from the experience, such as glitches and nausea, which can impact overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, the intense gameplay also provides a satisfying workout, adding to the emotional engagement.
“No other VR game has made me feel like a badass cyberninja.”
“Of all the VR experiences I’ve tried in the last few months, this one made me feel the most badass. It is also a great way to burn calories as it gets pretty intense at times.”
“Not only have you made me feel like a cool badass killing machine, I am also exhausted, so I got a good workout too.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its unique blend of feudal Japan and cyberpunk elements, enhanced by fitting music, while others criticize it for being generic and lacking polish. While it offers a visually appealing setting, it falls short in terms of exploration and tension compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the atmosphere is described as having potential but not fully realized due to various design flaws.
“The atmosphere is amazing, and the third-person option is great for streamers.”
“Sairento has an atmosphere of its own: a feudal Japan but hyper-futuristic!”
“There's a cyberpunk atmosphere, reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell, enhanced by some nice music.”
“The atmosphere seems very generic and bland, with low-res textures.”
“It lacks the exploration and tension of Arizona Sunshine, it lacks the atmosphere and terror of Raw Data, but it has something those other games don't.”
“- Gun sights are hard to use and too bright for the dimmer atmosphere of the game to see past.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both intentional and unintentional, with players finding joy in the absurdity of the mechanics and their own antics, such as making silly noises. While the game may lack high production values, it compensates with a fun and engaging experience that encourages replayability and skill development, often leading to hilarious moments. Overall, players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements that enhance their enjoyment.
“Technically, you have to hold the trigger and punch them, but it's usually a one-hit KO on standard difficulty and it's hilarious to pull off.”
“Apart from the enemies, which mostly feel (bullet) spongy, everything in this game feels hilariously flimsy.”
“I'm making weird ninja noises while playing (my wife keeps laughing at me, I don't care).”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy in the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players appreciating the immersive cyberpunk aesthetic enhanced by in-game advertisements, while others criticize the developers for perceived cash grabs in a niche market lacking clear direction.
“It feels like developers are trying to get some quick cash grabs in a category with few games and no direction.”
Critic Reviews
Sairento VR
Sairento VR is a fun experience and one that is far more complete than most VR gaming experiences out there. With it you get a good story, fantastic gameplay mechanic design and a good set of multi-tiered levels to use those mechanics in. This is more than just a gimmicky, short experience, which most VR games slip under these days, as it is a bright spot in a sea of VR shipwrecks.
80%Sairento VR Review
Sairento VR is John Wick meets The Matrix meets Kill Bill meets a wandering, arm-punching lunatic.
80%Sairento VR PSVR Review
Sairento VR is one of the best games on PSVR. With non-stop action and thrilling acrobatic controls. It delivers an adrenaline shot of pure action straight to the heart. There is simply nothing else like Sairento VR on PSVR or any system for that matter. This is a groundbreaking, standard-setting game that will serve as a waypoint for VR action games for years to come.
95%