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.
Incredible movement mechanics that make you feel like a badass ninja.
Variety of weapons and customization options enhance gameplay and replayability.
Engaging combat with the ability to perform acrobatic moves and slow-motion actions.
Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, especially for new players.
Graphics and level design feel dated and lack polish.
Some bugs and performance issues, particularly with multiplayer and enemy AI.
gameplay
382 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its fast-paced, action-oriented mechanics that blend shooting and melee combat with unique movement options like wall-running and bullet-time, creating a dynamic experience. While many players appreciate the fluidity and customization of gameplay, some criticize its repetitiveness and lack of depth in mission variety and enemy types. Overall, the game is seen as a fun, albeit imperfect, VR experience that excels in mechanics but could benefit from more content and polish.
“The gameplay is highly enjoyable and there's a very compelling 'just one more mission' feel to the game.”
“The fluidity of movement adds an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay, making you truly feel like a skilled warrior in a virtual realm.”
“The game's combat mechanics are a highlight, offering a wide array of possibilities that set it apart from other VR titles.”
“This game shows its age in the controls, graphics, and overall gameplay.”
“It's a painfully early VR title in its jank (the way player scaling and arms work, the clunky menus, the finicky reloading and weapon two-handing), its incredibly simplistic gameplay (you can shoot and jump around. Shooting doesn't feel particularly good. Jumping feels okay but if you want to get precise with it, it's a bit annoying.), and its god awful visuals.”
“Gameplay-wise, a bit monotonous just shooting and slashing not-so-intelligent enemies.”
story
371 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
78%
9%
The game's story is generally considered weak and unengaging, often described as a mere backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players note that the campaign is short, consisting of only about ten missions, and often feels padded with filler content, leading to a repetitive experience. While some appreciate the effort put into the narrative, many agree that the gameplay mechanics and combat overshadow the story, making it feel secondary to the overall experience.
“The campaign story is nice, but awfully short, yet the replayability of random missions makes up for this.”
“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.”
“There's a variety of gameplay modes, purge where you fight from room to room, assassination where you have to take down one 'boss' and all its minions, wave survival (self-explanatory), and there's a pretty intriguing story to go along with it.”
“The story might as well not exist for how boring it is.”
“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 story is weak and forgettable, but the gameplay is 100% adrenaline-fueled fun.”
graphics
153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
51%
16%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear outdated and lack polish, often comparing them unfavorably to more modern VR titles. While some appreciate the cyberpunk aesthetic and find the visuals serviceable, others criticize the simplistic textures and low-resolution models, suggesting that the game would benefit from a graphical overhaul. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics are not the game's strongest aspect, the engaging gameplay and mechanics can compensate for their shortcomings.
“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 graphics are pretty solid and good looking.”
“It's a painfully early VR title in its jank (the way player scaling and arms work, the clunky menus, the finicky reloading and weapon two-handing), its incredibly simplistic gameplay (you can shoot and jump around. Shooting doesn't feel particularly good. Jumping feels okay but if you want to get precise with it, it's a bit annoying.), and its god awful visuals.”
“The graphics are terrible, feels like a game that is from 2000.”
“The game is amateurish in the graphics department and a bit buggy here and there but movement and gameplay is absolutely amazing.”
optimization
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
50%
23%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and glitches, particularly in demanding scenarios. While some users have noted improvements with recent updates, others still find the game poorly optimized, especially on mid-range systems. Overall, while the visuals are appealing, the inconsistent performance detracts from the experience, leading to frustration for many players.
“The game is perfectly optimized.”
“In a game where you are in artificial motion (the jumping in the air, the sliding, dashing, etc.), performance is king, way more important than graphics, and they nailed it. I had no issues with the performance at all, even when I was flying through the air in slow motion, emptying one gun at an enemy to my right and the other to my left while bullets flew past me.”
“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 stutter for this mobile-game level of graphics.”
replayability
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
5%
The game offers significant replayability through its semi-procedural map generation, diverse character builds, and a variety of random missions and difficulty settings. While the main campaign is short, the extensive customization options, skill progression, and frequent updates from developers enhance the overall replay value. However, some players note that the limited variety in mission types and enemy encounters can lead to a sense of repetition over time.
“The semi-procedural map generation, tons of different possible builds, random missions, difficulty settings, modifiers, etc. provide near infinite replayability.”
“Tons of replayability stemming from the level progression system for your character and equipment, enemies scaling difficulty to match that, and a diversity of weapons, skills, and adversaries.”
“The gameplay and replayability are where this game shines.”
“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.”
stability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
2%
85%
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 noted that the game runs well on certain setups and can be enjoyable despite its flaws, the overall consensus is that the instability, particularly in movement and multiplayer, is a major drawback. Many players expressed frustration with the game's technical shortcomings, leading to a mixed reception regarding its 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.”
“Was very buggy and lacked weapon content; graphics weren't great and could easily be improved. Honestly, the only fun part was seeing how long it could go without bugging or lagging, or seeing what the next bug was going to be.”
“Glitches out to black, graphics freeze or glitch a ton. Every 5 bullets fired comes with a special freeze and a sickening dizzy feeling when I continue to move and the screen is frozen. Sadly, I will be uninstalling this and moving on.”
“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.”
music
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the ambient tracks and synthwave soundtrack that enhance the cyberpunk atmosphere, while others find it lacking in intensity and variety, suggesting players use their own music for a more adrenaline-fueled experience. Overall, the soundtrack is described as enjoyable but often overshadowed by the action, leading to recommendations for external playlists to elevate the gameplay.
“The dojo music is actually one of the greatest ambient tracks I've ever heard in my life.”
“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.”
“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!”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the depth of the progression system and the variety of customization options, others find the experience tedious and repetitive. Many note that the game features a significant amount of grinding for loot and upgrades, with some elements feeling luck-based and frustrating. Overall, while the combat is engaging, the lack of storytelling and diverse mission types may lead to a grindy experience that could deter some players.
“Now, I am only 5 hours in, but the game already feels a bit grindy and repetitive.”
“It was a joy to play through Sairento’s excellent campaign, yet it’s disappointing to see such a high emphasis on what is essentially grinding.”
“I do not recommend getting this game as it is not a fun experience and is just tedious.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players overwhelmingly express that the game delivers an exhilarating emotional experience, making them feel like powerful action heroes or "badass" characters, particularly in a VR setting. 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 is noted for providing both a thrilling and physically engaging experience.
“Of all the VR experiences I’ve tried in the last few months, this one made me feel the most badass, I’d say. 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.”
“No other VR game has made me feel like a badass cyberninja.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its charmingly awkward voice acting, particularly with mispronounced Japanese terms, which adds a b-movie quality to the experience. Players find the gameplay mechanics, such as one-hit knockouts, amusing and engaging, contributing to a fun atmosphere that encourages playful interactions. Overall, while the game may lack high production values, its humor and replayability make it an enjoyable experience.
“Also, while this isn't a serious complaint, it's funny that this game is full of Japanese language words and names, but the voice actors don't really know how to read them... hearing 'yorokobi' read as 'your oh koubi' is funny, but sort of charming in that B-movie kind of way.”
“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.”
“I'm making weird ninja noises while playing (my wife keeps laughing at me, I don't care).”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
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. Although it offers a visually appealing environment, 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 inconsistencies in design and execution.
“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.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 grab tactics in a genre lacking direction.
“It feels like developers are trying to get some quick cash grabs in a category with few games and no direction.”