Sora
- January 5, 2016
- Orange_Juice
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Sora" is a single-player game that takes you on a thrilling journey in a fantasy world with its namesake protagonist. Experience fast-paced, tactical combat with a variety of weapons and modes, accompanied by a captivating story and stunning visuals, all set to a marvelous trance soundtrack. By purchasing "Sora," you'll also receive a free bonus character for "100% Orange Juice" on Steam. The world is fading, and war ravages the land; Sora, a girl with powerful fighting abilities, aims to protect those around her in this fantasy shooter game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story with deep themes and well-developed characters, making it engaging for players.
- The gameplay is fast-paced and challenging, with a unique dash mechanic that adds depth and strategy to combat.
- The soundtrack is outstanding, with a variety of tracks that enhance the overall experience and match the intensity of the gameplay.
- The difficulty is extremely high, even on easy mode, which can be frustrating for players who want to enjoy the story.
- There is a lack of exposition and cutscenes, making it difficult to follow the plot and character development between stages.
- The controls can feel awkward and unresponsive at times, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- gameplay164 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its challenging mechanics that require quick reflexes and strategic thinking, making it both rewarding and punishing for players. While the game offers a unique dashing system and various weapons, it suffers from design flaws such as offscreen projectiles and a lack of difficulty options, which can frustrate those seeking a more narrative-driven experience. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and fast-paced, appealing to fans of bullet hell shooters, but may deter newcomers due to its steep learning curve.
“Despite its simple look, it packs a punch with challenging gameplay that demands quick reflexes and strategy.”
“The gameplay is challenging but fair, the art style is neat, the story is pretty dark and emotional, the characters are unique, and deku did a fantastic job on the soundtrack.”
“The gameplay is amazing, each stage is unique from the others (you get different enemies that do completely different stuff) and it is also very fast-paced.”
“There is unfortunately no way to make the game easier besides learning the controls and mechanics.”
“This is overall a negative for the game, as I would imagine some would want to see this game for its story and characters rather than suffering through the game's difficult gameplay.”
“It's got some good ideas, but with the dash and attack canceling mechanics, the game only has two extremes: either being far too slow and stiff to be fun, or being way too fast and slippery to be controllable.”
- story130 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players praising its emotional depth and compelling characters, while others find it jarring and underdeveloped. The narrative explores darker themes of war and personal sacrifice, often leaving players feeling a strong connection to the protagonist, Sora. However, the execution can be confusing due to minimal character descriptions and abrupt transitions between plot points, leading to a somewhat fragmented experience.
“The story is minimal but effective, with a cool nostalgic vibe.”
“The story isn't complex or anything, but it is emotionally deep, as the main character Sora has to deal with the repercussions of her actions as a soldier and living weapon.”
“The music and sound is spot on, and the story is one of hope and reflects on the hopelessness, desperation, and pointless destruction that comes with war.”
“Every stage will have you jump towards a completely new environment and plot point of Sora's character, which can be incredibly jarring and confusing.”
“It's not even a matter of loss of translation or something, there just isn't enough descriptions for several characters and plot points.”
“While the story may be lackluster, the gameplay is the main reason to pick up this game.”
- music124 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised as a standout feature, with many reviewers highlighting the outstanding late 2000s trance soundtrack composed by Deku, which perfectly complements the game's stages and emotional narrative. The soundtrack is described as immersive, mood-enhancing, and memorable, making it a significant draw for players, with some even recommending purchasing the soundtrack bundle. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gameplay experience, contributing to the game's atmosphere and emotional depth.
“Deku composed an incredible late 2000's-trance OST that meshes perfectly with every stage and boss.”
“The music is a standout, perfectly matching the intensity of each stage.”
“Honestly, I'd buy this game just to listen to the soundtrack; it's just that wonderful.”
“The music isn't as great as other soundtracks I've heard recently, but I still enjoyed it.”
“The game's music is also much moodier compared to the energetic score that deku previously composed for 'Suguri', lending to the game's somber tone of the story yet the music still carries the trance-techno vibe of the previous game.”
“As for the soundtrack?”
- graphics48 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the significant improvements over its predecessor, including higher quality hand-drawn sprites and a cohesive aesthetic that enhances the game's dark themes. While some players appreciate the beautiful visuals and atmospheric design, others find the art style and gameplay mechanics somewhat lacking or inconsistent. Overall, the graphics are noted for their polish and suitability to the game's narrative, contributing to a memorable experience despite some criticisms.
“Memorable game that stands out for its strong aesthetic of a world desolated by war, with credit to deku's powerful soundtrack, brief but meaningful dialogue, and despondent visuals that remain polished and cohesive despite being a somewhat old game.”
“The visuals have greatly improved from Suguri, featuring higher quality hand-drawn sprites, more lavish (if bleak) scenery, and taking advantage of a better understanding of the game's engine to incorporate some interesting angles as Sora flies through the stages.”
“With a great atmosphere, great graphics, and a much greater soundtrack, Sora has probably become my favorite bullet hell I've ever played, having probably the 3rd or 4th spot in my favorite OSTs list.”
“Graphics are nothing to really scream about, it's exactly what it looks like in the store's preview pages.”
“The visuals look a bit off, the gameplay isn't as smooth as it should be, and there are a lot of strange design choices.”
“I'm tired of all these graphic whores of games where it's so easy to just read where the majority of development spent their time.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability despite its short length, primarily due to its challenging difficulty levels, a variety of unlockable weapons, and the opportunity for players to improve their skills and achieve higher scores. While it consists of only seven regular stages and a bonus stage, the engaging gameplay and options for experimentation keep players returning for more. Overall, the combination of polished mechanics and fun gameplay ensures that players will find plenty to do even after completing the main objectives.
“The game's length is pretty short, under an hour of gameplay if someone were to beat the game without having to retry anything once. However, just like many retro games, the game's difficulty will make it last a lot longer. When you also add in things like the escalating difficulty options, a variety of different weapons for the protagonist to choose from, and just being fun, the game has quite a bit of replay value to it.”
“The game is understandably somewhat on the short side given it's a shooter, although there is replay value in the game's difficulty levels which changes things up in the stages and boss battles. There are many weapons to unlock and experiment with that may suit your playstyle, and you can generally see your skills improve as you play to attain higher scores and ranks across each stage.”
“The game consists of 7 regular stages and a bonus stage, which may seem small but more than makes up for it in both the difficulty and replayability value.”
“Overall short but each stage will take practice to clear, and has replay value in different weapon choices.”
“The game is understandably somewhat on the short side given it's a shooter, although there is replay value in the game's difficulty levels which changes things up in the stages and boss battles, many weapons to unlock and experiment with that may suit your playstyle, and generally seeing your skills improve as you play to attain higher scores and ranks across each stage.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a dark and emotionally resonant story, particularly highlighting the struggles of the main character, Sora, as she confronts the consequences of her past as a soldier. Players find the characters to be lovable and well-developed, adding depth to the emotional experience, while the challenging gameplay and unique art style enhance the overall impact. The soundtrack by Deku further elevates the emotional atmosphere, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a heartfelt gaming experience.
“The characters in the game are lovable and have a lot of effort put into them for a bullet hell shooter, and the story can be quite emotional as well.”
“The story isn't complex or anything, but it is emotionally deep, as the main character Sora has to deal with the repercussions of her actions as a soldier and living weapon.”
“I would recommend it if you want to see how some of the characters from 100% Orange Juice are actually like, or if you just want to cry because you spent 10 minutes trying to shoot Sham's miniboss to death when you're supposed to melee attack it.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of hilarity and tragedy, with players finding their own ineptitude amusing. While the game typically relies on comedic elements, some reviewers suggest that introducing more punishing mechanics could enhance the humor by creating unexpected challenges. Overall, the humor is seen as a blend of lightheartedness and deeper storytelling.
“I am hilariously bad at this game.”
“Sora also has one of orange_juice's strongest stories as it cuts off from the usual humor and introduces many characters with tragic backgrounds.”
“I just think the game design makes you rely heavily on the idea of this mechanic, and in some places would be hilarious if they made a boss where it punishes you for doing it, instead of just a bucket of rewards, and your only route to fast rate of fire.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stunning graphics and exceptional soundtrack, contributing to an immersive experience that blends high-speed action with contrasting light and dark themes. Reviewers note the vibrant colors that inject a sense of hope into the otherwise gloomy setting, making it a standout in the bullet hell genre.
“The high speed and mixture of light and dark atmospheres in the game are perfectly matched to the level themes.”
“A hard but atmospheric game with lots of bright colors to bring the smallest amount of hope in the gloomy sky.”
“With a great atmosphere, great graphics, and a much greater soundtrack, Sora has probably become my favorite bullet hell I've ever played, having probably the 3rd or 4th spot in my favorite OSTs list.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highly praised for its intriguing designs and themes that immerse players in a mysterious and chaotic world. Reviewers express a strong desire to explore the backstories and motivations of the characters, indicating that the depth of their design enhances the overall narrative experience.
“There is so much depth in these character designs, themes, and even the music that you are sucked into this world of mystery and chaos, and you just want to know even more.”
“The character designs are genuinely intriguing, making me want to learn more about these characters and what motivated their actions.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the first level can be completed without extensive grinding, but they find the boss fights to be tedious rather than challenging due to the bosses' immobility and ineffective mechanics.
“The bosses are incredibly immobile, and half the time the blink function they use simply makes the boss fight tedious instead of challenging.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report a high level of stability, with no bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay.
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly with minimal lag even on low-end laptops, and features fluid animations throughout.
“The game runs smoothly with very little lag, even on low-end laptops like mine, and the animations are very fluid.”
“The game runs smoothly with very little lag, even on low-end laptops like mine, and the animations are very fluid.”
