Sora

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 152 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Sora Game Cover
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"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
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 152 reviews
gameplay27 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features a compelling story with deep character development and emotional themes, making it engaging for players.
  • The gameplay is fast-paced and challenging, with a unique dash mechanic that adds depth and strategy to the bullet hell genre.
  • The soundtrack is outstanding, with a mix of trance music that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.
  • The difficulty level is extremely high, even on 'easy' mode, which may frustrate players who are not experienced with bullet hell games.
  • There is a lack of exposition and character development between stages, making the story feel disjointed and hard to follow.
  • The controls can feel awkward at times, particularly with the lock-on mechanic and the inability to remap certain keys, which can hinder gameplay.
  • gameplay82 mentions

    The gameplay is a mix of challenging mechanics and unique systems, such as dashing and heat penalties, which can be both rewarding and punishing. While some players appreciate the depth and strategic elements, others find the difficulty overwhelming, especially without an easier mode. Overall, the game offers a fast-paced, engaging experience that requires skill and practice to master, with a strong emphasis on learning through trial and error.

    • “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 the soundtrack is fantastic.”
    • “The gameplay itself is extremely intuitive; I managed to beat the whole game with a keyboard.”
    • “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.”
  • story65 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and compelling characters, while others find it confusing and lacking in clarity. Many players appreciate the darker tone and high-stakes premise, which contrasts with its predecessor, but note that the narrative can feel jarring due to rapid shifts in environments and character motivations. Overall, while the story may not be universally acclaimed, it resonates with many players for its themes of war, sacrifice, and personal struggle.

    • “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 game is also much darker in tone compared to its predecessor; on top of the grim premise of the game's story, many of the characters you meet in Sora play a much more serious role in the story, which helps highlight Sora's plight as she fights through waves of mechanized enemies.”
    • “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 not even a matter of loss of translation or something; there just isn't enough description for several characters and plot points.”
    • “While the story may be lackluster, the gameplay is the main reason to pick up this game.”
  • music62 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised as a standout feature, with many reviewers highlighting its outstanding 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.

    • “The music is a standout, perfectly matching the intensity of each stage.”
    • “The soundtrack is magnificent, and some helps you to empathize with Sora in some stages.”
    • “Honestly, I'd buy this game just to listen to the soundtrack; it's just that wonderful.”
    • “The game's music is also much moodier compared to the energetic score that deku previously composed for [i]suguri[/i], lending to the game's somber tone of the story yet the music still carries the trance-techno vibe of the previous game.”
    • “The music isn't as great as other soundtracks I've heard recently, but I still enjoyed it.”
    • “As for the soundtrack?”
  • graphics24 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the significant improvements over its predecessor, featuring 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 certain design choices less appealing. Overall, the graphics are noted for their polish and suitability to the game's narrative, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.

    • “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 not a big fan of Sora's art style, but it isn't objectively bad.”
  • replayability6 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 different weapon choices encourage players to revisit the game multiple times. Overall, the combination of polished mechanics and escalating challenges ensures that players will find plenty to do even after completing the main objectives.

    • “It's definitely more polished than Suguri, and has great replay value. Even after the achievements are finished, there is plenty of work to do.”
    • “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 change things up in the stages and boss battles. There are 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.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game features a dark and emotionally resonant story, with well-developed characters that evoke strong feelings despite the simplicity of the plot. Players appreciate the depth of the main character's struggles and the emotional weight of the narrative, making it a compelling experience even within the bullet hell genre. The soundtrack further enhances the emotional atmosphere, contributing to the overall impact of the game.

    • “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 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.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of hilarity and tragedy, with players finding amusement in their own ineptitude and the game's mechanics. While the story introduces serious themes through its characters, some reviewers suggest that the gameplay could benefit from more comedic elements, such as punishing players for over-reliance on certain mechanics. Overall, the humor is seen as a blend of lightheartedness and deeper emotional narratives.

    • “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 that punishes you for doing it, instead of just a bucket of rewards.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics and exceptional soundtrack, creating a captivating experience that blends high-speed action with contrasting light and dark themes. The vibrant colors provide a sense of hope amidst the challenging gameplay, making it a standout in the bullet hell genre.

    • “With a great atmosphere, great graphics, and an amazing soundtrack, Sora has probably become my favorite bullet hell game I've ever played, having likely secured the 3rd or 4th spot in my favorite OSTs list.”
    • “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 a glimmer of hope in the gloomy sky.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is highly praised for its intriguing designs and themes that immerse players in a mysterious and chaotic world, sparking a desire to learn more about the characters' backgrounds and motivations. The depth of the characters enhances the overall experience, making players eager to explore their stories further.

    • “There is so much premise 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 also very interesting to me, genuinely making me want to get to know these characters more and what caused them to do the things they did.”
  • grinding2 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 their immobility and reliance on a blink function.

    • “The bosses are incredibly immobile, and half the time the blink function they use simply makes the boss fight tedious instead of challenging.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report a high level of stability, noting that they have not encountered any bugs or glitches during gameplay.

  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly with minimal lag even on low-end laptops, and features fluid animations.

    • “The game runs smoothly with minimal lag, even on low-end laptops like mine, and the animations are very fluid.”
    • “The optimization is impressive, allowing for a seamless experience across various hardware configurations.”
    • “I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it maintains a stable frame rate even during intense action sequences.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
11-23hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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