Sectors
Sektori is an intense high-speed twin-stick shooter developed by indie designer Kimmo Lahtinen (Gimbill), the creator of games like Resogun.
Developer: Kimmo Lahtinen
Publisher: Kimmo Factor Oy
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Release date: November 18, 2025.
Platform on which the game was tested: PlayStation 5
Starting price: 14.79 euros on PC, 14.99 euros on PlayStation 5 and Xbox
Gameplay
The main mechanic of Sektori is surviving as long as possible against waves of colorful geometric enemies (with a constantly increasing number of participants). The game introduces dynamic, randomly changing arenas: parts of the battlefield occasionally “light up red” and announce that they will collapse or rearrange, forcing the player to constantly move and adapt to the new layout of the terrain. In addition to shooting, the ship has a special “dash” that literally breaks through obstacles – it is a quick thrust that propels the ship forward and destroys everything in its path, but it must recharge before reuse. Destroyed enemies leave small symbols (glimmers) that you collect to upgrade the ship: collecting enough “glimmers” grants an upgrade token (e.g., speed boost, rockets, new shield, etc.). Upgrades are activated by pressing a button, making the player's decision a risk – choosing one bonus resets the ability to gain others until you collect additional symbols again.
In terms of content, Sektori features a five-level long campaign and several additional game modes. Along with the standard campaign, the developer included a static Classic mode, various challenges, and special game modes: Gates, Surge, Crash, Assault, and Boss Rush. Some of these modes drastically change the rules (e.g., in Crash mode, the only way to destroy enemies is by crashing your ship into them, while in Assault mode, the player adjusts the strength of enemy waves themselves). Each of the mentioned game modes has an online global leaderboard, which encourages competition to achieve the highest scores.
Graphics and Music
Visually, Sektori is prominently minimalist. The game is filled with strong neon effects, pulsating particles, and dynamic camera changes, synchronized with electronic techno rhythms. It is especially commendable that the visual effects and music are in harmony. Sektori offers a virtual spectacle of exploring enemies supported by techno music, and for the best experience while playing, it is necessary to have headphones on due to the impactful bass sound and ambiance. Thus, the combination of music and graphics truly creates a sensory assault – the rapidly changing arena and explosions accompanied by pounding rhythms provide a strong adrenaline rush.
Drawbacks?
During gameplay, we did not notice any bugs. Despite the large number of enemies, explosions, light effects, and continuous action, the gameplay was completely fluid. The only downside is that there is no possibility of co-op play with friends, either online or offline.
During our playthrough, the only major complaint we noticed is that the base difficulty level is not suited for the average player! Specifically, there is a thin line in the game between an attractive challenge and frustration. Sektori has almost no mechanism for permanent upgrades that ease the journey – the “risk and reward” upgrade system resets upon being hit, making the game constantly sharp like a classic arcade shooter.
It is evident that the game heavily emphasizes reflexes; if a player gets caught in a wave of enemies or misses a signal about a terrain change, it is nearly impossible to save themselves. Such a level of difficulty clearly targets more experienced and persistent players: players unaccustomed to challenging arcade shooter rounds may quickly find them overly difficult. We believe that a large number of players who decide to buy the game due to its low price and graphical appearance will not succeed in passing the first level and will frustratingly give up on further play.
Comparison with Geometry Wars
At first glance, Sektori definitely reminds of the cult series Geometry Wars. The basic concept is similar: the game is a top-down twin-stick shooter where you pilot a small ship and survive as a stunning multitude of colorful enemies descend upon you. Geometry Wars (originally a minigame in Project Gotham Racing 2) introduced the arena formula with a fixed layout and hours of challenges back in 2003, where players strived to last as long as possible by destroying waves of enemies to achieve a new high score.
Sektori retains that retro vibe (we have a checkered background, geometric enemies, and a focus on high scores), but introduces modern stimuli: arenas constantly transform, boss fights are introduced at the end of levels, and there is an upgrade system that you choose on the fly! In short, Sektori has modernized the well-known gameplay from the Geometry Wars series and brought innovations such as constant arena changes that make each round unpredictable, and a multitude of gameplay modes (Surge, Crash, Assault, etc.) that provide a greater level of challenge.
Conclusion
Sektori is a bold and adrenaline-fueled title that delivers incredible speed and visual style. The game is designed to completely break the player's comfort and force them to maintain constant attention. If you love the high-octane rhythm of arcade shooters, Sektori will provide you with plenty of excitement: the audio-visual synergy and continuous gameplay literally immerse you in the game. However, for experienced players, this challenge is precisely the spice – the rules are strict, and mistakes are quickly punished. Casual players or those who prefer a gradual onboarding will likely find themselves “lost” in the relentless pace. Also, if you are looking for a deep campaign, mission variety, or story, Sektori offers exclusively a pure arcade experience, with little to no additional content aside from high scores and trophies.
We recommend Sektori to fans of classic twin-stick shooters and advocates of challenging arcade games, especially those who enjoyed Geometry Wars and similar titles. They will appreciate the raw simplicity and extreme pace. However, if you tend to prefer casual games or expect significantly more visual and content variety, Sektori probably won't be for you – you could easily get stuck on the early levels or lose interest due to repetition.
★★★★☆
A copy of the PlayStation 5 version of the game was provided for review purposes by developer Kimmo Lahtinen
