The latest game from retro publisher Flynn’s Arcade, Sentry City, is set for release on Nintendo Switch on 28 September 2023. The cyberpunk noir thriller title has been developed by Crashable Studios and has already been released on Steam. We take a look at the Switch port for this review.
You play as Chris, a guy on a mission to take out “AI scumbags” trying to take out the “obsolete lifeforms”. The game is played out across the Sentry City with a world map that you traverse on your futuristic motorbike.
Sentry City is a side-scrolling action game at heart that includes tough platforming and trial-and-error gameplay. If you take any kind of damage or fall into a pit you restart from the start of the last checkpoint. It feels like lots of set pieces tied together and each area has puzzle-like situations to work out.
Most sections are fairly easy to work out but the challenge comes in executing the plan in one go to avoid being taken out. Each of the short levels ends with a beacon that must be destroyed to stop the AI signal from being spread. There is the occasional boss battle and these one-off fights are a real test of your skills and nerve.
Your only defence in this robot-infested hell is a simple pistol that holds five rounds. Once you shoot all your rounds you have to stay still to reload. This creates suspense and adds a lot of tactical thought to the overall gameplay. If you run in gun hoe you will be finished off quickly so slow and steady with logical reloading will see you through.
You can also jump, of course, but this is purposefully slower than you would expect from a fast-paced platformer so you you must plan each jump before executing it. You can also use some interesting objects such as wind tunnels that levitate you up and the usual moving lifts you would expect.
Graphically, Sentry City looks the part. The cyberpunk setting is beautifully made in some excellent pixel art while the music and sounds are subdued enough to create that dystopian feel. The only criticism is that there is not much variety in the looks of the levels and the same enemy robots appear time and again. Some variety would have been welcomed but at this price point, it’s understandable.
Overall, Sentry City doesn’t do anything to build on what has come before but fans of games like Flashback will get a real kick out of this one. It shouldn’t take too long to complete, skilled players should beat it in about five or six hours, but for £5 it’s a really good way to spend an afternoon.
