SiNiSistar 2 review

Most eroge (a Japanese term for erotic game) relies on titillation for enjoyment. Strip away the explicit scenes and there often isn’t much left beyond some basic gameplay and lingering sense of watered-down fan-service. But every so often, a game comes along that would still be worth playing even if the most of the salacious elements were sanitized. SiNiSistar 2 is one of those exceptions.

Developed by the Japanese indie circle Uu, SiNiSistar 2 is the follow-up to 2019’s SiNiSistar, a side-scrolling action RPG that earned a niche audience thanks to its moody atmosphere, challenging combat, and explicit nature. The original game mixed metroidvania exploration with adult content, but what truly helped the game stand out was its mood. SiNiSistar’s world felt diseased and hopeless, with every crumbling corridor and shambling monster helping to cultivate a sense of dread. Doujin developer Uu understood that horror works best when the environment feels hostile and that remains true for SiNiSistar 2.

More Than Battle Nun Bait

The sequel expands on several aspects of the original with better artwork, from improved combat, better visuals, and a larger world. Where the original occasionally felt like a proof of concept, the sequel plays like out like a realized action-RPG with some ambition behind it. Yes, it’s not quite top tier, but it’s better than most of the ‘gooner games’ I occasionally play.

The story follows Sister Lelia, a member of the Purifying Sisters who’s sent into the cursed land of Arsezon alongside her companion Sister Hanya. The pair is investigating the spread of corruption by a malicious cult, sending you through six different environments that range from ominous caves to derelict villages, spread out across a Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest-style structure. Sure, the storyline is fairly minimal, but this decision proves prudent. Rather than forcing you to sit through exposition, SiNiSistar 2 lets the environments do most of the storytelling.

Gothic Horror with a Side of Degeneracy

It’s difficult to not be impressed by SiNiSistar 2’s gothic horror. Here dilapidated villages are drenched in darkness while the crucified rot just beyond. Swamps bubble with toxic decomposition, while churches feel forgotten, with any sanctity succumbing to despair. Meanwhile, monsters writhe around Ghouls N’ Ghosts-style, with skeletal arms poking through the ground and phallic beasts chomp down on Lelia. And while the lead’s portrait image covers a significant section of your viewing area, damage tears her clothes.

Yes, Lelia is your stereotypical battle nun. She’s beautiful, pale, and sporting a habit with a plunging neckline that lets you know what kind of game SiNiSistar 2 is. But, I’d argue that the fan-service doesn’t undermine the atmosphere. Instead, it delivers a freakish mix of imagery, with eroticism, the holy, and body horror all combining into something rare. I wish more games would take these kind of chances and deliver more provactive settings.

Of Habits, Horror, and Heresy

Mechnaically, SiNiSistar 2 is a side-scrolling action adventure with some basic metroidvania elements. You’ll gradually unlock shortcuts, do a bit of backtracking, and discover hidden items scattered throughout six different areas. Exploration is rewarded through levening up Lelia but also learning a bit more about the ruined realm of Arsezon. Doorways connecting to other zones are hightlighted with arrows, and a push of the controller whisks you to a different area.

Meanwhile, combat tasks you with balancing Lelia’s melee attacks and magic abilities. Lelia can slash at adjacent enemies or use mana to summon holy spells. The mana system becomes increasingly important as the game progresses since careless spell casting can leave you vulnerable. Like most game’s with limit offensive resources, I tended to horde my mana, which helped to up the intensity of exploration. But conserving your magic can often help you survive a boss fight, especially when the baddies summon a army of minions.

Nun Shall Pass

SiNiSistar 2’s relic system adds some basic customization. Defeated enemies drop relics that can be used to improve Lelia’s stats, augmenting everything from her health, attack power, to magical abilities. Like a roguelike, the intent is to not lock you into a rigid build but give you some offensive flexibility. That said, it’s not the deepest role-playing component around, and it adds just enough variety to justify its existence. Call me greedy, but I would have liked a bit more autonomy.

I also would have liked a revision with the enemy grab system. Some monsters can capture Lelia and force players into a button-mashing sequence to escape. In theory, the mechanic is supposed to generate tension. But in practice, I found it irritating, especially because the attacks can be difficult to read. The uncensored version uses these moments to depict Lelia undergoing different kinds of assaults. And while I’m not aching to see the different animations, their absence makes enemy grabs all the more disruptive.

A Steam-y Exorcism

Naturally, it’s difficult to discuss SiNiSistar 2 without mentioning the changes to the Steam release. This version removes all the explicit sexual content and tones down much of the sexual energy of the original. That said, if you’re looking for the original uncensored experience, you can download a free adult patch from Eroge Japan’s website. But know that the core gameplay remains the same regardless of version. The patch restores explicit scenes rather than altering the game’s combat, progression, or story structure.

And that distinction is important because SiNiSistar 2 is a competent action-exploration title. Beneath the controversial material is a compelling adventure that oozes atmosphere and has some surprisingly engaging mechanics as you deal with enemies and traps. Here, the adult elements feel secondary to the wonderfully bleak world that Uu has crafted. Here, danger and disease are ubiquitous, making progress through Arsezon suitably nerve-racking.

SiNiSistar 2 was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.