Xbox One players will soon be able to enjoy the bullet hell action of Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire, with a release planned for this Friday, July 10.
Developed by Alfa System, Sisters Royale is described as a spiritual successor to the Castle of Shikigami series. Sisters Royale, like Castle of Shikigami, is a vertical scrolling shoot-’em-up that sees you playing as one of a handful of magical characters, with systems that encourage taking calculated risks in the chase for high scores. But where Shikigami is a dark fantasy about a demon infestation in modern-day Tokyo, Sisters Royale takes a more comical approach with a story about five witchy sisters all fighting over who gets to marry the handsome angel Yashin.
According to producer Suda Naoki, Alfa System received a lot of requests for a sequel to Castle of Shikigami, which inspired them to create Sisters Royale as a spiritual successor. “In Sisters Royale the players will find the same ‘high risk, high return’ game mechanics that they enjoyed in the series, with additional obstacles that redefine the game, including ‘slippery ice floors’ and ‘wind blowing windmill’.”
Chorus Worldwide Games is handling publishing duties for the game’s international release. “The original Castle of Shikigami series is a beloved classic of the genre and having Alfa System come back to make a modern spiritual successor is thrilling,” said Chorus Worldwide founder Kanaoya Shintaro. “With its tongue-in-cheek storyline, gameplay and production values from a team at the height of their 30 years in the industry, we think Sisters Royale will appeal to shmup fans of all levels, as well manga and anime lovers around the world.”
The Xbox One version of Sisters Royale will also be playable on Windows 10 through Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, and is up for pre-purchase now ahead of Friday’s release. It’s already available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, where it came out earlier this year.
Note: Japanese names in this article use the Japanese name order—that is, family name first, followed by given names.