Sine Mora (Latin meaning “without delay”) is a 2.5D side-scrolling shooter. The ship can only move in two directions, but the camera sweeps, and the multiple layers show the environment and things in 3D. With robots and floating machinery, the game has a diesel-punk vibe. The player is in command of Argus Pytel’s spacecraft. He is part of a group of partisan pilots determined to invade Syria, the planet’s floating stronghold. They are on the trail of adversary Ronotra Koss, who has smuggled robots and kidnapped a critical girl.
The game is played as a bullet hell shooter, with adversaries and bullets splattering across the screen. It is more forgiving because the traditional health mechanic has been replaced by a timer that counts down. Each strike reduces the timer more while shooting down enemies increases it. The goal is to complete each section before time runs out. The habitats include not just air events but also aquatic ones. A big boss with powerful attacks is usually found at the end of a level. The spacecraft has a primary weapon and can amass many potent sub-weapons with limited ammo. Shooting with the primary weapon increases the scoring multiplier, while shooting with the sub-weapon decreases it. Ships that are defeated drop power-up tokens such as time extension, sub-weapon, scoring boost, and shield. Some tickets can be used to increase the firepower of the primary weapon in up to 9 steps. These upgrades are permanent; however, a red upgrade token is dropped each time the ship is hit, which must be gathered before it vanishes. A time capsule can also be activated to slow time in the area temporarily. The player’s spacecraft may still move and shoot at full speed, and navigating in a cloud of bullets becomes easier.
There are three game modes: Story, Arcade, and Score Attack. There are two difficulty levels at the start of the game; however, during gaming, a more accessible or more challenging route can be picked.
