A City Sleeps
Release Date: October 16, 2014
Action, 2D, music, indie games, shoot 'em up, side-scroll, shooters, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
Unique two-dimensional skillfulness of the creators of Rock Band series, referring to the classics of "bullet hell" automatic shooters. Playing the role of a member of an ancient clan, we penetrate the dreams of people and eliminate the demons that inhabit them. The fun comes down to avoiding waves of missiles and eliminating enemies, and the whole gameplay is closely synchronized with the original, pulsating soundtrack.
A City Sleeps follows Poe, youngest member of The Silk, an ancient clan of dream exorcists that can enter the minds of sleeping hosts to rid their dreams of demons. When the residents of SanLo fall into an endless slumber, only Poe can rescue them from a never-ending nightmare. Equipped with her legendary Koto-sword “Heartstrings”, and flanked by her stable of powerful ghost familiars, she must cleanse their dreams, and uncover the city’s dark secrets.
Driven by an unforgettable original soundtrack that builds through player actions and enemy engagement, A City Sleeps infuses classic twin-stick hardcore shoot ‘em up sensibilities with moment-to-moment tactical choices.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
Videos and Screens
Destructoid: 5.5 / 10 by Nic Rowen
A City Sleeps feels like a half-made game. Perhaps if they had a little more time or budget to add a few more Dreams, and even out the experience for players of all skill levels, it might have been something special. As it is, A City Sleeps is strictly for hardcore shoot-'em-up fans and people who are intensely curious about the future of rhythm games (an interesting Venn diagram for sure).
PCWorld: 4 / 5 by Hayden Dingman
Harmonix's rhythm-based shoot-em-up A City Sleeps is nightmarishly difficult, but that shouldn't stop you from playing.
Worth Playing: 6 / 10 by Brian Dumlao
A City Sleeps is a better experiment than it is a game for dedicated fans of rhythm games and shoot-'em-ups. The fusion makes for a game that sounds great on paper, but tying the shots so tightly with the predetermined rhythm makes for a less-than-satisfying experience. The difficulty spikes and haphazard way in which the power-ups are strewn about makes for a game that seems tailored for hardcore shooter fans, despite some seemingly inviting mechanics and graphics. Since the game is so brief, it becomes tough to recommend the game to all but the most dedicated of shooter fans.
A City Sleeps Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
A City Sleeps System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, graphic card 256 MB, Windows 7/8