Overview: A hack-and-slash platformer which is a reboot of Strider (1989).
20190514 Comment:
I have not played the original Strider (1989). Prior to my thoughts and comments below, I had not even seen videos of the game. After watching a playthrough on YouTube, I better understood some of the reboot's design. Clearly the developers wanted to preserve some elements of the original. In particular, Strider's basic attack and movement (dash, jump, climbing, angled stance on inclines) are essentially, if not exactly, the same. The reboot's main contribution is adding extra abilities and the occasional opportunity to explore. It also felt as if the enemies in the original game were more interesting than those in the reboot.
20190513:
Today I made it a goal to play a game in my Steam library. However, rather than choosing a game from my list of games to play, I remembered that I owned this game, Strider (2014), and I didn't hesitate to play it.
Setup: Xbox controller.
Unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming.
Tip: It can be more efficient to skip enemies instead of fighting them.
Steam Game Time: 74 minutes
[20190514]
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Focused on the action
+ Progression of abilities
Neutral:
~ Essentially linear gameplay
~ Tagged in various places as a "Metroidvania"; it's more accurate to say it has elements of the "Metroidvania" genre.
Cons:
- Occasionally enemies are found at awkward angles with respect to the player character
- Poor save system; I'm not sure if this occurs elsewhere but when I was ready to stop playing, I beat a boss (North Wind + South Wind) and quit. I immediately went back into the game to check the save file and the save point was before the boss battle!
- Unless I'm doing something wrong, one of the enemies (big tanky guy) takes an annoyingly long time to kill.
Summary:
I knew the game was an action platformer but deep down inside I wish it were a stealth platformer. Perhaps I felt this way because I had the impression that Strider Hiryu was a ninja. While Hiryu is referred to as a ninja in part of the Steam store page ("The ultimate ninja returns"), Wikipedia describes the character as "ninja-derived."
In any case, I have mixed feelings about the game. The action is the core of the game, but I'm big on environments and the environment could have used some work. In fact, the lackluster environment is one of the reasons why this game is not a full-fledged Metroidvania.
Speaking of Metroidvanias, second to being a stealth platformer, I would have enjoyed this game more if it had embraced the Metroidvania genre.
Overall, some players will find Strider (2014) a joy to play while others like myself may find themselves wishing it were another genre.
Strider (PC) (2014)
Relevant Links:
Strider (2014 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Strider (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Strider (Steam Store Page)
 |
| Strider Hiryu activates Eagle Flight |
20190514 Comment:
I have not played the original Strider (1989). Prior to my thoughts and comments below, I had not even seen videos of the game. After watching a playthrough on YouTube, I better understood some of the reboot's design. Clearly the developers wanted to preserve some elements of the original. In particular, Strider's basic attack and movement (dash, jump, climbing, angled stance on inclines) are essentially, if not exactly, the same. The reboot's main contribution is adding extra abilities and the occasional opportunity to explore. It also felt as if the enemies in the original game were more interesting than those in the reboot.
20190513:
Today I made it a goal to play a game in my Steam library. However, rather than choosing a game from my list of games to play, I remembered that I owned this game, Strider (2014), and I didn't hesitate to play it.
Setup: Xbox controller.
Unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming.
 |
| Strider vs. South Wind and North Wind |
Tip: It can be more efficient to skip enemies instead of fighting them.
Steam Game Time: 74 minutes
[20190514]
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Focused on the action
+ Progression of abilities
Neutral:
~ Essentially linear gameplay
 |
| Hang on tight!!! |
~ Tagged in various places as a "Metroidvania"; it's more accurate to say it has elements of the "Metroidvania" genre.
Cons:
- Occasionally enemies are found at awkward angles with respect to the player character
- Poor save system; I'm not sure if this occurs elsewhere but when I was ready to stop playing, I beat a boss (North Wind + South Wind) and quit. I immediately went back into the game to check the save file and the save point was before the boss battle!
- Unless I'm doing something wrong, one of the enemies (big tanky guy) takes an annoyingly long time to kill.
Summary:
I knew the game was an action platformer but deep down inside I wish it were a stealth platformer. Perhaps I felt this way because I had the impression that Strider Hiryu was a ninja. While Hiryu is referred to as a ninja in part of the Steam store page ("The ultimate ninja returns"), Wikipedia describes the character as "ninja-derived."
 |
| Strider Hiryu |
In any case, I have mixed feelings about the game. The action is the core of the game, but I'm big on environments and the environment could have used some work. In fact, the lackluster environment is one of the reasons why this game is not a full-fledged Metroidvania.
Speaking of Metroidvanias, second to being a stealth platformer, I would have enjoyed this game more if it had embraced the Metroidvania genre.
Overall, some players will find Strider (2014) a joy to play while others like myself may find themselves wishing it were another genre.
Strider (PC) (2014)
Relevant Links:
Strider (2014 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Strider (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Strider (Steam Store Page)
Date/Time
Monday, May 13, 2019
@
22:00
No comments :