So, the Steam Summer Sale has ended and I still have lots of games to play. I praised Game Dev Tycoon in a previous review, but I want to now look at the other side of the spectrum. What game was not so good? This leads to Strider, developed by Double Helix Games and published by Capcom. Now, I never played any of the earlier Strider games. My only experience with Strider is using him in the Marvel Vs. Capcom series. Also, I've been hunting for a fair priced copy of Strider 2 on the PS1 so I could play the previous Strider games(no luck so far). But when I saw this game on sale on Steam, I really wanted it. Little did I know that I would be whisped away to the land of mediocrity and continuous button mashing. Lets take a look at Strider and find out why I think this game puts me to sleep.
Ok, so, the game starts you off right
at the beginning of the stage. No intro, no nothing. I'm fine with
that. I go through, hacking and slashing enemies and what not, and
this goes on for about the first game hour. You learn how to control
Strider's movement, see what the buttons are, etc. Then you fight the
first boss and gain access to a new area when something weird
happens. There is a voice over an intercom talking to citizens of the
city...wait, I'm in a city? With like, actually innocent people just
walking around? That's kind of weird. And why did all of a sudden
some face art appear of some guy talking to the city? Is this
important? Is there an actual story in the game? There was no nothing
to let me know this before. Why am I doing this? Is that guy really a
bad guy? I literally stopped and pondered. I honestly thought this
was just going to be an old school hack'n'slash so I didn't really
think of there being a story.
Honestly, I don't know what the story
is and why Strider is doing what he's supposed to do. Later, there
are even cutscenes...why? I don't know why I'm doing what I'm doing?!
I'm assuming Strider is just assigned to a job and doesn't ask
questions because that's how it works. Plus, I just skip the
cutscenes any way(when it fucking lets me) because I'm so bored
playing the game, I don't care. Why is it so boring? Because it's
very monotonous and repetitive. Hack enemies. Beat boss. Repeat. Now,
this would be fine if the game was just focusing on going from point
A to point B, but no, it attempts to pull a Metroidvania style map
system, key word TRIES. You know what made Super Metroid great at
this style? The player's interest in the game. The fact that you had
a burning passion to discover secrets and the glory of exploration.
In Strider, you don't have bad ass guns to use, just an arm sword.
The settings are very bland and dreary, the music is awful, so you
don't really feel involved with the environment. Instead, it seems
they try to force a shitty story down your throat.



Seriously, this game is pretty easy as
you play through it. But I'm at the end of the game going up this
elevator and it's just hard as shit. You just take on wave after wave
of bad guys and I can't get passed it. Some guys shoots purple lasers
I can't reflect that just drains my health, then I have to fight
flying robots I can't reach that shoot heat seeking bombs at me, and
then fight two giant robot crabs that launch freeze grenades and just
hold me there until I'm dead. What the FUCK?! Why did it get so hard
all of a sudden? At this point, am I supposed to be mastered in all
of Strider's stupid tools that I can deal with a brutal onslaught
like this? I'm sorry, the game is so dull I didn't give two fucks to
probably learn how to play it correctly. I'm surprised I stuck it out
this long. I may not even keep playing, I don't think it's worth it.
The only ray of sunshine out of this is that I got super discounted
on the Steam sale. Are all the other games like this? If so, I might
just avoid them and remember Strider for being bad ass in MvC.

I
guess I should have known that Strider was going to be a let down.
Did anyone see the latest PSN trailer for their free games this
month? Strider is one of them. Look at this promo and tell me this is
not the WORST promo for a fucking game:
Seriously,
if you want to play Strider, I wouldn't pay full price for it. Get it
for free on PSN or only if it is discounted. I'm super disappointed
and this game does not speak well for the character.
Fucking
BATTLESHIP?! Seriously?!
That sounds insanely frustrating. No back story and then a bunch of confusing controls? Check please.
ReplyDeleteMy friend on twitter, @Ransu_X has his two cents. You should check it out and follow him on twitter: http://t.co/tx3Mat8w2L
ReplyDeleteIt's a good opposite POV.
I had a feeling this game was going to be/feel rushed. It seemed like the dev team was more concerned with getting big, beautiful graphics on the screen to capitalize off of an iconic gaming franchise. Great review.
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