During the small period of time I had with the Strider demo, I died much more than I planned on. I was bombarded by lasers and attacks at a surprising speed. I quickly figured out that Strider was not an easy game. That should come as no surprise to those who played the original. What may garner your attention, however, is how the new gameplay mechanics help make Strider tremendously fun to play.
As I already mentioned, the game moves incredibly fast. Strider Hiryu maintains his nimble and speedy nature by moving throughout the world quickly and stylishly. Strider is equipped to scale walls and ceilings, making it much easier to navigate the world. In a nod to the Metroid series, powers and upgrades are scattered throughout the level that give you new abilities, like an improved slide maneuver, or robots that help you in combat. With these helpful tools I survived with much greater ease, but the challenge was still present. Sure, Strider is difficult and frustrating, but I appreciated the old school challenge.
Visually, the game is striking. The level that I played was in a snowy, mechanical building that was filled to the brim with traps and enemies. The lighting and visual effects were a treat to look at, and this was on current generation hardware. I can only speculate that the next-gen versions will be even more impressive.
Strider will be released sometime in 2014 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
I'm actually a bigger fan of Strider 2 than the first one, having enjoyed its stylish visuals and adrenaline-pumping music back in the PSone era. But is this new title a true Metroidvania-type of experience, or are there still specific levels to be played out in order? Anyway, glad Capcom is revisiting the series.
I enjoyed the Strider games, though I wasn't any good at them. I'm sure I'll get this game too.
What about the music? The music in Strider was like nothing I ever heard before. Evocative, atmoshpehric, and often alien. I always refer to it as a 'rock opera,' because of the sound and the way it changed with each set piece, the game being a series of back to back set pieces. Strider 2's music was good, but more 'common,' and thus not as memorable to me.
I'm glad they are bringing Strider back. Sounds awesome so far. Definitely picking it up. Anyword on a Vita version or crossplay?
ALL CHILDREN OF OLD GODS MUST DIE!!!
Double Helix have brought back KI and Stryder. They got chops.
Looks cool, Capcom. Now give us Mega Man X9 please!
Looking forward to this! Luckily I have NG: Razor's edge to sate my hunger for ninjas in the meantime. Now that I've leveled up Momiji doing chapter missions on "normal" isn't so impossible. Razor's Edge is a "slow burn" though. At first it frustrated me and didn't impress me with its' story. But after the ninja challenges and extra characters opened up it was as if it ressurected from its' own ashes and became a better experience!
