Strider, known in Japanese as Strider Hiryû, is the fifth entry in the Strider franchise. As with previous Strider games, it is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer; however, this game introduces a semi-open world and exploration elements. The game was developed by Double Helix Games, while working closely with the Capcom team in Osaka, including the designer of Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts and the enemy artist on Strider 2.
The game was released through digital distribution in February 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and on PC via Steam.
Story Overview:
The game is said to be a retelling of the "classic Strider story", or the basic setting used in both Strider and Strider 2 focused in the confrontation between Hiryu and Grandmaster Meio, but intended for a modern audience[5]. Set in the year "Meio 0048" in an alternate dystopian future Earth under the oppressive iron-fisted rule of the mysterious and all-powerful Grandmaster Meio. Hiryu, the youngest agent to reach Special-A Class in the hellish Striders training program, is sent on a mission to eliminate Grand Master Meio, as he is the only one capable of carrying out such a mission.
Gameplay:
Strider is described as an intense side-scrolling action platformer, in which the player controls Hiryu and freely explore the expansive metropolis known as "Kazakh City", gaining new abilities and support items which, in turn, can be used to open up previously-locked areas of the city. Hiryu retains his acrobatic movements and ability to climb through any surface. Also, he inherits techniques from previous Strider games as well as his fighting game appearances. In addition, he can acquire powers that are new to the Strider series.
The game's main mode, "Story Mode", includes three selectable difficulties. There are two unlockable "Challenge Modes" to be found in-game: "Beacon Run" is a race-style mode where players are challenged to reach checkpoints across enemy-infested areas as fast as possible; while "Survival" test a player's fighting skills against waves of enemies. All three modes have ranked scores for fastest times and global leaderboards.There are also a set of 11 costumes to be unlocked, and a customization option after all are found that lets one alter the colors of Hiryu's uniform.
Controls
Unlike previous games in the series, Hiryu's health is represented by a Health bar positioned at the top-right side of the screen. A Plasma Energy bar below it represents energy required for some of Hiryu's techniques. Left of both bars is a circular gauge marked with Hiryu's "Hi" kanji, known as the Charge Strike Meter; this gauge fills up as Hiryu hits enemies and decreases when he's hit himself, and when filled up Hiryu goes into Charge Mode: he starts glowing and his attack and range are increased for a short period of time. The top-left side of the screen includes a mini-map which shows Hiryu's exact location and his current objective. During boss fights, the map is replaced with the boss' health bar.Hiryu's trademark freedom of movement and agility remains intact in this game. Hiryu can jump, cartwheel, slide, dash, perform flips and move across any direction, as well as climb through almost any surface and angled platform in his way to maneuver around and reach new areas. During the course of the game, Hiryu will unlock several moves which further expands his mobility options, such as the "Double Jump" or the "Plasma Catapult".
Hiryu retains his iconic Cypher as his sole weapon of choice. His attack options have been greatly expanded, now being able to swing at different angles, below and above him as well as perform an overhead uppercut slash that sends enemies flying upwards. The Cypher can also be upgraded with several new moves found throughout the game. Hiryu can also perform his signature Slide attack and later obtains throwing Kunai, which lets him attack enemies at a distance or who are otherwise difficult to approach.
Techniques
Hiryu can unlock several different techniques and modes for his Cypher as he progress in the game. This time, however, they are also vital for stage progression as they are required to open or break through closed areas. These techniques need to be obtained from special pickup containers or "cradles" scattered across the game, hidden away and/or protected by boss fights.Physical Techniques
Slide Assault/Assault Fang - An upgraded Slide kick which destroys any enemy in its way. It can also break through closed ventilation shafts.Double Jump - Hiryu performs a second jump in mid-air.
Plasma Catapult - Hiryu does a quick dash in mid-air. This technique can be aimed at any direction and can be used to pass through traps like laser grids, or to perform a swift evasive dash. It can also be used to traverse through warps. When unlocked, a small circular blue meter appears next to the Charge Strike Meter, which depletes after each use and refills automatically.
The Plasma Catapult has four unlockable upgrades mimicking the four Cypher forms: "Reflect" grants the plasma trail the ability to deflect bullets, "Explosive" damages any enemy in its path, "Ultra-Cold" freezes enemies in place and "Magnetic" stuns enemies and attracts bullets towards them.
Charge Mode: A super mode activated after filling up the Charge Strike Meter. Hiryu's body is wrapped in white plasma and both his attack range and strength are doubled. All action is shown in slow-motion as well. This mode last around 5 seconds.
Cypher Techniques
Charged Cypher/Charge Attack - Hiryu charges up the Cypher and swings with twice its normal range. This technique is the only one that can destroy the big defense shield carried by certain enemies and is required to charge the "Eye Gates" to open up closed doors.Down Strike - In mid-air, Hiryu charges up and then dives downward to strike the ground with a powerful shockwave attack. This can destroy any enemy in close proximity and break through weak/damaged floors.
Cypher Upgrades
Reflect Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning a deep red/crimson. Hiryu deflects any shots he hits away, and if hit with perfect timing, the shots will reflect back at enemies.
Explosive Cypher/Burst Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning orange, it increases the strength of the Cypher and sets enemies on fire, draining their life further. It also breaks through doors of the same color.
Ultra-Cold Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning blue, the Cold Cypher freezes any enemy it attacks in place, creating a temporary platform for Hiryu to use. It can also break through doors of the same color.
Magnetic Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning purple, the Magnetic Cypher lets Hiryu shoot plasma waves as projectiles which later return to him like boomerangs. It can also break through doors of the same color.
Kunai - Hiryu throws 3 Kunai at enemies. Can be done from standing or while climbing, but they use the Plasma Energy bar. They are also used to open special locked doors. There are upgrades for the Kunai as well: 4 Kunai upgrades (increasing number of Kunai thrown up to 8), 3 Range upgrades and 4 Plasma forms like the Cypher:
Reflect Kunai: The Kunai bounce off surfaces when thrown.
Explosive Kunai: In this form, Kunai become sticky bombs, sticking onto enemies and exploding after a short time.
Ultra-Cold Kunai: Provides the throwing knives with the same freezing power of the Ultra-Cold Cypher.
Magnetic Kunai: Kunai gain homing capabilities when thrown, swarming enemies before returning to Hiryu.
Options
Option-A (Dipodal Saucer): The Satellite Option. Once active it produces two satellite bots that spin around Hiryu, protecting him from projectile attacks as well as shooting yellow plasma orbs whenever Hiryu attacks. They can also be used to hack through computer-protected control devices.
Option-B (Tetrapodal Robo-Panther): The Panther-type Option. Once obtained, Hiryu can summon it to attack crowds in front of him, doing more damage with each slain enemy. When used near the Panther monuments, the Option will perform a speed-dash or "Panther Run" to carry Hiryu across long distances.
Option-C (Robot Eagle): The Eagle-type Option. Once obtained, Hiryu can summon it to perform a quick swoop attack from above at enemies in front of him. When used near Eagle Perchs, the Option will carry Hiryu across the stage to another perch.
Pickups
Pickups in Strider are meant to be found and collected rather than being temporary power-ups or score-up items, like in its predecessors. As such, these items are often not readily visible or they require backtracking and using a skill that's unlocked as the game progress.The map found in the Pause Menu shows the total percentage of items collected in any one of the game's 10 areas.
Capsule
Small floating containers that can be found in large numbers all over Kazakh City. Destroying these restores a bit of Hiryu's health. They're not a collectable item.
Large Canister
Larger version of the Capsule, this item restores Hiryu to full health. There are a total of 61 Large Canisters, and destroying them all unlocks a Trophy/Achievement.
Pickup Cradle
A large plasma container that upgrades several of Hiryu's stats as well as unlocking his techniques. There are 53 Pickup Cradles, either hidden away or protected by the game's bosses.
Item Unlock Pickup
A small floating "Pow"-shaped item. Finding them unlocks bonus content such as concept art, Challenge Mode courses and storyline info. There are 97 unlock pickups in the game.
Fallen Striders
A small floating item using the original game's "1UP" item sprite. There are 11 of them, each one unlocking an alternate color costume for Hiryu. Besides the Trophy/Achievement, finding them all unlocks a Color Customize mode.
Version Differences
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of Strider provide an increase of resolution and frame-rate over the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, 1080P and 60FPS over the latter's 720P and 30FPS. These versions also include extra graphical upgrades such as increased character model fidelity, "Screen Space Ambience Occlusion" (SSAO), better shadow filtering and lighting, and larger and more expressive particle effects.The Japanese PlayStation 3 version received an exclusive retail/physical release alongside the worldwide digital version. Both Japanese versions also include additional exclusive content: a custom "Strider" PS3 theme, a special video with an interview with the original coin-op director Kouichi Yotsui, and download codes for "Game Archives" versions of the PlayStation ports of Strider and Strider 2. The physical version was also issued in a limited edition bundle called Strider Hiryu Special-A Class Limited Edition with several extra goods, sold through Capcom's "e-Capcom" online shop.
At the time of this writing, there are no plans to release any exclusive/additional content for the game's English release.
The Verdict:
This isn't going to be a long review as this game is pretty straight-forward.
God I love the remixed NES Strider music in this game. Much like the Killer Instinct revival, Double Helix knows how to respectfully pay homage to previous iterations of a franchise while simultaneously leaving their own unique mark.
If you're a fan of old school games such as Metroid, Mega Man, or Castlevania, then you're definitely going to get your Metroidvania fix of days of gaming yore. There's tons of exploration to do to acquire all of the items, upgrades, and additional costumes if you're looking to end the game with 100% completion. I humbly suggest backtracking after you acquire every new upgrade and ability or you're going to forget where you saw that one particular door or area that you needed a new upgrade or ability to access later. Also, don't be afraid to venture outside of the suggested path towards your next destination. In terms of exploration, I wish there was an option like in Castlevania: Lord of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, to write personal notes about hidden items and such on the World Map. While I do appreciate that the World Map does have icons to remind players of what upgrades/abilities to acquire hidden items, it's pretty vague on everything else, especially the Fallen Striders that you need to collect to unlock new costumes for Strider Hiryu.
In terms of action, there's plenty of that to behold here. You will glide Strider Hiryu through each area, hacking and slashing your way through any and everything in your way. One thing I love that's a throwback to classic Castlevania titles is the ability to direct your Cypher strikes with the d-pad much like the Belmont family's whip attacks. If I had one major complaint about this game is how the difficulty isn't consistent here. I completed the game on Normal on my first playthrough with the game juggling from cheap as fuck (specifically that area where you acquire the Ultra-Cold Cypher where the cyborgs in the laboratory have those machine-gun plasma rifles that wear down your health bar to zero in seconds) to brain-dead easily, with little to no challenge. Fortunately, ALL of the boss encounters were a blast to endure and overcome, but I felt there were FAR too many recycled bosses from previous Strider titles and not enough original foes. I understand this is a reboot/remake, but come on. The biggest disappointment was the final boss being almost a COMPLETE rehash from the final confrontation from Strider 2.
In terms of action, there's plenty of that to behold here. You will glide Strider Hiryu through each area, hacking and slashing your way through any and everything in your way. One thing I love that's a throwback to classic Castlevania titles is the ability to direct your Cypher strikes with the d-pad much like the Belmont family's whip attacks. If I had one major complaint about this game is how the difficulty isn't consistent here. I completed the game on Normal on my first playthrough with the game juggling from cheap as fuck (specifically that area where you acquire the Ultra-Cold Cypher where the cyborgs in the laboratory have those machine-gun plasma rifles that wear down your health bar to zero in seconds) to brain-dead easily, with little to no challenge. Fortunately, ALL of the boss encounters were a blast to endure and overcome, but I felt there were FAR too many recycled bosses from previous Strider titles and not enough original foes. I understand this is a reboot/remake, but come on. The biggest disappointment was the final boss being almost a COMPLETE rehash from the final confrontation from Strider 2.
Rent It? Buy It? Or Don't Bother?
Definitely buy it. It's available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Steam for a reasonable price. It's a great concise narrative that's truly a blast to play. This is a game you won't just play once and walk away from it. More of this, please, Double Helix.
Capcom should trust these guys to remake or retool more of their classic properties.
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