Strider review – for make benefit glorious city of Kazakh

Capcom reboot one of their most beloved coin-op franchises, but is turning it into a Metroidvania style adventure the right choice?

For the last 10 years or so Capcom has promised us the world exclusive on Power Stone 3. Which is an easy promise to keep since all concerned assume it will never happen (although we were upset Falcon never made it into Marvel Vs. Capcom 3). But the other game we’re always badgering them about is the fabled Strider 3D, a fan-imagined big budget reboot of one of their finest coin-ops. This is not that game, but it is the next best thing.

We’re always bemused that Japanese publishers never seem to want to update their older franchises, only iterate on them with ever more redundant retro throwbacks. Contra (aka Gryzor, aka Probotector) is the example we always use – of what was the ’80s equivalent of Gears Of War and which should have evolved to become a modern 3D shooter long before Epic ever came on the scene.

Similarly, the obvious route for Gradius was to become a space combat simulator, or at least a 3D shooter like Star Fox. And general action platformers like Bionic Commando and Strider should have had a fairly easy transition into a modern mainstream equivalent. And yet the only one of these games that ever really tried was Bionic Commando, and it was a disaster.

Much of the blame for that lies at the door of Western developer Grin, and so to find that this Strider game is being made by Californian work-for-hire Double Helix – whose output ranges from the surprisingly good Killer Instinct reboot to the unspeakably awful Battleship tie-in – does not inspire confidence. But actually this is a pretty good game, especially if you like Metroid.

We had worried that, like Bionic Commando Rearmed (which was much better than the retail reboot), this would be based on the far less interesting NES version of Strider, but thankfully that’s not the case. From the oddly animated somersault to the equally distinctive power-ups and bosses it’s clearly the coin-op (the version that was widely adapted for 8-bit and 16-bit computers in Europe) that is the primary inspiration here.

But unlike the arcade original this is not a straight action game… instead it’s a Metroidvania clone. And probably the best one we’ve played since Shadow Complex.

Since the gameplay is still entirely 2D the action elements of Strider work very similarly to the original. The scarf-wearing cyborg ninja is initially armed only with a laser sword type device called a Cypher, which can slice most enemies in half with a satisfying ‘schinnng!’ Like all Metroidvanias you’ve come dangerously unprepared for your mission and the only other piece of starting equipment is a climbing claw that looks suspiciously like a sickle.

This of course is no accident, as The Cold War was still not quite over in 1989, when Strider was first released, and the game’s plot revolves around liberating ‘Kazakh City’. And while this reboot isn’t quite as blatant about the communist symbolism it doesn’t shy away from the original themes either.

Storytelling isn’t something Strider’s really interested though and the real impetus for your adventure is the acquisition of cool new equipment. If you’ve not played a Metroidvania game before the idea is that you explore an open world map in which many areas are blocked off until you acquire the right tool. In Strider you pick up items that give you a double jump, a floating shield that also interfaces with machinery, and a cool short range teleporter. There are also purely combat-orientated items such as throwing daggers and versions of the original’s hawk and tiger power-ups.

With some simple but attractive visuals, and equally simple but enjoyable action, it all buzzes along very agreeably, but there are problems. The most obvious of which is that it’s very easy on the default difficulty, and the game absolutely insists on telling you where to go and what to do at every moment. This is a general malaise of modern gaming but it’s particularly poisonous to a Metroidvania game, where exploration and uncertainty is all-important.

There are pacing issues too, with unevenly spaced boss battles and a long wait for some of the more versatile weapons to turn up – such as the alternative Cyphers that do things like freeze enemies. Speaking of which there’s a distinct lack of variety in your pseudo-Soviet opponents. Changing their colour and make them more powerful might be a wry nod to old coin-ops but it doesn’t forgive the fact that for most of the time you’re just fighting the same hapless bad guys again and again.

Even so, we can’t pretend we didn’t enjoy the game. And even if there is too much hand-holding we still loved searching for optional hidden upgrades and secret routes. With Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 unlikely to scratch the same itches as its 2D counterparts this is a very worthwhile alternative. And we can imagine a big budget follow-up, using the same basic concepts, working very well indeed. Maybe after that we can even get a Power Stone 3…

In Short: The mixture of old school, new school, and Metroidvania works surprisingly well – even if Strider’s long-awaited reboot still feels slightly too safe.

Pros: Simple, enjoyable combat with just the right level of fan-pleasing nostalgia. Interesting range of weapons and gadgets, and a large game world.

Cons: Despite the huge map and all the hidden secrets you often feel like you’re following a script rather than exploring. Some pacing problems and too little enemy variety. Very easy.

Score: 7/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and PC
Price: £11.99
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Double Helix Games
Release Date: 18th February 2014
Age Rating: 12

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