Developer: Astro Port
Publisher: Nyu Media
Platforms: PC
Tested on: PC
Steel Strider – Review
A sequel to the acclaimed Gigantic Army, Steel Strider lets you run rampant in a rather large robot. The game is all about shooting down larger and stronger robots and making sure you don’t get downed by enemy fire. Do you have what it takes? Buckle up and start those jetpacks!
Story
Story isn’t the strong suit of this game. It’s not that the narrative is flimsy or non-existent, it’s just that it’s not being pushed to the forefront, which is a shame because it would probably liven up the experience. If you don’t look into the story, then you’ll be left wondering why you are shooting down the enemies mechs and why they are enemies in the first place.
This game takes place in second half of the twentieth century, so this means that it takes place in the 1950’s onwards. In this alternate reality, where we’ve appartenly already conquered the galaxy and have taken on greater pursuits and larger ventures when it comes to explorations. Peace returns to the galaxy and we find ourselves at a loss on what to tackle next. So the ARGO EXPRESS, a secret organisation, takes on the small crime that takes place on planets across the galaxy. ARGO EXPRESS is better equipped than the peace keeping authorities, so they are sent in. Or at least a pilot of an MCR – Manned Combat Robot. That’s your role in the game.
Graphics
Steel Strider has some really cool graphics that reminisce on several games. There are hints of Metroid, Metal Slug, Contra, Castlevania… the list is actually quite extensive. What can be said about it is that even though they are inspired by them, they don’t blatantly rip them off. Steel Strider still has its own unique feel to it.
The enemies come in various sizes and shapes and you’ll be fighting off wave after wave of these baddies to clear a level. When you’ve come at the end of the level a boss will be waiting to test you and see who has the strongest arsenal. The bosses often look menacing, but are actually quite easy to beat. A bit anticlimactic as there are very small enemies about the size of your mechs foot, which can take a chunk of your health when they so much as touch you and the bosses don’t really damage you so quickly to that extent.
Sound
The soundtrack is decent if not a one trick pony. It’s just one track set on loop. Sure it’s a catchy track, but after a while it really gets on your nerves so a little variation would be nice. Guns sound like they have some bang behind them and they don’t sound less powerful than they actually are. Slightly bothersome is that with the lack of story, there is no possibility for conversation and thus no spoken dialogue. This would have really helped the immersion of the game.
Gameplay
Steel Strider is 2D Side Scrolling shoot em up. This means that you’ll be up against wave after wave of enemies. The controls are quite easy to master and feel natural. W,A,S,D are for movement and spacebar propel you skyward. When you keep pressing space, your jetpack kicks in and you can hover back to the ground. This might seem like something used for platforming but it also has a use in battle. Usually the hover means you move slow and sluggishly and controlling your descent is limited. In Steel Strider, you can use your jetpack to evade bullets and surprise the enemy by shooting them from up high. In the easier modes you can stroll around without needing to dodge bullets at all. When you start digging your teeth into the more difficult settings of the campaign, that’s where the jetpack will come in handy.
When you play the game on easy difficulty you’ll breeze right through it and the game will feel rather short. So you can ramp it up all the way to insane difficulty, just to see just how frustrated you can get before you smash your pc monitor.
Don’t get all too excited about the vast array of guns at your disposal, because there are only eight different guns for you to toy with. It starts with a simple gun to a grenade launcher all the way up to a laser cannon. Once you get a new weapon, the older ones just sit in the back, and you’ll only use them if you really have taken a shine upon them or want to make it even harder on yourself to take down the enemies.
Bosses aren’t just your overpowered overgrown mechs. Their gameplay often changes things up. At one point you might be rushing down bridge with a boss hot on your heels at another point you might be jumping from flying ship to flying ship while shooting a boss from the skies.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a decent mech game, then Steel Strider is just up your alley. The controls are kept simple for easy gameplay. You’ll blast through the campaign on easy mode, but once you up the ante, you’ll come across quite some resistance. The small price with the amount of time you’ll possibly invest into the title is well justified.
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