Missing the Mark in Multiple Areas
Strider is a 2D "metroid-vania" style exploration/platforming game, which gives the player a solid opening 30 minutes, at which point it makes multiple bad decisions which destroy any semblance of fun. There are moments where it seems as if the game is trying to make up for its mistakes, but ultimately, Strider is a misdirected, frustrating mess.
There isn't any sort of story established at the beginning of Strider, the player is simply thrust into the world. This establishes a great face-paced tone for the game, which unfortunately doesn't last long. Brief dialogue sequences between characters later in the game do nothing to develop their personalities, and only serve as a waste of time. It's puzzling why exactly some form of narrative was shoehorned into Strider later on, but these sequences are few and far between, and therefore don't serve as Strider's largest flaw. They are indicative however of perhaps Strider's greatest mistake, a lack of direction.
The gameplay in Strider consists of exploring areas, slashing through enemies in a variety of ways, and using items to open previously blocked areas. It unfolds in similar fashion to any other "metroidvania" style game. The problem lies with the fact that the first 30 minutes or so are populated with fluid combat encounters and fun exploration, while the remainder of the game struggles to meet these intitial high points. As more enemies are thrown into the mix the player must stop and engage some of the larger ones for longer than is desirable. Once the player knows how fun the game can be when free to sprint through areas, this type of combat is dull and unnecessary. The early-mid game platforming sequences are also problematic, as Strider's movement does not accomadate precise landings.
The bosses are fun occasionally, but also very often result in frustration, and no real sense of accomplishment after being defeated. The design starts to get worse and worse as more frustrating or uninteresting enemies are thrown into the mix, until around two thirds through the game. At this point the wide arsenal of items and weapons at the player's disposal become useful in a variety of s, allowing for quick dispatch of previously frutrating enemies. This arsenal ranges from summoned holographic panthers to a wide variety of blade types which can be switched between on the fly. These elements work wonders to get the game's pacing back on track, and for a while it seems as if the experience might be pulling it all back together.
The platforming even improves with some interesting gravity based puzzles, which put the developer's true creativity on display.
Unfortunately the game reverts back to it's old ways and the final few areas are an excercise in pure frustration. Stun-locking and unfair enemies spring up at every turn, so that when the game is finally completed, there is no incentive to ever pick it up again. It's baffling how the developer apparantly missed the strengths of the game in the first few areas.
Another, slightly less problematic issue is the game's presentation. Most backgrounds are very drab and uninteresting, causing many areas to look similar and almost none to stand out. There are a few areas which have more vibrant colour schemes, but for the most part the visuals do not impress. The music is similarily forgettable, offering up a simplistic electronic soundtrack.
Strider initially gave me hope for a fast and furious combat experience, with some exploration thrown into the mix. But the experience devolves into frustration quickly, and while it tries to pull it all back together in the final third, it is ultimately unsuccessful. It's a real shame, but unfortunately Strider makes too many mistakes to be anything other than an excercise in frustration.
