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"Strider" redirects here. For the 1989 arcade game, see Strider (classic version).
Strider Reboot Logo

Strider, also known unofficially as Strider 2014, is a side-scrolling action platform game developed by Californian studio Double Helix Games and Capcom's Osaka studio. The fifth and newest main installment in the Strider series, it was released in 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC via Steam. The game, which marked the series' 25th anniversary, is billed as a "retelling" of the classic Strider story (the battle between Hiryu and Grandmaster Meio), combining elements from the original arcade Strider, its very different NES incarnation and Strider 2.

Strider_Launch_Trailer_PEGI

Strider Launch Trailer PEGI

Gameplay[]

The game 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.

Strider Reboot Art

Promotional art.

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.

Options[]

Hiryu also gets access to his three support robots, the "Options". They have been updated with new attacks, inspired by their behavior in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, and functions. When obtained, a small square icon below the energy bar indicates which Option are active. They can be summoned at the same time now, but each summon uses up part of the Plasma Energy bar.

  • 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.

Story[]

Strider Limited Edition Art

Promotional art.

The game is set in the year of "Meio 0048", in an alternative dystopian future Earth at the grasp of the all-powerful and mysterious Grandmaster Meio, who has suddenly appeared and took over by force, controlling it from his base at Kazakh City.

The secret organization "Striders" send in their best agent and their youngest Special A Class member, Hiryu, on a solo-mission to infiltrate Kazakh City and eliminate Grandmaster Meio. In order to reach him, however, he will have to go through Meio's Army of bounty hunters, corrupt generals and scientists.

He will be the 12th Strider to attempt the mission, others failing before him.

Characters[]

  • Hiryu
  • Grandmaster Meio
  • Solo
  • Tong Pooh
  • Pei Pooh
  • Nang Pooh
  • Xi Wang Mu
  • General Mikiel
  • The Four Winds - A team of martial artists that works for Grandmaster Meio as bounty hunters and assassins. The group is conformed of four members: Tong Pooh, middle sister and team leader; Pei Pooh, elder sister and team support, Nang Pooh, youngest sister and team defender; and Xi Wang Mu, master of the sisters and a powerful fighter.
  • Professor Schlange - Nicknamed the "Cruel and Heartless Scientist", Professor Schlange is the overseer of Kazakh City's Research Facility, the technological center of Meio's Army. Possessing an unsatiable desire for knowledge, Schlange is a ruthless man with no moral code or ethics, and is willing to conduct horrorifying experiments, even with human specimens, in order to satiate this obssessive desire.
  • Juroung - A shaman and self-proclaimed true disciple of Grandmaster Meio, Juroung is the leader of Kazakh City's Underground, where he enforces Meio's will. Known as the "Devoted Shaman", he's a religious fanatic of the Grandmaster who worships him as a true god, following his instructions blindly and regardless of any risks, even to the extent of willingly dying for him. Through his belief in Meio, Juroung sees himself as superior to others whose belief is "weak", and fights with full confidence that Meio's will guides him to victory.
  • Black Marketer - A mysterious inhabitant of the Underground who is rumored to have a past connection with the technology used by Meio's Army. Though believed to be a simple merchant who lives and works in the Underground's refugee camps, in truth this is a front for the leader of the Resistance opposing Grandmaster Meio.

Development[]

The 2014 Strider game was developed as a collaboration between the California studio Double Helix Games and Capcom's Osaka studio. Capcom stated that fan support played an important role in the game becoming a reality, noting that enthusiasm for series' main character Hiryu "remained high for years" and that fan demand, made known through outlets like Capcom-Unity surveys and forum posts, helped in the process.[1] Much like its predecessor, it came out in time for the series' 25th anniversary.

Strider's existence was leaked in March 2013, months before it's actual announcement, through the discovery of a registry in Steam's database along with images of a logo, banner and achievement.[2] Official word about the game remained silent until July, when it was officially revealed to a live audience during Capcom's "World of Capcom" panel held at the San Diego Comic-Con event[1] in the form of a live gameplay demonstration.

Collaboration[]

Producer Andrew Szymanski, a personal fan of the series, started pushing for the game while he was working on Lost Planet 3, wanting to get one of his pet projects off the ground and eager to bring back some of the "Capcom feel" to side-scrollers. When asked about the reasons behind choosing Double Helix, Szymanski stated he choose them due to their ability to work closely with Capcom's studio as well as the passion they showed for the IP.[3] Producer James Vance explained that Double Helix pitched several classic series reprisals to Capcom, but that the Strider pitch was the one which ended "swaying the company".[4]

Double Helix collaborated very closely with Capcom's Osaka studio, the latter providing invaluable insight into the series' universe and Hiryu in particular. The two studios have little problems working together, citing the biggest challenges being the time differences and language barrier between them. Design Director Tony Barnes said that, since both teams were aligned with the same goal, it made their working relationship "smoother".[5] Both companies established a vision for Strider early on between them and followed on development maintaining a "razor-like" focus on executing that vision, and thus the final game deviated very little from it. The game has been in development since around 2011, having been in the works "18 months or so before [its announcement]".[6] While there was an earlier attempt at a Strider project back in 2009 by Swedish studio GRiN, James Vance explained there's no connection between both projects, as he and Double Helix learned of its existence when it was leaked on the internet.

Concept and Designs[]

Three main goals guided the game's creative process: to create a fast, fluid and responsive game in line with the fast action of the originals; to ensure its visual style adhered to the series' unique "analog-future" design which mixes elements of science fiction with base forms such as steam-pipes and cables, and to deliver on Strider Hiryu himself, making sure his looks, feeling and playstyle were in line with fan expectations.[7]

The devs discarded a simple HD remake over a full game, feeling a modern Strider could work better with a "Metroidvania" style over its original "arcade roots", by blending the high-speed combat trademark of the series with a more open exploration element.[8] How to blend the fast-paced gameplay and acrobatic action with a non-linear, interconnected, open-ended, exploratory map design was the core concept during the initial phase. Another initial challenge was to adapt the original game's linear 30-45 minutes experiences and expand it into a six to eight hour experience to satisfy modern gamers. Bringing in a larger, explorable world to traverse through was the solution reached.[9] The decision to maintain a 2D side-scrolling design came from it being an integral component of the core experience and "the natural platform" for the series' high-speed, intense action hallmarks.[10]

The game's pace became a constant tuning challenge as the movement speed was said to be "8 times as fast" as the original arcade game, and the team needed to make sure there was enough speed and felt like Strider, finding that "sweet spot" between the constant motion, jumping and climbing, fighting enemies and exploring the map. This is what really formed both level design and the overall game design.[6]. As it was important to keep this "lightning fast killing machine" feel, concepts and ideas that didn't fit with the "fast and fluid combat" were iterated upon until they either fit or were cut.[5]

The game's art direction went through a few different styles, with art director Jon Tucci pushing for a bold composition with unique silhouettes and a hierarchy of details which evolved into a very graphic style which favors form over little details and visual noise. The addition of the scanline effect was initially a nod to the 8 and 16-bit era from the original Strider, but it also ended up enhancing the surface quality of the visuals.[5]

Hiryu's overall design and feel were a top priority for the development team. One of the first things designed, every little detail was toiled over each step of the way, from paper to 3D to in-game.[5] Hiryu was updated to match the game's visual themes, in the way that he remains instantly recognizable: his visual and mechanics being a melding of the simple and responsive Hiryu from the two arcade games and his powerful and dynamic appearance in the Versus series. His looks are closest to his first incarnation, but with the color scheme and silhouette as seen in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.[7][10] Much effort was also put in ensuring his movement and actions had the right look and feel, aiming to deliver not only on previous games' experiences, but take them further by taking the "gilded memories" gamers had of the older game's animation, which are usually not as fluid as remembered, and making them a reality.[10]

The decision to make the Cypher Hiryu's only available weapon was also a way to keep his iconic silhouette intact, as giving him any other weapon would have broken it. The Cypher's new plasma function and the plasma scarf both derived from the concept of extending the plasma abilities to all of Hiryu's skills as a way to "ground" the plasma abilities with the Cypher and allow for a more diverse move set, by keeping the Cypher's physical attack but changing what it can do.[6] The setting behind these new elements was also considered important, and thus they were integrated into the backstory: Hiryu's Hard rubber armor was described as an uniform meant for long-term missions since it resists more than a normal uniform, and the scarf is explained as a trail of excess plasma released by Hiryu's body through a discharge port in the back of his neck, for example.[11]

In terms of voice direction, Marc Biagi was given the specific direction to try to give Hiryu a more quiet, unfazeable and youthful delivery to match him more closely to his manga and arcade appearances instead of his fighting game portrayal.[12]

Most of the returning characters from previous games have been designed or "re-imagined" from the ground-up, placing special attention in retaining their proper look and feel. Their arsenal has also been expanded from the short-lived original boss battles, adapting more robut attack patterns which has provided them with opportunites for a bit more character and challenge for players.[5] The main concept behind their designs is "rebuild": creating a new design by combining elements from their previous appearances with new elements.[13]

The concept of enemy characters speaking different languages was dropped; instead the team chose to have all characters speak English with different regional accents as a way of capturing that same feel provided by the original's multilingual track.[14]

World Setting[]

The new world and setting in Strider, albeit very similar to that of the original, is not to be considered a remake of the first game nor a reboot "in the strictest sense".[9] According to Tony Barnes, Strider is "another game in the Strider universe, [...] meant to sit alongside those other great games, not replace them".[15] This approach is compared with the James Bond film franchise,[15] where the main actor playing the agent changes between films and fans don't question this change.[11]

Described as a "re-imagining", "reconstruction" (再構築) or "retelling" of the classic Strider story, the game uses the basic setting of both previous arcade games which centers in Hiryu's battle against Grandmaster Meio, being created as a retelling enhanced for a modern audience, as the team wanted to avoid the need to create "a direct continuity" with previous entries. This concept was also "kind of" the implication over having avoided calling the game "Strider 3" and instead keep it unnumbered.

Influences[]

One of the developers' key motivations behind the project was to create, first and foremost, a game that delivered the core Strider experience remembered by gamers.[10] Having throroughly researched the games and any related works, the team took elements from the first Strider, Strider 2, the NES version, the Marvel vs. Capcom games and even the manga itself, creating a truly "love-letter" to all things Strider.

One of Strider's biggest influences was the "Metroidvania" sub-genre of open-ended platform games, and specially the 2009 digital game Shadow Complex, a personal favorite of Szymanski. The biggest goal in gameplay execution was figuring out a "golden ratio" between combat, speed and the exploration, which became a bit challenging because no other game in the genre moves as fast as Strider.[6] While there is a strong influence from "Metroidvania" games used to help deliver a more open world, the game doesn't adhere strictly to their compartmentalized sense or their core "power up and backtrack" formula, since the team didn't want to deliver a complete structural imitation of the format and instead sought to strike a balance between it and the fast-paced action of the series.

Music[]

The game's soundtrack was composed by Michael John Mollo, this being his first work in a video game soundtrack. Mollo was referred to Double Helix by film composer Michael Giacchino, since the company was looking for an electronic-infused score and they were at the time doing electronics for the film Star Trek: Into Darkness.[16]

Choosing previous themes to be rearranged was a difficult task, both Mollo and sound director Andrew Dearing had their own ideas on which theme they wanted, but the final decision came from the project's design director, Tony Barnes. The most iconic theme used in Hiryu's many appearances, "Raid!", was the one everyone agreed from the beginning.[17] Double Helix had a formed idea about how to approach the music from very early, feeling it was very important to pay homage to the original themes which were considered iconic and part of the gameplay experience. Mollo, however, knew he could bring in a fresh perspective to the game and approach these themes from an unique angle.[17] After they decided on which themes to arrange, it became a matter of breaking down each one to its basics and rebuilding them against a new backdrop. Mollo considered a challenge to keep the integrity of each music theme intact while adjusting the arrangement to bring it into the 21st century.[17]

Mollo found out that, when compared to film, composing for video games requires a different set of skill. The music in Strider needed to be incredibly elastic and each score needed to support many states of action. Mollo focused completely on creating tunes and arrangements while Dearing handled the in-game implementation. In this way, Mollo delivered each theme of music in multiple layers and Dearing mixed each one so the audio would transition smoothly based on the various intensity levels of gameplay.[16][17]

As the developers aimed to have Hiryu's actions speak for himself, Mollo focused primarlly in the original adaptations, level areas and enemy themes. When composing music for the bosses, his aim was to give each one an unique sound palette and set of musical motives, superimposed over a variety of amped up electronic accompaniments. The combination of these elements sought to accent the sense of freneticism and chaos for the player during boss battles. Mollo also tended to favor odd meters or odd combinations of beats to make the experience slightly off-kilter.[17]

Version differences[]

The PC version came as a 64-bit only game, requiring 64-bit operating systems such as Windows Vista, 7 and 8. It also required a graphics card that can handle DirectX 11 to run. The PC release is typically distributed digitally through Steam. It runs in higher resolutions at par with Playstation 4 and XBox One, with 60fps framerate, especially on capable hardware.

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.[10]

Marketing and Release[]

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 (including the artbook Strider Visual Chronicle), 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.[10]

Reception[]

Strider received mostly positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 4 version 77.05% based on 33 reviews and 77/100 based on 37 reviews,[18][19] the Xbox One version 75.56% based on 18 reviews and 76/100 based on 26 reviews,[20][21] the Microsoft Windows version 75.20% based on 5 reviews and 78/100 based on 10 reviews,[22][23] the Xbox 360 version 72.67% based on 6 reviews and 76/100 based on 10 reviews[24][25] and the PlayStation 3 version 69.40% based on 5 reviews and 70/100 based on 8 reviews.[26] [27]

Adam Beck of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4/5, saying "Double Helix has done a phenomenal job in bringing the futuristic ninja into the modern day by not only upgrading the visuals while maintaining the two-dimension plane, but adding an addictive and well-constructed progression structure to keep the campaign interesting."[28]

PSX-Sense, Push Square and PSX Extreme all praised the game's controls, saying that they stayed true to the original. 3DJuegos liked the graphics, and TheSixthAxis agreed. Website Everyeye said the game was a cross between Metroid and Castlevania, and the same comparison was made by Meristation, DarkStation, Eurogamer,[29] Metro and IGN.[30] Game Informer summarised it as "a great reboot for old-school arcade junkies and at the same time a fresh action experience for newcomers to the franchise".[31]

Sales[]

The game reached #5 in the European sales charts,[32] and #1 in the United States.[33]

Gallery[]

Character artwork[]

Box art and merchandise[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Romano, Sal (July 18, 2013). "Capcom announces new Strider for early 2014". gematsu.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  2. JC Fletcher (March 13, 2013). "Rumor: New Strider coming to XBLA, PC, Double Helix involved". joystiq.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  3. Spencer (July 30, 2013). "Why Double Helix Was Picked For Strider And About The PS4/Xbox One Versions". siliconera.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  4. Cook, Dave (January 15, 2014). "Strider:the reboot -proof hero gets his second coming- interview". vg247.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Calvert, Darren (February 7, 2014). "Interview: Double Helix Games on Carving Out a New Strider for PS4". pushsquare.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Spencer (July 26, 2013). "Strider Starts Out With All Of His Core Abilities And Has Touches For MvC Fans". siliconera.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  7. 7.0 7.1 Jones, Elton (February 11, 2014). "Top 10 Facts You Need to Know (Interview with Game Producer, James Vance)". heavy.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  8. Gillbert, Henry (July 22, 2013). "Strider isn't a reboot, it's a retelling". gamesradar.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  9. 9.0 9.1 Cork, Jeff (July 19, 2013). "We Get Answers About Capcom's New Strider Game". gameinformer.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Sayed, Rashid (January 24, 2014). "Strider Interview: How Hiryu Is Making A Cracking Return To Next-Gen Consoles". gamingbolt.com. Accessed April 11, 2014 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "bolt" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 Emmanuel (February 21, 2014). "Interview with "Strider Hiryu" producer! Talks about the reborn action exploration game which will please series' fans" (Japanese). dengekionline.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  12. Biagi, Marc (July 23, 2014). "The Voice of Strider" (English). The Many Worlds of Marc Biagi. Accessed March 10, 2016
  13. Tani, Rio (February 21, 2014). "With love for the original, the team has revived the newborn "Strider Hiryu" - Mr. Andrew Szymanski interview" (Japanese). gamespark.jp. Accessed December 14, 2015
  14. Capcom Unity (February 13, 2014). Strider Live View Producer Q&A. Page 5, Post #47.
  15. 15.0 15.1 McFerran, Damien (January 29, 2014). "Strider: Remaking an arcade classic". redbull.com. Accessed April 11, 2014
  16. 16.0 16.1 Wilken, Brenna (March 19, 2014). "Return of Hiryu - Strider 2014 OST (Review & Interview)" (English). Originalsoundversion.com. Accessed March 10, 2016
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Geno, Anthony (March 8, 2014). "Strider Hiryu Returns: Composer Michael John Mollo On Leading Capcom's Legendary Ninja Into Another Light-Cypher Liberation". Sumthing.com. Accessed March 10, 2016
  18. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps4/723568-strider/index.html
  19. http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/strider
  20. http://www.gamerankings.com/xboxone/723567-strider/index.html
  21. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/strider
  22. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/723571-strider/index.html
  23. http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/strider
  24. http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/723569-strider/index.html
  25. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/strider
  26. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/723570-strider/index.html
  27. http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/strider
  28. http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/02/20/review-strider/75245/
  29. http://www.eurogamer.it/articles/2014-02-17-strider-review-recensione
  30. http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/18/strider-review
  31. http://www.gameinformer.com/games/strider/b/playstation4/archive/2014/02/18/strider-review-game-informer.aspx
  32. http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/03/10/playstation-store-charts-february-tomb-raider-ps4-txk-toukiden-debut/
  33. http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/03/10/february-2014-playstation-store-top-sellers/


External links[]

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