Strafe
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Action, FPP, science fiction, FPS, crowdfunding, indie games, shooters, boomer shooter, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
Set in a science fiction world, an old-school first-person shooter in a retro style inspired by similar productions from the 90s. In this debut project of Pixel Titans, you take control of a scavenger who suddenly loses a huge space cruiser ICARUS from his radar during one of the scouting missions. He decides to see what is wrong and ends up having to fight for his life on the deck of this humongous ship.
Strafe for PC and PS4 is an old-school shooter blending science-fiction and retro stylistics inspired by the first-person shooters from the late ‘90s. Founded through a Kickstarter campaign, this is a debut project by the independent American team Pixel Titans.
Plot
The plot does not really matter, but the creators decided to give the players at least a rough outline of it. You assume the role of a scavenger who supported a giant cruiser ICARUS during a scouting mission in unknown territories of the Galaxy. The mission ended with failure, and on the way home it turned out that the massive spacecraft was no longer visible on a radar. However, the ship still appeared to be in the range of an on-board teleporter, so the hero decided to see what is going on and teleported himself to the deck of ICARUS. As it turned out, something really ominous had happened on the cruiser and the protagonist has to fight for survival.
Mechanics
Strafe is a very dynamic, difficult, and hard-core title. Combat is constant; you have to quickly move around and skilfully dodge attacks (mostly by strafing – jumping to sides). The game is even more thrilling, as death means starting all over. However, do not be afraid of repeating the same levels again and again – the locations are, to some extent, generated procedurally. The blood of enemies plays a key role – it does not disappear, like in many games, and serves as road signs telling you where to go. Also, the locations offer numerous secrets to be discovered.
Diverse levels make gameplay more interesting – the action takes place in wider or narrower ICARUS’ corridors or in open spaces. The weapons aspect is also unusual. At the beginning, you get to choose one of three tools of wreaking havoc – a shotgun, a machine gun, or a railgun (each one with two fire modes) – that you will carry for a considerable amount of time and upgrade with different power-ups. Once you explore more, you’ll find more types of weapons. Careful exploration is especially worthwhile, as Strafe offers trading and crafting – gather different items and create a weapon or an armour.
Game modes
Strafe features single-player exclusively.
Technical aspects
As it has already been mentioned, Strafe is created in a retro style – the title largely follows the classic pattern of the visuals that could be seen in the games from the late ‘90s. However, the creators implemented modern features, such as support for Oculus Rift and HD.
Last updated on January 30, 2017
July 10, 2020
Awesome Brand New Shooters That Embody the Spirit of the 90s.
Players prefer to shoot in open-ended worlds, but they used to traverse complex mazes full of secrets. Doom-like games have greatly evolved, but as it turns out, new shooters inspired by Quake, Hexen or Duke Nukem 3D are still being created.
Videos and Screens
[1:44] Strafe Icarus Zone 1 - gameplay
GameSpot: 8 / 10 by Michael Higham
Strafe doesn't do too much, but its exceptional execution and unique charm make for a truly intense, old-school FPS experience.
IGN: 6.3 / 10 by Leif Johnson
When it works, Strafe is a generally entertaining retro-styled shooter that mixes procedurally generated levels into an experience strongly reminiscent of Quake. It's a great concept that usually comes together, but between the quirks of randomization, powerful enemies that run almost completely silent, lethal bugs, and hefty costs for vital armor and ammo powerups, a lot of the time it feels as challenging as rolling the dice and coming up with double sixes.
TheSixthAxis: 6 / 10 by Dave Irwin
I really tried with Strafe, spending a good six hours with it and getting only as far as the fourth level before dying. I liked the overall tone, and the gunplay is solid fun, but really this is one of the more punishing Rogue-Lites out there, with a high skill ceiling that sets you right back to the beginning once you die without any meaningful progression unless you somehow find the key to a teleporter. A lot to admire, but for most it'll seem utterly impenetrable.
Strafe Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows
PlayStation 4
Developer: Pixel Titans
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Strafe System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Pentium G3250 3.6 GHz/AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce 9800 GT/Radeon HD 5770 or better, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10
Recommended: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6 GHz/AMD FX-6350 3.9 GHz, 6 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460/2 GB Radeon R7 260X or better, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10
STRAFE may be the most violent game ever made, launching in March
Meet STRAFE, a ridiculously violent first-person shooter rooted in the 1990s' classics, in which you get to see an absurd amount of blood and guts. It's from Devolver Digital after all, so what did you expect?
video games
January 20, 2017