Desert Strike's legacy is being reborn, with several spiritual successors to the classic helicopter shooter coming to Steam
The Strike series lives on. These indie games are bringing back the classics we loved.
The Strike series started in 1992 with the legendary Desert Strike Return to the Gulf, developed by Gremlin Interactive. But after just five years, the series stopped getting new entries. By the late ‘90s, gaming had moved towards 3D graphics and more cinematic experiences, making the classic isometric style feel outdated. Electronic Arts, the publisher, shifted its focus to other franchises like Battlefield and Medal of Honor, which fit the era’s trends better. Sadly, that meant Nuclear Strike (1997) was the last game in the series. However, the legacy is far from forgotten, with several successors on the horizon, keeping the Strike spirit alive.
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
Bringing back the classics: How indie devs are reviving retro gaming
A lot of classic games might soon be lost forever since they were never ported to PC or given a remaster or remake. Luckily, some companies have caught on to the demand for retro games and have started bringing back beloved series. But what really keeps the retro boom alive is the rise of indie developers – and I couldn’t be happier about it. Instead of chasing hyper-realistic graphics or overly complicated mechanics, many indie teams are doubling down on the simple, addictive gameplay that made old-school games so great.
DEEP STATE, Task Force Admiral, FlyKnight, Commandos: Origins, and whatever Wolfeye Studios is cooking up for us are just a few examples of games inspired by old-school mechanics and a more understated art style, proving that classic designs still resonate with modern players. And now, several devs have taken notice of the lack of a true Desert Strike successor, so soon, we’ll have plenty to choose from – one of which is already on Steam.
- Cleared Hot
- Cobra Strike
- Reflex Unit: Strike Ops
- Strike Force Damocles
- Call to Strike
- Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess
Cleared Hot
Cleared Hot from Cfinger Games is an upcoming nostalgic helicopter shooter with satisfying physics and light tactics. Blast enemies, dodge fire, reposition your squad, and use your rope and magnet to pick up almost anything.
Cleared Hot
We can launch enemies into the air with rockets or chuck rocks with our rope, fly under cover of darkness with night vision or thermal googles, transport troops, capture enemy territory and defend our base. And if that’s not enough, we can redirect missiles, carry tanks, or drop enemies from the sky. Nice!
The game will feature a full single-player campaign with 3 biomes and plenty of upgradable helicopters with customizable loadouts.
Cobra Strike
Another upcoming title is Cobra Strike from somasolo. This one puts us in the cockpit with machine cannons, Hydra rockets, Hellfire missiles, and Sidewinders to dominate land, sea, and air combat.
Cobra Strike
Here we’ll pilot classics like Apache, Cobra, Black Hawk, Huey, and more, each with unique weapons and roles. Just like in the Strike games, we’ll need to track objectives, manage ammo and fuel, defend allies, and extract hostages.
Cobra Strike
The developer promises 16-bit-inspired visuals with classic gameplay, plus modern quality-of-life improvements.
Reflex Unit: Strike Ops
Reflex Unit by ROBOSARU Games is set to launch in Q2 2025. Here we’ll lead an elite squad in high-stakes battles, uncover dark secrets to take down Neotech before it’s too late.
Reflex Unit: Strike Ops
Each vehicle comes with unique abilities and combat styles, with missions ranging from hostage rescues to resource gathering and all-out assaults on enemy strongholds. Plus, there’s PvP and co-op action.
Oh, and just so you know – a demo is already available on Steam!
Strike Force Damocles
Strike Force Damocles by Sandor Aranyi is an upcoming modern take on classic heli combat, bringing back the straightforward, fast-paced gameplay with a fresh twist.
Strike Force Damocles
We’ll pilot an attack chopper to liberate an occupied desert nation, taking on missions like strafing convoys, destroying enemy fortifications, and search-and-rescue ops. We can tackle objectives in any order, plan our routes carefully, and outmaneuver long-range air defenses.
It certainly looks like the perfect throwback with a fresh coat of paint.
Call to Strike
Call to Strike by Aphelium Digital is another title still in development, putting us in command of an elite military task force on high-stakes search-and-destroy missions.
Call to Strike
It promises fast-paced action, classic gameplay with modern upgrades, and quick combat missions perfect for short sessions. With adaptive difficulty, dynamic weather, and stealthy night ops, there's plenty to dive into - but what really grabs my attention is the custom mission feature. Time to get creative!
Plus, it will also support controller, mouse & keyboard, or keyboard-only play. That’s a nice touch.
Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess
Megacopter by Pizza Bear Games is a love letter to classic '80s and '90s games like Choplifter and the Strike series, mixed with the sci-fi flair of Airwolf and Knight Rider. It delivers fast-paced action, modernized gameplay, and a wild adventure. It was launched in June 2024, and the demo is still available on Steam.
Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess
It features varied missions, diverse firepower (with upgraded weapons using Pizza Tokens), and some supernatural abilities.
Basically, you’re wreaking havoc in a sentient war machine, slicing through reptoid scum. What’s not to love?
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