![]() Like all rogue-style games, the threat of punishment is part of the enjoyment, but it induces a level of repetition that isn't always inviting. This makes critical mistakes deep into a run incredibly dejecting, but by the same token, it's what creates the ever-increasing tension as you go further along. Forgetting to check your flanks and watch your back, or being too close to explosive projectiles can be your undoing. In Strafe, one misstep could spell disaster for your run, since damage comes swiftly and in large chunks. The game isn't just about withstanding sheer numbers or fending off waves of enemies. ![]() Mutated humans, turrets, spiders, and acid-tossing foes populate the world and require you to think fast and adapt to their respective, unique threats. It's also disappointing that for a game that revolves around shooting, most of the guns lack impact the machine gun and railgun feel downright piddly. While a rocket launcher or plasma rifle work well for hardened foes, a short range needle gun and sonic blaster aren't particularly useful in most situations. Barrels and explosive bugs can be used to your benefit, and additional weapons scatter the world, which are single-use and vary in effectiveness. The powerful grenade launcher upgrade for the shotgun, could be replaced by an inaccurate flak cannon. Depending on your play-style, the changes to your main weapon's primary and secondary fire can either be advantageous or a burden. You’re given the choice of a primary weapon at the start of a run, and kiosks are scattered through the game which provide free randomized upgrades, some more effective than others. It’s also possible to sprint past enemies to reach a level’s end or hop over a mob to avoid getting cornered and create space to fire back. The pace at which you dash, jump, and strafe makes you nimble, and each fight is a violent dance that ends once the last enemy is downed. The game nails its core gameplay loop: blast foes and scavenge to survive the next fight. But as you drop into the first level, it's clear that you're the one spilling blood, carefully measured in gallons by the game itself, as you shred enemies with your shotgun, railgun, or machine gun.īy clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Nothing else is said as you jump into the main quest you're simply sent off only to find out things went awfully wrong and hordes of deformed humanoids are now out for blood. ![]() You play as a space scrapper whose job is to go to the derelict ship Icarus and, well, collect scrap, as told through the game's purposely cheesy FMV tutorial. It teeters between being mindlessly fun and cautiously strategic to the backdrop of a perfectly executed electronic soundtrack, teaching you something new with each run. Oftentimes, it actually does lean heavily on the likes of Doom and Quake, but working within those confines and introducing a roguelike structure, Strafe emerges as a uniquely thrilling shooter with plenty of charm in its own right. At first glance, Strafe looks as if it's resting on the laurels of the old-school, hyper-fast, and gory first-person shooters from the '90s. ![]()
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