By Christopher Daniels
The latest offering from publisher “Born Ready Games” is Strike Suit Zero. This single-player space fighter is sure to delight fans of this game style.
Here is the plot summary for the game as provided by the publisher.
Year – 2058
Mankind discovers a signal broadcast from somewhere in deep space – how long it’s been transmitting – they don’t know but it is their first contact with something beyond their own world. For years mankind tries to understand the contents of the signal – eventually when the signal is translated it is found to contain instructions on a new technology that will give mankind the ability to fold space.
Under the banner of the U.N.E. – mankind builds and sends ships into deep space to colonize new worlds and find the source of the signal.
The more worlds mankind colonize, the more strained relations come between the governing body of the UNE on Earth and the colonists. The Colonials argued for independence so they could govern their worlds more effectively. Earth denied it – partially because of the massive investment Earth had made in establishing the Colonies but also because of the trade that Earth had become reliant upon.
Then the Colonials found the source of the signal – a crash site where the found wreckage of a large escape pod that could only be alien in origin. There was no evidence of a crew – just wreckage.
The Colonials used the site to make a deal with Earth – they could investigate the site in return for granting the Colonials independence.
Then Earth scientists discovered something valuable at the site, something they wouldn’t share and the deal turned sour.
Afraid of what they might have found, the Colonies expelled the Earth team. In response, Earth revoked their right to self-rule.
War was inevitable.
Let me start out by saying that I am not a fan of flying games. I enjoy a few minutes here and there (for example, the space missions in Star Wars: The Old Republic), but a game built purely around spaceflight quite literally makes me dizzy. The controls are sharp, and the weapons adequate. However, many of the game’s objectives seem maddening based on the amount of damage your fighter will suffer if you are not good at hit-and-run tactics. For me, it was almost like playing in hard-mode, where the damage-to-difficulty was higher than what I would have expected for basic gameplay. The lack of repairs from save point to save point is a very challenging component. When you start a mission, you will have full life, full shields, and full ammunition, but as you progress to each checkpoint, there is no way to regain lost life or ammo. You are either stuck using your regenerating shield, or dying. Similarly, you learn to rely on your unlimited ammo option because the alternative is less effective and quite limited! It’s very interesting game design, but doesn’t make much sense to me.
There is no real form of leveling other than getting new, bigger, and more deadly strike suits. There is an enhancement system that only allows you to progress by meeting achievements in a given mission. This greatly limits your options for customization, so if that’s something you value, you won’t likely find it here.
The graphics are actually pretty nice, along with the voice acting and plot, but this is not a triple-A game by any means. That said, if space flight games call to you as a gamer, you will easily find entertainment with Strike Suit Zero.
2 out of 5 Stars (Again, coming from somebody who’s not a big fan of flying games.)
Editor: Jeff Boehm
