Strike Suit Zero
- January 23, 2013
- Born Ready Games Ltd.
- 30h median play time
There are issues with the game. It's unpolished, game design could have been a bit sensible, there could have been more vareity in combat scenarious, but at its core it's a game made by developers who wanted to revive a genre no one wanted to touch.
Strike Suit Zero is a space combat game that places you in the cockpit of a transforming fighter jet. Engage in fast-paced aerial battles, switch between hover and flight modes, and utilize advanced weaponry to defeat your enemies. With a variety of missions and intense space combat, it's a must-play for fans of the genre.
Reviews
- Visually stunning graphics and environments that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Fast-paced and exhilarating combat, especially when using the Strike Suit to unleash powerful attacks.
- Engaging gameplay with a variety of missions that keep the action fresh and exciting.
- Frustrating controls, particularly with the targeting system and sensitivity, making it difficult to aim accurately.
- Repetitive mission objectives, often relying on escort missions that can feel tedious and unoriginal.
- The final mission is poorly designed, requiring precision flying through tight corridors with a time limit, which can lead to frustration.
- story556 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in "Strike Suit Zero" is generally considered basic and predictable, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the engaging space combat and mission variety, many criticize the plot for being shallow, with a lack of character development and memorable moments, particularly noting that the final mission is a significant letdown. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on action than storytelling, appealing primarily to those who prioritize gameplay over narrative depth.
“The story is decent for a short game and was enough to keep me going level to level.”
“The story does an adequate job of tying the missions together, and even has a sufficiently interesting twist at the end.”
“The story element is presented through decent dialogue, but I never felt that I was really into it for that; this game is for those that love dazzling fireworks in a free moving environment, and not for those that get motion sickness at all.”
“The story is shallow, but at least you have a slight idea of what you´re doing and why.”
“The story is barely there besides the beginning and end, but it's a fine pew pew plane game.”
“The plot and characters are all derivatives of implementations from classic games from this genre, but here they're combined into a rather formless blob that fails to really compel you to care about anything going on in the game's universe.”
- graphics189 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant art style, often described as beautiful and immersive, even if some reviewers note that they may not be cutting-edge by modern standards. Many players appreciate the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware while delivering impressive effects and atmospheric environments. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, enhancing the experience of fast-paced space combat and complementing the engaging soundtrack.
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful, the combat is fun and challenging, and the feeling of maneuvering in three-dimensional space while avoiding missiles and ships is exhilarating.”
“Absolutely gorgeous graphics with an equally quality soundtrack to go with it.”
“The graphics are great considering this is an indie crowd-funded game and so is the soundtrack.”
“The graphics in the game are a bit underwhelming, looking more like a game from the late 00s, rather than the 2010s.”
“The controls don't feel nice and the graphics are really outdated.”
“Everything about this game just misses the mark for me... graphics, gameplay and the controls in particular.”
- gameplay155 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Strike Suit Zero" is characterized by fast-paced, fluid combat mechanics that blend arcade-style shooting with simulation elements, offering an engaging experience for players. While the transformation mechanic adds a unique twist, some players find the controls challenging and the gameplay can become repetitive, particularly due to interruptions from cutscenes and a lack of variety in missions. Overall, the game is praised for its stunning graphics and soundtrack, but it suffers from uneven mechanics and frustrating moments that can detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The core gameplay in Strike Suit Zero is a balance between simulation and arcade shooter, creating an excellent combat experience.”
“Gameplay is fast and fluid, offering ease of entry and an adequate difficulty curve as the game progresses.”
“The addition of a Macross-esque transforming spaceship mechanic is so well done it's a wonder how these types of games ever did without it.”
“Fly around trying to shoot through an endless amount of white flashes and pixelated static, only to be interrupted by unnecessary cutscenes, all the while the gameplay doesn't pause, so you'll get the full enjoyment of being shot and missiled half to death without control of your craft.”
“The handling and the overall combat and flying mechanics of the human-controlled craft are just mind-bogglingly bad.”
“The gameplay does get repetitive, which is my main criticism of the game.”
- music153 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed response, with many praising its stunning soundtrack composed by Paul Ruskay, known for his work on Homeworld, and its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere and gameplay experience. However, some players found certain tracks repetitive or not fitting the game's theme, leading to a desire for alternative music options. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as epic and immersive, opinions vary on its suitability for the game's fast-paced action.
“The music adds an amazing atmosphere and works well with the graphics and art style, creating a great experience beyond just merely the gameplay.”
“Epic space simulator, with an astonishing soundtrack. I recommend this game for you who love space and robots.”
“The soundtrack is great (though I wish it would be a bit more upbeat, otherwise, no complaints), the visuals are amazing, and it's a freespace shooter/space flight sim.”
“Another complaint is the music choice.”
“I was also disappointed with the background music, which is a shame because I think it's the same guy that did the music for Homeworld.”
“The soundtrack is unbearably annoying, and it's just average through and through.”
- replayability27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers high replayability through weapon and ship unlocks, varied mission objectives, and the ability to replay levels for better scores and upgrades. While some players find the experience a bit short, the stimulating gameplay and additional challenges, such as difficulty levels and leaderboard competition, encourage repeated play. However, a few users noted a desire for more mission variety and modes to enhance long-term replay value.
“Replayability is high due to weapon and ship unlocks.”
“The thirteen missions have a wide variety of objectives which make every one feel unique, and the improvement of both your ship and your pilot's abilities give it a high level of replayability.”
“There's also a good amount of replay value added in the form of mission medals and stat upgrade unlocks, that I know have me revisiting mission after mission to try for higher scores and get the unlocks/medals that I want.”
“There are not enough options to really add any replayability there.”
“If I could improve on this game, I would say that it'd be nice to have a less linear mission choice; for example, the ability between missions to bring up a star map and pick one of a couple of new missions would add more replayability.”
“The game has some replay value, and allows you to use unlocked strike suits/ships on previous missions, as well as leaderboards for each mission.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging music and stunning graphics that enhance the experience of epic space battles. However, others criticize the lack of immersion and muffled sound effects, suggesting that while the visuals and soundtrack are impressive, they do not fully convey a sense of being in space. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both captivating and occasionally shallow, depending on the player's expectations and gameplay style.
“The music adds an amazing atmosphere and works well with the graphics and art style, creating a great experience beyond just merely the gameplay.”
“The sound and music are just as good, really fitting the atmosphere of the game, helping to enhance the feeling that you're taking part in massive epic space battles.”
“Bottom line: if you love your twitch gaming, but also want an atmospheric, challenging, not to mention stunning, 3D space shooter with an engaging story and an AI that'll keep you on your toes, then look no further.”
“There's barely any sense of atmosphere, and you and your enemies all generally sound muffled.”
“Didn't feel like I was in space - fighters perpetually move forward & nobody takes advantage of inertia & lack of atmosphere.”
“It feels a bit like Zone of the Enders without any soul in terms of atmosphere.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with users reporting significant performance issues such as hitching and stuttering, particularly during the final mission. While some players noted improvements over time, others criticized the poorly designed menus and lack of compelling performance upgrades. However, the game is praised for being well-optimized for various control schemes, including keyboard, mouse, and joysticks.
“The game provides you with a high-performance, agile yet very lethal death-dealing machine that folds in its ammunition so you can conduct a massive ass-kicking.”
“The higher the performance in the level, the better the medal awarded.”
“Fully optimized for keyboard and mouse (takes some getting used to though).”
“As if all these problems weren’t bad enough, there is also a serious problem with stability. Even on my PC: i7-6700, 16 GB of RAM, Windows 7 64-bit, and an EVGA 1070, I have seen consistent hitching and stuttering while in combat.”
“The game's menus are very poorly optimized for mouse control, and its design suggests the developers at some point were trying very hard to prepare the game for a console release that never happened.”
“More aptly named 'Strike Suit Zero Performance'.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling bogged down by repetitive objectives and lengthy tutorial missions that hinder the overall experience. While the space combat can be enjoyable, the necessity to repeatedly complete similar tasks, such as destroying a set number of enemies, detracts from the excitement and leads to a sense of monotony. Overall, the grinding elements contribute to an average perception of the game, overshadowing its potential fun.
“Too many levels of grinding only to have your objective ship you're supposed to be protecting do something stupid and get blown up.”
“It just wore me down playing it; it suffers the same problem Dark Void had for me: don't put your main gameplay feature behind a wall of grindy tutorial nonsense.”
“The space combat is solid, but when you're grinding through another 'destroy 20 enemy fighters' objective for the fourth time in the same mission, it gets a little old.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its amusing gameplay elements, such as the ability for the spaceship to transform, and the chaotic nature of space battles filled with explosions. While the voice acting and music are considered bland, the overall experience is described as hilariously fun, particularly for fans of the arcade shooter genre. However, the reliance on cheesy sci-fi tropes may not resonate with everyone, as it lacks the ironic charm some players might expect.
“A funny arcade shooter with an interesting story and beautiful artwork.”
“It just looks really pretty, and the fact that your spaceship can transform is just funny.”
“Good music, funny space battles, and cool ship designs.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs and freezing, particularly at the main menu. This has led to frustration among players, who feel that the game's performance detracts from the overall experience.
“The game is okay, but it is buggy sometimes.”
“I also own the SS Infinity, which freezes at the main menu.”
“Unfortunately, it is also horrendously buggy, which makes it exceedingly frustrating: it's not enough to be good, you also have to be lucky, because luck is the only way to avoid the worst effects of the bugs.”
- character development3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of depth and meaningful growth, as characters primarily serve functional roles without significant narrative engagement. While the voice acting is considered decent, the overall impression is that the characters are underdeveloped and fail to enhance the story.
“It is not a $20.00 title; I feel it missed out on much needed development such as character development, story depth, and scenario design.”
“While the voice acting is fairly decent, character development is non-existent: they are simply there to give you orders.”
“Character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving the characters feeling more like tools than individuals.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game features fantastic visuals and engaging gameplay, reviewers feel that enhancing the emotional connection with characters through more dialogue and less linear mission choices could significantly improve the storytelling and player empathy.
“If I could improve on this game, I would say that it'd be nice to have a less linear mission choice; for example, the ability between missions to bring up a star map and pick one of a couple of new missions would add more replayability. Combined with my other suggestion to add more wordplay between me and my team, it would have served to enhance the story aspects of the game even further, as it would have made me feel more empathy towards the other characters.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users express frustration with "subscribe to survive" games that feature excessive in-game purchases, arguing that this undermines the intended skill-based and balanced gameplay experience.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players into spending money to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without forcing players to make in-game purchases.”
“The optional purchases enhance the experience without feeling necessary to progress.”
“I have a problem with 'subscribe to survive' games that have an overboard in-game purchase system, which undermines the intent of being a game of skill or balanced play.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending a fortune.”
“It's frustrating that the game pushes you towards microtransactions for basic features that should be included.”
Critic Reviews
Strike Suit Zero Review
There are issues with the game. It's unpolished, game design could have been a bit sensible, there could have been more vareity in combat scenarious, but at its core it's a game made by developers who wanted to revive a genre no one wanted to touch.
75%Strike Suit Zero review: fight or flight
Strike Suit Zero is undermined by difficulty and pacing
65%Strike Suit Zero review
Intuitive and accessible but also repetitive, SSZ is a flight combat game that trades on tradition rather than imagination.
62%