Strike Vector, you had my curiosity at last year’s E3. Now you have my attention.
Made by a small team and featuring some pretty amazing visuals, Strike Vector is what I can only describe as a combat game. It may look like a flight sim in parts, but it’s not really flight; each round is contained within an arena, and those arenas are full of “furniture” that’s there for you to fly through and take cover behind.
It’s also not really flight because you can, at any time, hit the brakes and transform your fighter. It’s not as dramatic as a Macross transformation, but the results are the same; with the press of a button you go from controlling something that’s flying into controlling something that’s hovering, and which moves more like a FPS character (complete with zoomed in “iron sights”) than a space jet.
Combined, and given the breakneck speed matches play out at, the whole thing ends up feeling like… well, like an old game of Quake, albeit one whose controls take some time to get used to. So despite the art, and the flying, I guess it’s that throwback to the deathmatch shooters of old that’s so appealing – and defining – about Strike Vector.
It’s out on Steam now, and the dev team promises new content is continually coming down the pipeline. With a small team and a focus on multiplayer mayhem, don’t expect a singleplayer campaign. Don’t even expect a proper tutorial. All there is is a selection of ships, of weapons, a server list and a game full of things exploding at really high speeds.
So, yeah, it’s a lot of fun! I mean, it’s not without some issues. I wish there was more to do. Like Hawken – another attractive sci-fi multiplayer shooter made by a small team – I wish there was a story, an adventure to be had in this gorgeous world they’ve built. I wish the attractive architecture and ships designed by Paul Chadeisson and Pierre-Etienne Travers were married to a UI and menu system that wasn’t instantly hideous. I wish the game had any other soundtrack than the one it has.
But hey, I can wish for stuff all day, even from the biggest and most expensive games. Strike Vector does one thing – frantic multiplayer combat action – and does it really well.
Comments
7 responses to “Live Out Your ’80s Mech Combat Fantasies With A PC Shooter”
Cool, reminds me of Descent.
This, an Oculus Rift and a bottle of insert-brand-here whiskey. I’m up for it!
In first person view, reminds me of descent!
So is it like multiplayer only?? What’s the lag like??
Ive always wanted be a mech pilot……….Come on CSIRO, i built most of a mech out of plywood when i was 9.it was only missing a few things, like eletronics, weapons, a power sorce and anything out of the cabin you needed imagination but……….surely by now you would have you lot would have finished the mechs by now??
There is an Aussie server, and the ping is good. The game is pretty badass.
EDIT – Just played (badly I might add) and there was at least 4 servers 🙂
yiew!
THIS LOOKS AWESOME. Played hawken but didnt feel the fast pace thrills.
Just a warning that anything that invokes flying and lead shooting that there are people out there that are crazy accurate with these things. Even among seasoned FPS players they will be unbeatable.
Tribes players should feel right at home as long as this game has next to no hit-scan weapons. That game is also about leading targets at high speed.
OMGOMGOMGOMG!!
*remotes into home PC and begins download*
Yep, it’s pretty good for a blast. It would be a great formula for a co-op campaign with epic boss battles.
Lag is not an issue for Aus