Emerging from Capcom’s vault of long forgotten legendary franchises, Strider is getting a Bionic Commando Rearmed-style reboot.
The side-scrolling action platformer starring the ultimate ninja hero badass named Hiryu, is set to make its return in early 2014 on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Like BCR, the game will remain true to its roots with free-flowing combat and traversal viewed from a 2D perspective, but raise the bar with expanded abilities and weapons and shiny new polygonal graphics fit for the age of high-definition gaming. Also like BCR, Strider will be a digital download title on Steam, PSN and Xbox Live Arcade rather than a full-blown AAA retail release. I’m cool with that.
However, this Strider is a completely new game in the franchise, not a remake–though it does take place in the year Meio: 048, it is set in Kazakh City, and it does involve the assassination of a tyrannical Grandmaster. Sounds pretty familiar, no?
The only cause for concern is who Capcom has put in charge of the game’s development, which is to say Double Helix Games doesn’t have a proven track record of quality game releases. But from the initial wave of game assets–reference the announce trailer, gameplay footage, and screenshots below–Double Helix appears to have captured the essence of Strider beautifully. Maybe it’s just the hopeful Strider fan in me, but I have a good feeling about this one.
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