Should You Buy 'Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut' On PS4?

Since the release of the PlayStation 4 (and even before, with the PlayStation 3), Sony has made it clear that they want more indie developers and games on their console. I personally enjoy these smaller game experiences and as I play more of them I am finding myself drawn to them as much if not more than the standard AAA title. Having said that, I was very excited to get my hands on the space shooter Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut. Strike Suit Zero was originally funded through Kickstarter in 2012 and released on PC in 2013. The game comes to PlayStation 4 in Director’s Cut form with new features and updates. Does Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut shine on the PlayStation 4? Keep reading to find out!

Story

In Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut, the player takes on the role of a fighter pilot in the United Nations of Earth (U.N.E.) fleet. The U.N.E. is at war with the combined fleets of the space colonies and things quickly begin to look grim for Earth. Throughout the campaign the player takes part in several battles all in an attempt to save Earth. During these battles you get the opportunity to control several different spacecraft including the titular Strike Suit (think Mecha/Mobile Suits from Gundam). The story plays out during and between missions and while the main theme isn’t exactly unique, I thought it was engaging with plenty of satisfying twists and turns.

Beyond the main campaign, there is also a new extra set of missions for you to play through. On their surface these missions are billed as simulations of important battles of the war between the U.N.E. and the colonials. These missions are extremely challenging and as you progress there is actually an interesting overarching story that unfolds which I will not spoil here.

Gameplay

Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut is an arcade space combat game with clear inspiration taken from the popular space shooters of the 1990s like FreeSpace, Freelancer, and Wing Commander. Much like these franchises, the player in this game controls their spacecraft from either a 1st or 3rd person perspective and participate in space battles with a variety of enemies.

While the combat is pretty straightforward, variety can be found in the varied weapons available. While there are only 3 basic categories of weapons available (Machine Gun, Energy Weapons, and Missiles) there are several different options that you can unlock throughout the game. The Strike Suit becomes available once the story progresses far enough and this further adds to the variety of combat. The Strike Suit is a ship that has two different modes. In Fighter Mode the suit is the basically the same as the other ships available. However, once you have collected enough Flux (the fuel for the Strike Suit) you are able to transition to Strike Mode. In Strike Mode the ship transforms into a giant mecha and the perspective switches to 3rd person. Strike mode allows the player to quickly dispatch enemies by adding the ability to automatically focusing the camera and targeting reticule on your target. Using this ability along with using your weapons drains Flux, and once it is expended, the ship reverts back to Fighter Mode.

As mentioned above, the game plays out over several different missions. Each mission tasks you with different objectives such as defending a specific ally or destroying space installations. Before each battle begins you will also be given optional objectives that if completed will allow you to unlock upgrades for your ships. The setting of each mission changes throughout your journey and in some cases will force the player to change their combat strategy. For example: If a mission takes place in a nebula, the lock-on ability of missiles will be disabled. This can drastically change the way you approach a battle.

At the end of each mission you will receive a score based upon your performance. If your score is high enough, you will be awarded a medal (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum). In most games in this genre, these scores/medals would be for simple bragging rights, but in Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut your overall performance during the campaign will actually affect the ending you receive. Luckily, you are able to replay missions to try to increase your score.

Visuals

Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut is a very attractive-looking game. The settings of each mission are beautiful and battles are nothing short of a spectacle. The HUD, which can be a sticking point in games like this, is clean and very easy to follow. The amount of ships and effects that can be displayed on-screen at once is impressive and it is clear why this game was released on the PlayStation 4. While I was constantly floored by everything I was seeing on the screen, I will admit that I would sometimes lose track of my objective due to the sheer number of ships and icons on the screen.

Sound

Like everything else in the game, the sound quality is very high. The music is very fitting for the game and enjoyable. The sound effects during battle work well and match up with what you would expect for an epic space battle. The voice work for both cut-scenes and the interaction between characters over the radio is also high quality.

Verdict

To put it simply, Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut is a fantastic game. The game was clearly made with care and everything about the experience is great. Even more importantly, this game is fun and is a great example of what smaller developers can accomplish. This is easily one of the PlayStation 4’s best games that you’ve likely overlooked. If you are a fan at all of space combat games, then I would highly recommend that you pick up this game.

Recommendation Level: High!

*Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut was released on Tuesday April 8, 2014. It is available for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Store as a digital download. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review.*