We had a bit of a wait, but the retro-inspired rogue-lite FPS game STRAFE: Millennium Edition [Steam, Humble Store] is now available on Linux.
Funnily enough, they haven't actually announced it yet. I only found it by using the Steam Discovery Queue which I often use to pick out random games we've never covered for whatever reason. Going by SteamDB, it seems it was only added today. I picked up a personal copy and I can confirm it works.
Direct Link
While it may be retro-inspired, the developer is keen to note that it's not a traditional shooter or a "Quake Clone". It pays homage to the classics, but they're calling it a "rogue-like" as it's designed for replayability and randomization. I know what you're about to say, someone's using rogue-like wrong again—it's more of a rogue-lite really.
There's no lives, no checkpoints and no multiplayer. There's multiple game modes including a campaign which is the "core" experience, a Strafe Zone which is their daily challenge, a Speed Zone which is a weekly challenge and a Murder Zone where they ask if you can survive 10 rooms of slaughter, which includes some persistent unlocks as you progress through each run.
I've done some brief testing (it's late now) and found the tutorial was rather…interesting. As for the campaign, I've also tried a little of it and so far it seems to perform extremely well and it's actually rather good—and quite bloody. I mean seriously, within 5 minutes I filled a room full of bodies.
For those worried about the field of view, it does have a slider so you can set it how you like up to 120. You can also adjust the size of the helmet HUD, so if it gets in your way just make it smaller.
Find it now on Steam or the Humble Store (Steam Key). I'm sure GOG won't be too far behind.
Humble & GOG links are affiliate links.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Then I started looking a little deeper, and it's very much not what I'd expect from a typical 'modern retro' Quake-esque shooter. Maybe some of the raw in-game mechanics are similar, and definitely the art style, but it's otherwise overarchingly a very different style of game. A style of game that, unfortunately, is really not my thing, personally, which is unfortunate because I loved these guys' marketing style, and I want to want this game.
Quoting: KithopI can totally appreciate that they have a Linux version of this finally (wasn't it a stretch goal from their Kickstarter or something wayyy back?), but yeah - the vibe you get from casually watching trailers for this is 'omg modern Quake'. Kind of like how Ion Maiden is very obviously not just 'a new game set in an updated BUILD engine', but a new game that deliberately hearkens back to 3D Realms titles like Duke3D, Shadow Warrior and Blood.
Then I started looking a little deeper, and it's very much not what I'd expect from a typical 'modern retro' Quake-esque shooter. Maybe some of the raw in-game mechanics are similar, and definitely the art style, but it's otherwise overarchingly a very different style of game. A style of game that, unfortunately, is really not my thing, personally, which is unfortunate because I loved these guys' marketing style, and I want to want this game.
Ion Maiden is using an updated version of the BUILD engine, whilst also hearkening back to older 3D Realms titles.
But yes, I agree with your sentiments toward Strafe, for the most part. I may still give it a try, but it's likely just to be a game I beat once, and never touch again.
Last edited by D34VA_ on 27 March 2018 at 11:50 pm UTC
Quoting: NeoTheFox...but it's otherwise overarchingly a very different style of game. A style of game that, unfortunately, is really not my thing....
Could you expand on that? What is it you don't like?
liberodark Mar 28, 2018
And, yet, I'm definitely going to buy this game that I know I'm going to suck at because it looks like a blast and it will make me a better gamer in other FPS games. And whheeeeeeeeee---BLOODY GOBBETS EVERYWHERE!
Last edited by Nanobang on 28 March 2018 at 12:12 pm UTC
Quoting: KithopThen I started looking a little deeper, and it's very much not what I'd expect from a typical 'modern retro' Quake-esque shooter. Maybe some of the raw in-game mechanics are similar, and definitely the art style, but it's otherwise overarchingly a very different style of game. A style of game that, unfortunately, is really not my thing, personally, which is unfortunate because I loved these guys' marketing style, and I want to want this game.
I actually would really like to hear more about this too. I currently scratch my roguelite FPS itch by using Oblige and GZDoom with some randomizer PWADs, but this looks like *a legit implementation* of what I'm looking for. What do you not like about it? For all I know, what you don't like could be something I love about it or just don't mind. But hearing "It looks like Quake! ...wait a minute." makes me worry.
Yahtzee can be a bit... polarizing in his reviews, but he kind of hits where I got disappointed with the idea about half-way through his earlier review (warning: foul language, very fast-talking):
View video on youtube.com
He actually likes it, in the end, but as a rogue-like. I'm not into rogue-likes, that's all. :) Quake evokes constant motion and freedom, where a mistake could just mean a Quickload or worse, restart of the specific level you're on. Strafe, as a rogue-like, sounds like it has a really heavy emphasis on self-preservation so you don't have to fully restart the game because of a dumb mistake (or worse, a horrible glitch).
Procedurally generated levels sound great on paper, but I find that any sort of 3D procedural generation tends to get very stale and repetitive, very fast... and then the layouts can end up nonsensical. One of the great things about the games that Strafe tries to evoke is their extremely well-polished, memorable level designs, with tuned difficulty curves over the course of a campaign. Levels that you can memorize, you can look for secrets in, so when you remember where that BFG is and grab it early, you can have that sense of accomplishment as you blow everything to smithereens without so much as a second thought.
Rogue-likes tend to have you praying to the RNG gods for something that makes your run actually playable, and if watching other people play various ones (like Binding of Issac, especially), you tend to either rapidly turn into an overpowered demi-god, or get completely shafted, with very little in-between. Personally, that's not my cup of tea. But if that's the kind of thing you're into - the kind of thing you can stream for people with really good replay value and surprises every time you play, I'm sure this totally fits the bill.
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