Zero Punctuation Season 8 Episode 9 Strider

Zero Punctuation is a weekly video game review series hosted by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. In the eighth season's ninth episode, Yahtzee reviews the game Strider.

Strider is a side-scrolling action platformer developed by Double Helix Games and published by Capcom. The game is a reboot of the classic Strider series from the 1980s and follows the adventures of Hiryu as he infiltrates the futuristic city of Kazakh to take down the evil dictator Grandmaster Meio.

Yahtzee starts off his review by discussing the game's graphics and art style. He praises the game's detailed and colorful visuals, but criticizes the game's overuse of neon lights and particle effects, which he says can be overwhelming and distracting at times. He also notes that the game's character design is heavily influenced by anime and manga, and that the game's cutscenes feature some impressive animation.

Moving on to gameplay, Yahtzee notes that Strider is a fast-paced and highly-stylized action game. He praises the game's fluid and responsive controls, as well as its varied and satisfying combat. He notes that the game's main attraction is the titular Strider's acrobatic and agile movement, which allows him to navigate the game's levels in a variety of creative ways.

Yahtzee also notes that the game features a variety of upgrades and power-ups that can be used to enhance Strider's abilities and weapons. He praises the game's upgrade system, which allows the player to customize their playstyle to their liking, but notes that some upgrades feel more essential than others.

One aspect of the game that Yahtzee particularly enjoys is the game's boss fights. He notes that each boss is unique and challenging in their own way, and that the game's rapid pace and frenetic combat style make these battles all the more exciting.

However, Yahtzee does have some criticisms of the game. He notes that the game's difficulty curve can be somewhat uneven, and that some areas can feel overly punishing. He also notes that the game's checkpoint system can be frustrating at times, as some checkpoints are placed too far apart, forcing the player to repeat long stretches of gameplay. Additionally, Yahtzee notes that the game's story is somewhat thin and predictable, and that the characters are fairly one-dimensional.

Overall, Yahtzee concludes that Strider is a fun and engaging action game that successfully updates the classic Strider formula for a modern audience. He recommends the game to fans of side-scrolling action games and notes that the game's fast pace and stylish combat make it a standout title in the genre. However, he notes that the game's difficulty may be a turnoff for some players, and that the game's story and characters may not be compelling enough to hold everyone's attention.