Anyone else feeling the Strania meh?

[bcass]

Scoring system is ultra anal. Hated it. Doesn't have an effect on survival, but being able to play well required more weapon juggling than I was comfortable with.

Good music though.

That sums it up for me too. Far too anal. Have the wrong weapon(s) at the wrong points and you're totally fucked. Superb production values though.

[Deca]

I didn't like the bosses, and TBH dodging scenery was a bit dull. It's more like an old-style hori than a vert bullet-hell, though, so you might like that.

Having to dodge scenery is one of my pet peeves in the genre actually, especially when you're fighting the movement speed of your ship more than anything else. Forcing you to be in a certain part of the screen is one thing, forcing you to time your move from one gap to another just right and having to do it in one constant motion to just BARELY make it is different.

[iconoclast]

Scenery dodging isn't too bad in this, you can bump into walls and you won't take any damage. You have to either rub against the walls for a couple seconds, or get trapped behind a wall during the scroll to be hurt by them. I thought it was pretty forgiving, and not frustrating like some other games.

I didn't find the scoring system anal, either. The game gives you lots of room to figure out a weapon path on your own if you're just trying to reach dan rank on each weapon. If you're trying to squeeze every point out of the game, then yeah the strategies can get really specific, but the same can be said for just about any shooter.

[jp]

I just bought this earlier.

My questions are:
Why the fuck did G.Rev feel it necessary to make a spiritual successor to Planet Joker?
Also, how the fuck does G.Rev go from making God Tier shooters like Border Down and Under Defeat to making trash like Mamoru-kun and this?

[Wenchang]

I just bought this earlier.

My questions are:
Why the fuck did G.Rev feel it necessary to make a spiritual successor to Planet Joker?
Also, how the fuck does G.Rev go from making God Tier shooters like Border Down and Under Defeat to making trash like Mamoru-kun and this?

Mamoru-kun is a Gulti game.

[Casper<3]

so despite my better judgement I went ahead and bought side vower. or whatever it's called. have to say, while I think the main game kind of blows, the expansion pack is totally awesome.

[Enhasa]

Mamoru-kun is a Gulti game.

God I'm so glad a 2nd person in the universe knows this. I love Mamoru-kun anyway though, even though it is mostly because of the baller-ass music and the fact I play it for speed instead of score. To be honest, factoring out the nostalgia I like it more than even Pocky and Rocky. (!)


Personal opinion as a G.Rev enthusiast, excluding Doki Doki Idol Starseeker cuz not a shmup: Presentation isn't bad but definitely the worst of their catalog including the Treasure games. Original Strania by itself is probably my least favorite G.Rev game (7/10 on a bell curve where 10/10 = best fucking game I ever played ish), Side Vower bumps it up to 8/10 and above Under Defeat and into the bottom rung of my top 25.

Only things I would really change about the game (personal bias, not suggestions for G.Rev) is make Expert the default, overdrive not give invincibility, and sell for $15 with Side Vower from the beginning. That would make it seem less boring to a typical shmupsforum survival player, although it's still not for everyone. The scoring system is actually my favorite part of the game. It actually requires you to use all your available weapons and figure out how you want to switch them up.


People who put Strania in their top 25 or posted in the score thread (some quality players in this list!):
nZero
Zaarock
Icarus
mjclark
SFKhoa
adversity1
Chaos Phoenixma
Enhasa
NeoStrayCat
antares
MrMonkeyMan
iconoclast

People who feel the Strania meh:
shmups chat monsters


J/K I love you guys

[stryc9]

I just bought this earlier.

My questions are:
Why the fuck did G.Rev feel it necessary to make a spiritual successor to Planet Joker?
Also, how the fuck does G.Rev go from making God Tier shooters like Border Down and Under Defeat to making trash like Mamoru-kun and this?

Mamoru-kun is a Gulti game.

I just picked up Mamoru-kun. Really, so G.Rev only published or was it a collaboration between the two developers?

Liking the game though. It's a lot better than I first thought when I played the PS3 demo, which of course forces you into story mode in 16:9.

The game looks better without it IMO.

[Enhasa]

I'm just going off memory so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but G.Rev is only credited for producer stuff like "original concept" (which actually is awesome, the only non-awesome parts of the game are in the details) and something else I forget. The game systems, graphics, programming, etc. are Gulti. I mean if you think about it it's really more like Strike Witches (or 0-day Attack on Earth, lol) than Strania, graphics especially.

I think people were easily confused because the concept seems like a G.Rev game (i.e. something completely different every time, lol) and because they got the same artist to do flyers I think. That girl I dunno her name, her art seems really similar to Ernula from Senko no Ronde.

[defected78]

Not the best game theyve made but definately no trash.

[NeoStrayCat]

I feel it, although I really haven't gotten back on it much due to me playing other games, but I'll get back on it, as I can see, its good in retrospect, but bad when its so damn difficult on expert. (Most notabily, the Side Vower DLC), but yeah, good game nonetheless. Also, Online Co-Op is lag-free, besides, I'm down for some co-op necessailry, but only when I feel like it, and there's barely any community on the game specificaly, so its just best with friends, lol.

[Estebang]

Strania is a solidly designed, fun game that simply wasn't innovative and modern enough to alight imaginations or generate much excitement.

Although I think we can agree that if it had come out on the Dreamcast, we'd all be shouting its praises from the rooftops.

[Moniker]

My only problem with it is the fast scrolling backgrounds. If I don't focus squarely on my ship I get guaranteed motion sickness. Same goes for sections of Raiden IV and videos of Eschatos that I've seen. I guess it's the 3d graphics/fancy camera work. Ikaruga is fine, though. The only 2D experience that gave me the same trouble was Daioh's opening sequence. Had to look at something else until I heard the point in the music when it was safe.

If I could turn off Strania's backgrounds I would play it a whole lot more.

[Sizone]

I would've enjoyed Strania a lot more if there had been a dedicated button for the sword. Also a way to lock down your weapons, missile and vulcan are the only things I use for the regular campaign. I guess I'm missing out on the scoring system, but that's the only combo I can use and I find myself picking up different armaments at exactly the time I really don't want to.

[Despatche]

Strania is a solidly designed, fun game that simply wasn't innovative and modern enough to alight imaginations or generate much excitement.

Although I think we can agree that if it had come out on the Dreamcast, we'd all be shouting its praises from the rooftops.

Pretty much this. They should bundle Border Down and Under Defeat together with Strania, maybe add some extras; it'd be worth full retail price and then some, I'd think.

Repeating what was said earlier, I'd like to see what Cybattler fans/etc have to say about Strania here.