STRIDE: Fates Review | PSVR2

Has that spark of thrill been missing in your life lately? Look no further. PSVR2 has prided itself in giving truly nerve-wracking experiences from both the action and horror genres, but there hasn't been anything like STRIDE: Fates on the system. Betting for a high-octane, first-person parkour shooter, it particularly lands exhilarating sequences, unlike any other game in the system. Strap in folks, because this ride will not stop once it begins.

 

Developed by Joy Way, STRIDE: Fates puts you in the shoes of a special operative from a shady company that goes by the name of SkyChase. Working as a sequel of STRIDE, there is no need narrative-wise to have any background knowledge, as the story stands on its own. You must unravel a conspiracy that will take you across Airon City to climb the corporate ladder while learning about some serious secrets that put the fate of your city and yourself in the balance.

Raised as a poverty-stricken child, your character will do anything to get to the top of the food chain, while making morally questionable choices in the process. As a ruthless operative, you are quick on your feet and precise in your movements, using any sort of mundane item and turning it into a deadly weapon and sliding from ropes, wall run, and slide to reach any and all enemies in your vicinity.

STRIDE: Fates' strongest suit is its free-flowing movement. As soon as you start the first mission, in the brief tutorial showing you the ropes it is easy to feel the liberating sense of motion that can easily land you in a flow state as you jump from roof to roof and slide down a rope to sucker punch an enemy. Thanks to a fellow officer guiding you through all the mechanics it has to offer, it is rather easy to jump into the action.

The first thing you have to do is jump from one rooftop to another, so the fear of heights has to be faced from the get-go. As you learn that you can run while doing the motion of running with the Sense controllers and can easily gain momentum to reach those far-to-reach ledges, in that same instant you are made aware that climbing is also a huge part of the game. What is most welcome is the lack of pointers on what you can and cannot climb, because pretty much any single corner you see is climbable. There is an unmistakable flexibility that is essential to the game.

 

There is a warning, in the beginning, to be aware of your surroundings as you will most likely do extreme physical activities like swinging your arms, doing the motion of climbing, and crouching in real life, and they are not kidding. STRIDE: Fates will make you sweat. And it is not kidding, you have to act quickly to not end up dead at the hands of your enemies. There is an incentive gameplay-wise to be as fast as possible when engaging enemies and dispatch them with efficacy.

If all else fails and you have run out of ammo, there is always the possibility to throw hands. As surprised as I was while playing, it is possible to just get down and dirty and actually fight with your bare hands and engage in melee combat. Although not the most efficient way to take down enemies by any means, it is always a choice should you want to get up close and personal with your enemies and do a good workout in the meantime.

For those more stealth-inclined, you can also grab a knife, crouch silently, and stab your enemies to oblivion Michael Myers style. There is no shortage of everyday items turned into weapons available to defeat your enemies with, from cinder blocks to a crowbar all the way to a tennis ball, your violent imagination knows no limits as far as eliminating your targets is concerned.

Sniper sections that make you have to look around, find the best route forward, and cover until you can get ever closer to the enemy are especially nerve-wracking as the room for error is minimal but it is rewarding to have to use your abilities to the fullest. Sliding, wall running, and crouching come in handy the most in these tense moments.

 

At times making you feel like John Wick, the blistering moment-to-moment gunplay is undeniable. With an arsenal of weapons at your disposal and a nimble movement that no other human possesses, the Swiss army knife protagonist you embody has all the abilities at your disposal to fulfill those violent ambitions as shown in endless action flicks, but this time you are taking the reins instead of sitting on the sidelines.

By design, the action hero you control during your playthrough is not quite as relatable as most modern video game characters with a degree of sensibility. His grunts, one-liners, and even macho tone of voice suggest this one-man army is there not for you to have a three-dimensional character but to serve as a vehicle for STRIDE: Fates to march ever forward to the next shooting gallery.

Focusing more on art direction than graphics, each part of Airon City that you visit is detailed. From the slick, futuristic high-end part of town to the decaying slums, each of the buildings that you parkour across has its personality. It is easy to see the graphics are not quite on the cutting-edge side of technology, but this is alleviated with a strong focus on lighting, shadows, and acrobatic gameplay that will not let you think for long if the texture resolution of a wall or building could be better.

The soundtrack is a veritable hit and fits perfectly with the overall vibe of STRIDE: Fates. Pumping electronic sounds ripped out straight from the 90s classic Mission: Impossible, every beat is in total synchronicity with each of the explorable areas. Pushing you to not spend too much time meticulously looking at every nook and cranny for collectibles but to keep the neverending action going, they achieved what they set out to do in this regard.

 

Trophies to earn the elusive Platinum trophy fall in line with STRIDE: Fates' expectations of the player. Outside of the common narrative-based achievements for completing each story mission successfully, there are a few standout requests like killing an enemy with a certain weapon or in a precise way. The most pertinent trophies out of them all are surely the time-based ones, urging you to finish all of the levels in a set amount of time, pushing your parkour abilities to the limit.

Comparisons to Mirror's Edge, the classic PS3-era parkour game are inevitable, and in this case are welcome. That game's fluidity, level design, and action were a breath of fresh air at a time when most games were starting to feel stale and repetitive. In that same vein, STRIDE: Fates recreates that daredevil sensation of breezing through rooftops with an unabashedly exciting flow. When you master the movement of your character, the ease with which you run, jump and shoot makes it a rather unique experience among current PSVR2 games.

STRIDE: Fates is not for the faint of heart, or for the motion sickness prone for that matter. Although that is clear for most VR games in general, here it is truly tested out to the max, having all levels develop over high-rise buildings, so players with Vertigo will have to do their best to not look down. That paired with the nonstop run-and-gun gameplay that it excels at, you should know what you are going into beforehand.

 

Never a dull moment, after STRIDE: Fates' solid 8 to 10-hour playthrough you will end exhausted, yet satisfied. Much criticism has been of virtual reality games being mostly experiences rather than full-fledged games, and this is a direct response to that, delivering in strides content-wise. Its close-quarters combat, story-driven campaign, and ultimately fun package succeed in filling a gap in parkour adventures that was missing from anyone’s VR catalog.

Much like other PSVR2 games released in recent months, the developers, as enthusiastic as they are willing to communicate and engage with their community, have confirmed new updates for STRIDE: Fates that will bring a more stable experience. But for those willing to overlook its issues, a high-octane, non-stop action movie experience where you are the protagonist awaits.
 

Luis Aviles (@AndresPlays93)
Editor, NoobFeed