The “fastest, bloodiest and deadliest first-person shooter of 1996” has finally scored a release date. Developer Pixel Titans revealed today that throwback FPS Strafe will hit the PlayStation 4 and Windows PC on May 9.
Pushing the limits of mid-1990’s technology, Strafe is a fast-paced, roguelike shooter. Players step into the shoes of a Scrapper who has been sent to investigate the spaceship Icarus in search of scrapping material. The Icarus isn’t a regular old ship, though, and something has transpired that you may not be prepared for. Unfortunately, you are on your own, so you’ll need to out-shoot and outwit your enemies in order to make it out alive.
Despite the old-school exterior, the FPS features current conventions of the roguelike genre. All aspects of every level are randomly-generated, from the rooms you enter to the enemies you come across. The title pulls from a pool of assets, so while you may come across similarly designed levels, they won’t be in the same order. Permadeath is also a major factor in the game, which is par for the course for the genre.
I feel like I’m doing a poor job of explaining just how extreme Strafe is claiming to be. As the minds behind the game, Pixel Titans has a more apt-description of the title.
The blazing fast action will hit you like the blast wave of a 50 megaton thermonuclear warhead, liquefying your skin cells and rupturing your internal organs. Yet still leave you coming back for more
Brutal. Honestly, though, I’m excited to get my hands on Strafe when it launches. I’m a huge fan of classic PC shooters such as Quake and Doom, and while this is a tougher take on the genre, I’m still interested in the finished product. Hopefully, the roguelike elements won’t overwhelm the over-the-top action.
We expect more news on Strafe to arrive before the game’s launch on May 9th, so stay tuned.