Strider

The platforming is usually simple, don’t-fall-on-the-spikes stuff, but several tough sections appear from nowhere. Sudden spikes in difficulty can be disconcerting, and frustrating to say the least. One section involving laser beams and moving platforms had me ready to succumb to serious case of rage quit. Strider is an action game and Strider Hiryu is not built for small, precise movements, so making him perform them feels like guiding a tank down a rabbit hole.

All in all, Strider is a game for old school gamers. This is a game that will challenge you again and again while keeping a smile on your face. It’s certainly not the best looking game and it’s far from being the best written game but Strider is the single most fun experience I’ve had on the PS4 to date and I would recommend it to any old school gamer on gameplay alone.

Penance notwithstanding, Strider takes most of the best parts of its lineage to heart. Double Helix has built a game that captures the wide-eyed exploration of 8-bit adventures and marries it to razor-sharp side-scrolling combat. It's not that Strider ever felt like it needed that combat sophistication but it is all the better and more vital for it.