November 27, 2023 - Day 331 - NewPlay Review
Total NewPlays: 350

Game: Warstride Challenges

Platform: Steam
Release Date: Sep 8, 2023
Installation Date: May 19, 2022
Unplayed: 557d (1y6m8d)
Playtime: 23m (31m total)

Warstride Challenges feels like Doom, Neon White, and a 3D platformer were thrown into a blender with Warframe.

If you haven't played Warframe, there are times where the gameplay can become almost impossibly fast. There are certain warframes that, when grouped with other warframes, almost become uncontrollable.

Meet Warstride Challenges. It's kind-of an FPS using that kind of speed to speedrun levels, with the kind of platforms that require almost pinpoint precision, and then shoot demons, all while competing against a timer to earn medals.

Each level has (n) demons to kill before the door unlocks at the end of the level, with a series of goal times to achieve. The faster you hit that door, the higher the level of the medals you get.

As the game progresses, you need to collect (n) medals to unlock higher levels. However, as you progress, you also unlock increasingly harder versions of the levels you've already completed, where you can earn more medals, etc.

Time a jump wrong, and you die, and there are many opportunities to die. Miss shooting one of the mobs? No exit, and that run is wasted.

Go again.

After a couple of levels are completed, you also get a limited about of "bullet-time", to slow down for that sweet headshot, but it's not enough.

You can also add other players, either from the worldwide leaderboard, or friends who play, as a "Nemesis", and you find yourself competing against their ghosts.

I'm not quite sure how I came to own this game. I seemingly picked it up in early access. I recalled it being a beta, and I have no receipt for it, yet it's a paid game that I own.

I have mixed feelings about this game. There is definitely something thrilling about beating the timers, and getting higher medals, or nailing the exit door ahead of another player's ghost.

When I played it during early access, I played it for less than 10 minutes before giving up in frustration, but now that it's gone 1.0, I decided to give it another try (thus the 23m vs 31m above).

However, it's a game that's already bringing me up hard against my poor coordination & fine motor skills, which makes completing some levels in time feel more like luck than skill.

And even 6 levels in, with 3 of them also completed on Hard, my frustration levels are already starting to exceed my fun levels.

Still, I think I'll probably end up pushing of a bit further in Warstride Challenges until the balance firmly tips against me, so I'll say it's:

3: OK

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