Strike Suit Zero
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| Strike Suit Zero | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | Born Ready Games |
| Publisher | Born Ready Games |
| Platform | Oculus Rift (Platform) |
| Device | DK1 |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | Full Game |
| Genre | Shooter, Action/Adventure |
| Input Device | Keyboard, Mouse, Gamepad, Joystick |
| Game Mode | Single Player |
| Release Date | January 23, 2013 |
| App Store | Steam, Oculus Share |
| Website | https://www.strikesuitzero.com/ |
Strike Suit Zero is a space combat game developed and published by the British studio Born Ready Games, in which the player flies a fighter that can transform into a mecha. It was released for Windows on Steam on January 23, 2013, after a Kickstarter campaign that raised $174,804.[1][2]
Born Ready announced support for the Oculus Rift during the Kickstarter campaign in November 2012, while backers of the Rift's own crowdfunding campaign were still waiting for their development kits.[3] The VR version places the player in a fully 3D cockpit and uses head tracking to let the player look around.[3] It was first shown in public in May 2013, went to Kickstarter backers as a closed beta in June 2013, and became an open beta on August 2, 2013 for anyone who owned the Steam version and an Oculus Rift development kit.[4][5]
An updated version, Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows (2014) and Nintendo Switch (2019).[6][7] In a Steam announcement on July 15, 2026, the developers said they would sunset the original version and focus on the Director's Cut, which they described as superseding it; existing owners keep the original in their libraries.[8] The original's Steam store page now states that it is no longer available.[1]
Gameplay
The game is set in the year 2299, during an interstellar war between the Earth forces of the U.N.E. and breakaway Colonial forces. The player is a pilot fighting to save Earth.[1] Missions mix dogfights with enemy pilots, fleet battles and the defense of large structures. Capital ships can be taken apart piece by piece: the player can destroy individual turrets and hit weak points to blow out whole sections of a ship's superstructure.[1]
The title craft, the Strike Suit, switches between two forms during flight. Pursuit Mode is a fighter form built for speed, and Strike Mode is a mecha form built for maneuverability.[1] Choices made during the campaign lead to multiple endings.[1] In its review, IGN wrote that the game awards extra weapons based on mission score and that each stage has a secondary objective which unlocks permanent upgrades for all of the player's ships.[9]
Ship designs are by Junji Okubo. The soundtrack is by Paul Ruskay, composer for Homeworld, with vocals by the Japanese singer Kokia.[1] The PC game supports gamepads and joysticks as well as multi-monitor setups, and the Steam release includes a level editor with Steam Workshop support.[1]
Development
In June 2012 James Brooksby, founder of the studio Doublesix, announced Born Ready Games, a new independent studio in Guildford, England. Many of its staff came from Doublesix, and the new studio took over development rights to Strike Suit Zero, which it planned to finish and self-publish.[10] In September 2012 the studio found that it lacked the money to finish the game within its planned timeframe, so it turned to crowdfunding. The Kickstarter campaign began on October 18, 2012 with a goal of $100,000 and was funded on November 17, 2012 with $174,804 pledged by 4,484 backers.[2]
Stretch goals and add-ons promised during the campaign were delivered after launch. The Marauder Strike Suit DLC arrived on March 23, 2013, and the five-mission Heroes of the Fleet DLC and the mod tool (a $130,000 stretch goal) followed on May 20, 2013. The Oculus beta was an optional $1 add-on for backers. A Mac and Linux stretch goal at $180,000 was narrowly missed, but the studio ported the game anyway.[2] After a beta for each platform, the Mac and Linux versions were released on August 9, 2013.[11] A spin-off, Strike Suit Infinity, was released on Steam on April 30, 2013.[12]
VR support
Announcement
Born Ready announced Oculus Rift support in a Kickstarter update in November 2012. Backers who had separately ordered a Rift development kit could add $1 to their pledge to join an Oculus-specific beta, which the studio expected to launch in early 2013.[3] The announcement read: "Imagine taking to a fully 3D cockpit, navigating space and looking about your environment as if you were actually there." It added that the Rift would let players "keep track of the enemy in a way that doesn't just rely on a radar."[3] Born Ready said the beta was meant for dev kit owners who wanted to help it build and balance the Oculus version, since no consumer Rift existed yet.[3]
Beta releases
The first public showing of the Rift version was at the Geekopolis convention in Paris on May 25 and 26, 2013. Born Ready wrote that its booth had the longest queues at the show and that the user interface still needed optimizing for the Rift.[4] On June 19, 2013 the studio emailed launch instructions to backers who had paid for the Oculus add-on and opened a beta section of its forum. It described this build as "still early in development".[13][2]
On August 2, 2013 the beta was opened to anyone with an Oculus Rift development kit and the Steam version of the game. No separate download was needed; players launched the game from Steam and ticked the "Oculus" box in its launcher.[5][14] Born Ready asked players to post feedback in the Oculus Rift beta area of its forums.[14]
Design
In the Rift version the player sits in a fully 3D cockpit, and the environment fills the player's peripheral vision. The view follows small movements of the player's head.[14] Born Ready CEO James Brooksby said that adapting the UI and HUD was "perhaps the biggest task", because the team had to relay all the relevant information "without breaking the immersion."[14]
Programmer Alejandro Sanchez-Guerrero told GamesBeat that the flat game kept much of its information around the edges of the screen. The team first tried scaling the HUD down to fit inside the headset's field of view, but the text became unreadable. Instead, the dials and numbers were allowed to run off the edge of the view, and players turn their heads to read them.[15] Community manager Jamin Smith told the same outlet that the studio were "massive fans of VR".[15]
In a July 2013 TechRadar feature based on a hands-on session in Guildford, Brooksby said people want virtual reality to let them do something they cannot ordinarily do. In space, he said, players have "something that grounds you in reality" with "the fantastical around you".[16] On motion sickness, he credited Valve with calibration work on eye separation and said developers should convince the brain as far as possible while maintaining a strong frame rate.[16] The writer reported that flying through space in the Rift felt "oddly normal" compared with walking around in a separate Rift demo, which brought on nausea.[16]
Later changes
In August 2014 Born Ready removed the game's start-up launcher because it stopped Steam Big Picture users from playing. Players who used the launcher to select the Oculus version were told to start it by hand from the game's local files, by running Launcher.exe in the pc/main/Binary folder.[17] The Steam store page for Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut does not list VR support among its features.[6]
Release
| Date | Version | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2013 | Strike Suit Zero | Windows (Steam) | Original release[1][2] |
| May 25-26, 2013 | Oculus Rift version | Geekopolis, Paris | First public demo[4] |
| June 19, 2013 | Oculus Rift closed beta | Windows, Oculus Rift development kit | Kickstarter backers with the $1 add-on[13] |
| August 2, 2013 | Oculus Rift open beta | Windows, Oculus Rift development kit | Any Steam owner with a dev kit[5] |
| August 9, 2013 | Strike Suit Zero | Mac, Linux | Ports released after a beta[11] |
| April 8, 2014 | Director's Cut | Windows (Steam) | Steam release date[6] |
| April 2014 | Director's Cut | PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Announced February 19, 2014[18][19] |
| May 2, 2019 | Director's Cut | Nintendo Switch | Digital release[7] |
| July 15, 2026 | Strike Suit Zero | Windows (Steam) | Sunset announced; no longer sold on Steam, existing owners keep the game[8][1] |
The Director's Cut was announced on February 19, 2014. It has a restructured campaign, new ship models, improved textures and lighting, two additional Strike Suits (the Marauder and the Raptor) and the Heroes of the Fleet campaign. The console versions were priced at £14.99/€18.99 at announcement.[18] Born Ready's April 9, 2014 launch post said the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions were out, with the European release later that day. The studio also said it was the first game to launch under the ID@Xbox program.[19]
Reception
| Version | Aggregator or outlet | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Strike Suit Zero (PC) | Metacritic | 66/100[20] |
| Strike Suit Zero (PC) | IGN | 7.5/10[9] |
| Strike Suit Zero (PC) | Eurogamer | 3/10[21] |
| Director's Cut | OpenCritic | 66 top critic average, 21% of critics recommend[22] |
| Director's Cut | GameSpot | 5/10[22] |
The original release received mixed reviews.[20] IGN's Anthony Gallegos found the levels repetitive and the storytelling weak, but concluded that "skill-based space battles sure go a long way" and that these problems "can't overshadow the awesome feeling of piloting the Strike Suit".[9] Eurogamer's Rich Stanton gave it 3/10. He blamed poor checkpointing, frequent crashes, a "seriously flawed" implementation of the transforming mechanic and escort missions, and wrote that all of these problems were design flaws that could probably be corrected in a patch.[21] As of October 2026, 77% of 1,673 Steam user reviews of the original version were positive.[1] Reviewing the Director's Cut, GameSpot's Brett Todd called it "periodically entertaining" but held back by repetition and an unconvincing transforming-ship gimmick.[22]
The VR mode was released only as a beta for development kit owners. Coverage of it in 2013 included TechRadar's hands-on feature and GamesBeat and DSOGaming reports on the open beta.[16][15][14]
System requirements
The table lists the requirements for the original Windows version as given on Steam. The Rift beta also required the game's resolution to be set to 1280x800.[1][5]
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows Vista | Windows 7 |
| Processor | Dual core 2.4Ghz | Quad Core |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA 250 GTS / ATI Radeon 4800 series | NVIDIA GTX 560 / ATI Radeon HD5850 |
| DirectX | 11 | 11 |
| Hard drive | 3 GB HD space | 3 GB HD space |
| Sound | Any stereo sound card | Any 5.1 sound card |
Setup instructions
For the 2013 Oculus beta, Born Ready's instructions were to launch the game from Steam with the Rift connected, tick the "Oculus" box in the launcher and set the resolution to 1280x800.[5] After the launcher was removed in August 2014, the Oculus version could be started through Steam's library: right-click the game, open the Local files tab, choose Browse Local Files, go to pc/main/Binary and run Launcher.exe.[17]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Strike Suit Zero on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/209540/Strike_Suit_Zero/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Strike Suit Zero - The Kickstarter post mortem". ICO Partners. 2013-06-24. https://icopartners.com/strike-suit-zero-kickstarter-post-mortem/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Julian Benson (2012-11-07). "Strike Suit Zero Oculus Rift support announced". PCGamesN. https://www.pcgamesn.com/indie/strike-suit-zero-oculus-rift-support-announced. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Jamin Smith (2013-05-28). "Oculus Rift and Geekopolis". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012214448/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/oculus-rift-and-geekopolis/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Jamin Smith (2013-08-02). "Strike Suit Zero Oculus Open Beta Now LIVE". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20150622115629/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/strike-suit-zero-oculus-open-beta-now-live/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/288370/Strike_Suit_Zero_Directors_Cut/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut for Nintendo Switch". Nintendo. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/strike-suit-zero-directors-cut-switch/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lewis (2026-07-15). "We're sunsetting Strike Suit Zero". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/209540/view/1838407329253772. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Anthony Gallegos (2013-01-23). "Strike Suit Zero Review". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/23/strike-suit-zero-review. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ MCV Staff (2012-06-01). "Doublesix founder forms new UK studio". MCV/DEVELOP. https://mcvuk.com/development-news/doublesix-founder-forms-new-uk-studio/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jamin Smith (2013-08-09). "Mac and Linux versions of Strike Suit Zero available now". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314044528/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/mac-and-linux-versions-of-strike-suit-zero-available-now. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ "Strike Suit Infinity on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/234160/Strike_Suit_Infinity/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jamin Smith (2013-06-19). "The Oculus Rift Strike Suit Zero BETA is GO!". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20150209223607/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/the-oculus-rift-strike-suit-zero-beta-is-go/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 John Papadopoulos (2013-08-02). "Strike Suit Zero Now Supports Oculus Rift". DSOGaming. https://www.dsogaming.com/news/strike-suit-zero-now-supports-oculus-rift/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Jeff Grubb (2013-08-02). "VR version of mech game Strike Suit Zero out now for Oculus Rift headset". GamesBeat. https://gamesbeat.com/vr-version-of-mech-game-strike-suit-zero-out-now-for-oculus-rift-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Hugh Langley (2013-07-30). "Oculus Rift in space: gaming's final frontier". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/oculus-rift-in-space-gaming-s-final-frontier-1169689. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Jamin Smith (2014-08-22). "SSZ Launcher Disappearing - Instructions for Oculus Players". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20160214152559/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/ssz-launcher-disappearing-instructions-for-oculus-players/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Chuck (2014-02-19). "Strike Suit Zero coming to Xbox One/PlayStation 4 in March". Gaming Nexus. https://www.gamingnexus.com/News/32213/Strike-Suit-Zero-coming-to-Xbox-OnePlayStation-4-in-March. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Jamin Smith (2014-04-09). "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - OUT NOW". Strike Suit Zero blog. Born Ready Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20160214140657/http://strikesuitzero.com/blog/strike-suit-zero-directors-cut-out-now/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Strike Suit Zero". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/strike-suit-zero/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Rich Stanton (2013-01-23). "Strike Suit Zero review". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/strike-suit-zero-review. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut Reviews". OpenCritic. https://opencritic.com/game/273/strike-suit-zero-directors-cut. Retrieved 2026-10-09.