Each level is a course with straights and corners and demons.
The game is an FPS for perfectionists and speed junkies who want to look cool.
It’s quite literally a time attack with a learning curve that’s worth investing in.
Rally games likeWRC 10orDiRT Rally 2.0are more complex than you’d think.
Warstride is an FPS where you’re forever engaged in a sprint finish.
Levels are sporting events, unconcerned with story and character development and whatever else.
It looks those pretensions in the face and declares “bore off!”.
Retro-inspired movement is the game’s accelerator pedal.
And you’re not getting anywhere without precision aim.
As you skid through levels, you’ll need to down demons with a point and a single click.
If all this sounds intimidating, that’s because it is.
But don’t worry!
The game has some nice tutorial stages to get you well acquainted with the mechanics of movement.
Which you will, as the game’s perfectly tuned to bring out the competitive side in us all.
Mistime a shot or subtly clip a wall and it can totally derail your run.
Maybe you’ll shoot demons in a different order, or alter your jumps, or swap weapons.
Everything comes back topreparation.
Once you’ve learned a level’s twists and turns, you trigger slow-mo there and… there!
Weapon swaps become gear shifts, as large lads succumb better to shotgun shells or distant demons require rifling.
When it all comes together on one magical run, the feeling of elation is unrivalled.
Especially if you’ve beaten your rival.
I even raced against his ghost, just to motivate myself even more.
Everything works in tandem to make the game a gauntlet you want to invest yourself in.
Even if the slight mistake I made above ruined my day…
