Strania - The Stella Machina - Reviews

A really good danmaku by one of the most inoving compagny for shmups. Unusual gameplay (you can loot up to 3 weapons, then you use 2 of them simultaneously, and you have to learn when to pick which weapon), good graphics, good OST. If you like maniac shooters, it's a must have. Also: when it first launched, my stick wasn't working. I asked on the forum if the dev were planning to fix it, they told me to wait for next patch, and next patch my stick was perfectly working. I wish more compagny would react that fast and listen to their customers.

Strania is yet another Xbox 360 shmup release that is seeing new life on the Steam platform. As far as those releases go, this was my favorite along with Eschatos (also on Steam, and something you should also buy if you haven't yet). What I appreciated the most about this game was G.Rev's decision to design it will respect to the "Traditional" style shooter, as opposed to the bullet hell style which has become more common in modern shump design. Not to say I don't like to play bullet hells, I just prefer the design elements of the 80's/early 90's shooters, where the focus was on less numerous but more targeted bullets, an assortment of distinct weapons to use where success in the game is determined by proper use of said weapons in different situations, environmental hazards, cinematic style stage progression, etc. Think Gradius, R-Type, Thunder Force, the various Complie shooters like MUSHA, and Einhander as examples of what this is modeled after. That type of style is right up my alley, and Strania does the job of scratching that particular itch. Add on top of that, add the catchy, shump appropriate, electro synth fusion soundtrack of Keishi Yonao, and you have a very well crafted game. The craftsmanship extends to the fact that G.Rev took it upon themselves to make a whole extra addition to main Strania campaign with the "Side Vover" add on (at no extra cost in the Steam version), were you play the game from the perspective of the Stranian antagonists, the Vower. Essentially, you play the main game in reverse, starting from the Vower home colony, going through the same stages from the Strania side to get the Stranian home base. However, instead of being the recycled affair you would likely expect from something like this, the stage design, bosses, music, and progression is distinct enough to make it feel like an entirely different game. It was an example of how to do DLC the right way, by adding value to the game while keeping the main portion whole and untampered with. Those that are more observant will see the subtleties that G.Rev put in both campaigns to differentiate the Stranian and Vower sides, and give them personality without even having to rely on story composition. For example, the Stranian's mechs and infrastructure are very angular and blocky and the uniforms of the main pilots suggest a militaristic, organized culture. The Vower's mechs and equipment on the other hand, are mostly rounded and curved, and the dress of the pilots suggest a tribal, nomadic, theocratic culture. Another example is that while pilots on both sides can use each others weapon arrays (denoted by being highlighted by Blue (Strania), Red (Vower) or Purple (Netural) in game), only mechs on the Stranian side have access to enhanced versions of the Strania side's weapons (essentially activated by collecting two of the same weapon on one weapon slot), and only Vower mechs can use enhanced Vower weapons on the other end. Depending on what side you play, you'll find that the enemies will mostly attack you with their side's weapons, which you mainly get from stealing them off destroyed enemy mechs. Weapons on your side are mainly gotten by storage crates and friendly drops. It's the little things that help make this game special. If you are a fan of the genre at all, don't make the mistake of overlooking this game, as it apparently was when it was initially released. It deserves more recognition, and is a much purchase. And you definitely want G.Rev releasing more of their games on Steam.

Looks good. Will take a while for me to get familiar with the weapon system. I always picked the worst weapon for the situation. Features includes online leaderboard. No replay save though. The game can be changed whether you want to make it checkpoint-based or respawn, which is neat, but the online score is only for checkpoint-based. One issue I had is no gamepad support. I'm not sure what happened because at the intro screen, the game did detect my gamepad keypress, but after the menu loaded up, the gamepad no longer works. A workaround is to use Steam to emulate the keyboard buttons, so it's a non-issue.

I actually played the demo of this game on xbox360 when gold was a thing, and now getting to play it on PC, it's still worth the purchase. It's just a really good bullet hell shmup game. The variety of weapons as well as being able to upgrade them depending on what faction you play's good especially with being able to switch weapons too. Not dying on 1 hit's also good. The fact also that you can play either side's also a plus as it gives you more to play. I would say though, if you plan to just play the game in it's entirety, you've got to play on hard mode as it has everything in it. If you want to make things easier, just do normal until you have more continues. You don't have to 1CC the game to get the ending, as long as you do things on hard or above, it's fine. But yea, game's great, would recommend to more experienced bullet hell players, but those who are new to the genre are also welcome.

Well, here's my 2 cents on it, lol! X3 From the makers of Border Down, Under Defeat, both Senko no Ronde's, Mamoru-Kun Curse, and their latest title Kokuga. Comes G.Rev's Strania - The Stella Machina - (Seisou Kouki Strania/星霜鋼機ストラニア), their first title on Steam. Previously developed for XBLA and the Nesica-(X)-Live Arcade, Strania is a shoot-em-up/shmup/STG, in which you're fighting a war against both the Stranian and the Vower armies vaying conquest. Yes, there is a story on both sides if you check the "How-To-Play" section after you see the mechanics of the game. Gameplay wise, the mechanics feel similar to Einhander in a sense, where you can switch weapons (up to 3) for the right situations (though there can be times where you might end up in the wrong situation if you pick the wrong weapons.) There are a total of 9 different weapons you can use in the entire game to suit your preferences (you can also level them up if you pick the same weapon again, though the colors will vary by the sides which weapons you can only upgrade to Lv.2), although... Scoring however, requires you to use the weapons (all 9 of them in one playthough) strategically and tactically. The game uses the JP ranking system (Kyu = Dan) to score points, use them often when destroying enemies will yield bonus points (from 10kyu to 1kyu, and then from 1Dan to 10Dan), getting all 9 weapons to 1dan or higher at the end will give you a 9Mil. point bonus if you know the game in and out. Not only that, you can use the O/D system to temporary be invulnerable for a while, and have a multiplier going from X1.1 to X2.0, use when necessary. As it is with ports that come from the Arcade/Console versions and bringing them out to Steam, this is more or less the same as the 360 port and everything is just right with it, no issues on my end, just smooth gameplay from here on in. Lastly on the +/- sides! +Same as it is on both XBLA/Nesica, good gameplay/mechanics/etc. (Includes both the base game and Side: Vower! Based on the 1.1 XBLA updated version.) +Various options you can set your experience to the PC port. Although the - only to some users as usual with PC users, there will be problems, but nothing much updates/patches could fix. And help on the game forums if necessary. -Unfortunately, online co-op is not in the Steam version, even though the XBLA release had it, and the co-op for that had no lag whatsoever, just smooth gameplay there too. Luckily there's Local Co-Op at least. I just hope G.Rev can find a way to add this to the Steam version if they can do it. And to finish it off, Strania is a great game overall, the game can be tailored to your liking either for relaxed or hardcore play. I just hope this ends up being a success somehow that G.Rev can port their back catalog onto Steam. Maybe even new titles if they can! X3

Fun mecha multi scrolling game, the good thing about this game aside from the game play is that it isn't as graphically demanding compared to most other PC games. It runs smooth at 1080p 60 FPS

Looking for an accessible shmup with great looks and a kick ass soundtrack? In love with japanese mecha anime? Look no further, the game you're looking for is right here: Strania is a masterpiece of arcade gaming! Perfect for a quick round or two while still offering a deep and satisfying weapon system. Highly recommended. P.S.: Yo G.rev! Would love to play Under Defeat on Steam:-))

I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this. It actually comes with two campaigns with totally different enemies, bosses and music that are built around one another in a clever way. Cool weapon system, great music and a few top shelf bosses. Highly recommended if you're looking for a good shooter.

Wonderful modern shmup from genre masters G.rev, featuring spectacular graphics and great gameplay. Tactics would prove essential in your battle, since your choice of weaponry (and there are plenty of those!) in each situation can either help you make it alive or lead to your firey downfall. There is also an alternate mission, in which you play the side of Vower, the Stranian's foe whom you fight in the original mission. That said, one could say you have two games in the price of one. Very highly recommended, superb game trully worth its price!

Strania marks the entrance of G.Rev straight into the PC realm. Nothing like entering with style and a loud bang, eh? The game harkens to the tradition of older STGs, employing walls, obstacles and a much smaller bullet count compared to other developers who gear towards the bullet hell/danmaku territory. Sporting a multitude of different weapons, integrated DLC (which basically acts as a sequel/another side of the story) featuring an entire new set of stages making pretty much 2 games in 1, Strania is just great, plays great and will keep you entertained for a while. The one little thing that I didn't like was the game booting straight to a rather crude main menu without even music to put a good ambience. What happened there, G.Rev? For a first effort it's fine, the game runs great but the graphical options are barebones. A little AA and texture resolution would've been greatly welcomed. Looking forward to the next G.Rev game on PC!!!