Strife is an odd attempt to make an RPG with the Doom engine and, despite all odds, it does a remarkably good job. Don’t get me wrong, given the engine that was used to build it this is still very heavy on FPS elements, but it’s kind of impressive how much dialogue, special items, and non linear questing/exploration that they cram into this game.
The plot centers on a setting which is dominated by a fundamentalist religious organisation called The Order and the player is a member of a resistance movement called The Front. The order arose after a comet hit the planet and brought with it a deadly Plague, killing millions and mutating many survivors. These mutants began hearing tbe voice of a malevolent Diety who instructed them to enslave the surviving populace and they dutifully did so.
This game has a lot of elements that are ahead of its time, despite being made with an engine that was considered obsolete at the time of its release. Many of the gameplay elements would be familiar to modern Bethesda and Bioware fans. The player is encouraged to roam free and explore, so much so that it can be easy to get lost. I found that map making was very helpful, otherwise I would find myself in Ultima Underworld style labyrinth madness.
It’s been a long, long time since I played this game but I was obsessed with it back in the day and would love to revisit it with the club.
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