STRYX

 STRYX is a classic arcade-style shoot-'em-up. As in virtually all games of this
genre, your main objective is to wipe out as many animated objects as possible,
while avoiding their attempts to do the same to you: You know exactly what
you're getting into when you play this type of game.

 However, STRYX is special because of the sheer quality of its graphics design
and animation. Although certainly less sophisticated than SHADOW OF THE BEAST,
the detail in the background screens and animated action makes this game a joy
to behold. Even more importantly, the designers of STRYX have achieved a
precision in joystick control second to none; this gives the game a really solid
feel, and makes it extremely enjoyable to play. Range of difficulty is just
right, too, and there are enough levels and rooms to keep you busy for a long
time. (This review is based on the Amiga version; Atari ST version notes
follow.)

 The premise of STRYX will be familiar if you've watched "The Terminator" or its
ilk: The world has been taken over by machines, and you're one of the few
half-human beings left who might be able to save mankind from complete
annihilation. It may seem superfluous in an arcade game, but the background
scenario lets you more easily imagine yourself in the situation presented.

 The STRYX world consists of four dome cities, all linked to a large central
dome. Each dome city consists of two sections: an upper part that includes
several levels of platforms, ladders, and stairways; and a lower part called
"the Hive," a mining complex in which you can replenish weapons, vehicles, and
mining craft. You move between cities via Travel Tubes, which you zip through on
your Speeder Bike at an incredibly rapid rate. Your main objective is to fight
your way through all the dome cities until you reach the central dome, where you
must deal with a series of color-coded terminals in order to deactivate the
cyborg complex and thereby complete your mission.

 At all levels, you're pitted against a seemingly endless variety of destructive
robots, each of which is beautifully conceived and animated. Machines vary not
only in appearance, but in function and degree of challenge. Some are more
humanoid and move quickly, but they're easy to destroy. Others are creature-like
and organic-looking; they don't shoot at you, but they cause damage when you
come into contact with them. Still others are heavy-duty machines with lots of
firepower; movement and fire occur within programmed sequences, so they're easy
to outrun, but their fire is risky to encounter. All humanoid and robotic
objects make a point of pursuing you when you're close enough to be identified,
so running away saves you for only so long.

 Your own onscreen character is a real programming marvel, unlike anything I've
seen outside of STRIDER. A function key designates whether your character walks
or runs; when running, great leaps cover long distances. You can also spin and
twirl as you leap: One of the greatest pleasures in the game is to take flying,
spinning leaps over your opponents, turn around, and fire at them from behind.
The fluidity, precision, and rapidity of your movement is your one saving grace
in this contest, and should therefore be used to best advantage.

 There is also a series of small puzzles to solve. You find and pick up various
weaponry along the way, including guns and bombs. The latter can be armed and
set to detonate after a short interlude; placing and timing a bomb to damage
your moving opponents is tricky (and really satisfying when you succeed). You
must also find various door passes in order to move from one section of the game
to another. And there are, of course, the usual end-of-level nasties, still
scaled realistically in proportion to your character, but clearly a special kind
of challenge to overcome. All items are stored in your backpack with the tap of
a function key, and can be retrieved at any time for selective use.

 Traveling around on either the Speed Bike or the Mining Craft is zippy fun.
However, you still must fire at opponents along the way, and you need to control
your rate of progress so that you don't suddenly find yourself within a swarm of
trouble.

 Graphics and sound are of top-notch quality, something we Amiga owners take for
granted (and other computer owners constantly plead for). There's a wonderfully
animated opening sequence: You approach the entire complex in your hovercraft at
lightning speed, pause for clearance, exit your craft, and sign in at the entry
terminal -- a real treat in itself. When you die, there's a brief animated scene
that's devilishly amusing (and, unlike the death scene in SHADOW OF THE BEAST,
can be cut short with a tap of the fire button).

 STRYX is a game in the less expensive Psyclapse series, a wonderful bargain. It
comes on two copy-protected diskettes, runs in 512K of RAM on all Amiga models,
is not hard-disk installable, and requires a joystick plugged into port 2. There
have been reports of trouble while loading the game with external hard or floppy
drives turned on, so power up your system with all external peripherals disabled
to ensure glitch-free play. The game comes with Psygnosis' usual virus warning
and guarantee. (You may exchange the disk at no charge should it ever become
defective.)

 If you're in the market for a simple, snazzy blast, look no further than STRYX:
Psygnosis comes through again!

 ATARI ST VERSION NOTES

 The Atari ST version of STRYX is as wonderful-looking and as realistically
animated as the Amiga version. Unfortunately, I came to a different conclusion
about the game as a whole. The STRYX package includes two copy-protected disks
and an instruction manual, and you'll need 512K and a color monitor in order to
play it.

 Graphically, the ST version is bright and colorful. Details are large and can
be identified easily. The many metallic/humanlike/organic assassins are amazing
little creatures, as is Stryx himself, and all of them move smoothly and
realistically. The problem is that Stryx is animated with _too_ much realism:
He's like a human who's been miniaturized, painted in cartoon colors, stuck on a
two-dimensional computer screen, and given an internal engine that operates in
slo-mo. His leaps take forever; when he's shot, he flies great distances through
the air, lies on the ground for a long moment, and then stands up. All the
while, the assassins are bearing down on him, so that when he stands up, they
can shoot him again.

 Since STRYX is an arcade game, it seems to me that something less from the
animation department and something more from the firepower and fairness
departments would have made this a game that's more evenly balanced. Still, it
does look great, and I suppose with an amount of patience you could force Stryx
to deal with his opponents. Thus, the game deserves a playtest.

 STRYX is published and distributed by Psygnosis, Ltd.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253