Soviet Strike

Soviet Strike is a helicopter-based shooter game. As in its predecessors, the player views the action from outside his craft, using one of two available viewpoints. These are similar to the isometric perspective of the previous games, but are improved "overhead" versions. This removes the predecessors' problem of buildings occasionally obstructing the player's view; and unlike the previous games, the player can no longer collide the helicopter into structures, instead always flying over them.

The first camera system fixates on the Apache, while the second allows the player to rotate the screen around the helicopter. The Apache is armed with a machine gun, Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles, which vary in power and payload. The Sega Saturn version includes two hidden power-up weapons: doubled machine guns and Maverick missiles. The craft has finite ammunition, fuel, and armour, and the player must manage the payload by collecting limited supplies.

The player is a helicopter pilot in STRIKE, a special covert operations force of the US military designed for preemptive action to prevent "wars that never happen." STRIKE's commander is General Earle. Major STRIKE personnel include electronics expert Hack and agent Andrea Grey, whose cover job is a news reporter. The other protagonists are STRIKE pilot Nick Arnold, guerrilla fighter Amad, and former Soviet Army pilot Ivan Uralia. The game's antagonists are former KGB Chairman Uri "Shadowman" Vatsiznov, Ireki dictator Sadissa Savak, and disgraced Soviet scientist Dr Grymyenko Ukrainian.

A series of voiceovers called STRIKE Files outline the origins of STRIKE. One such file has the Security Czar detailing the organization's mandate to US President Bill Clinton after his inauguration in January 1993. In the tape, Clinton is unaware that STRIKE prevented a civil war in Mexico in 1982 which could have turned the country into a secret Warsaw Pact member-state.

Soviet Strike began development as a game for the 3DO under the working title of 32-bit Strike. Strike series creator Mike Posehn assisted in early programming and the design but otherwise did not wish to work as part of a large team, necessitated by the move to a more advanced console. The development team, who had already spent several months working on the 3DO version, decided to rework it instead as a PlayStation game when it was clear that the 3DO's demise was inevitable; an additional two years' labor time was the result. The team re-evaluated the basics of the 16-bit games and aimed to create more lifelike environments and enemy behaviour.

The 3D engine - created by the Road Rash 3DO team - used satellite images of real topography, imposed on polygonal maps. It also modified the preceding isometric viewpoint - which caused buildings to obstruct the player's view - to an overhead perspective with which the player could move and see over terrain and structures. In order to ensure proper spatial relations and unit placement, the team built three dimensional reliefs of each mission on sheets of plywood. Unlike some of its predecessors, Soviet Strike features only a helicopter - albeit with power-ups in some levels - and the team also abandoned the unpopular on-foot levels found in Urban Strike.

Soviet Strike has an aggregate review score of 76.30% on Gamerankings for the PlayStation release, based on five reviews.

Reviewers praised the realism of the terrain graphics. Next Generation said that "the game makes a giant leap forward in terms of the environment" but called the explosions "average", while other reviewers found them impressive. Jeff Gerstmann said the vehicles "look good", while IGN called the structures "highly realistic". Next Generation felt the structures and vehicles together with the terrain formed an "impressive" environment.