Strife | |
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Developer(s) |
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Publisher(s) | |
Producer(s) | Susan G. McBride |
Designer(s) | Jim Molinets |
Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) |
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Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) | Morey Goldstein |
Engine | id Tech 1 |
Platform(s) | |
Release | MS-DOSVeteran Edition Windows, OS X, Linux
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Genre(s) | First-person shooter, role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Strife (also known as Strife: Quest for the Sigil) is a first-person shooter role-playing video game developed by Rogue Entertainment. It was released in May 1996 in North America by Velocity Inc. and in Europe by Studio 3DO. The shareware version was released on February 23, 1996, while the full version was released on May 3. It was the last commercially released standalone PC game to utilize the id Tech 1 engine from id Software. The plot takes place in a world taken over by a religious organization known as "The Order"; the protagonist, an unnamed mercenary (sometimes referred to as Strifeguy), becomes a member of the resistance movement which aims to topple the Order's oppressive rule.
Strife added some role-playing game elements to the classic first-person shooter formula, such as allowing players to talk to other characters in the game's world or improve the protagonist's abilities. Contemporary reviews praised these innovations and the story, but also criticized the quality of the graphics and the obsolete engine. Years after its release, the game was retrospectively considered to have been underappreciated in its day, and described as a precursor to games such as Deus Ex.
An enhanced version of the game, Strife: Veteran Edition (also dubbed The Original Strife: Veteran Edition) was developed and published by Night Dive Studios and released on Steam on December 12, 2014. Veteran Edition was also released on Nintendo Switch and Amazon Luna on October 25, 2020 and September 29, 2022, respectively.
Velocity Inc. has released a game the company says will impress players even more than Doom, still considered the granddaddy of all fast-paced and innovative CD-ROM games... Strife has a suggested retail price of $49.95.