Exclusive: Deep Dive Into Evasion’s Striker Class, the Damage Dealer

Throughout the month of August, we’ll be bringing you an exclusive look at Archiact’s Evasion, a cooperative bullet-hell FPS in VR. We teamed up with the developer to get access to in-depth information on each of the four classes in Evasion. Over the next four weeks, we’ll detail the Striker, Warden, Surgeon, and Engineer. We’ll dive into their strengths, abilities, and even some of the lore behind how they fit into the Vanguard.

Evasion is a sci-fi bullet hell shooter arriving on PlayStation VR later this Fall. The game was developed by Archiact up in Vancouver, Canada, and was inspired by intense multiplayer shooter classics such as Galaga, Doom, and Borderlands. We’ve recruited Evasion’s Narrative Designer Peter Boychuk to share an in-depth look at the four unique hero classes, starting with the “glass cannon”: the Striker.

Before we get to the Striker, however, we have to look at the Vanguard as a whole.

Phoenix Rising: The Origin of the Vanguard

After the Slaughter of Ajax Six, when a entire regiment was decimated during the First Optera War, Terran High Command realized the futility of using shock and awe tactics against a foe who could instantly teleport huge numbers of troops over vast distances.

A decision was made to assemble an elite team that could swiftly mobilize to hot spots and operate behind enemy lines. Because they would be working with little to no tactical support, this team would be comprised of the top recruits and would receive the best training and equipment.

They called them the Vanguard.

Four Classes

Initially, there were no separate classes of Vanguard. However, as Command began using them more and more (which resulted in their missions becoming increasingly multivalent) the need for areas of specialization became apparent, so the Vanguard was broken into four classes: Striker, Surgeon, Warden, and Engineer.

Choose Your Path

Each hero class has unique avatars, custom armor, a distinct energy shield, a specific blaster variant with a powerful charge shot, class-specific tether abilities and a special Surge Attack.

Unlike many other shooters, players in Evasion aren’t locked into one class. At any point between missions, you can visit the hangar and select a different class.

The four classes have been designed to suit specific play styles. For example, players who like charging into the fray with guns blazing might find themselves gravitating to the Warden, while players who like playing more of a support role may prefer to play as a Surgeon. All classes can hold their own in a firefight and have an arsenal of deadly weapons at their disposal.

Striker

The Striker was the first class to be created, and, in many ways, they represent what the entire Vanguard used to be: a highly mobile strike force capable of fulfilling wide-ranging mission objectives, armed with enough firepower to wage a war.

“Stay Out of My Crosshairs”

Strikers are trained in precision marksmanship and are ideal for players who like to be the heavy hitters or snipe at their enemies from behind cover. While they lack the heavy armour of the Warden, they are armed with powerful tether abilities that can ensnare enemies in gravity wells and a pulse blaster that can deal the most single target damage of any class.

Pulse Blaster

The Striker’s primary weapon is a deadly pulse blaster with a special muzzle enhancement. When fully powered, its Charge Shot paints the target with rotating particle beams, paving the way for the Striker to fire their special homing ammo and deal critical damage against the marked target.

Tether Abilities

Like all classes, the Striker can create a tether that can be used to help teammates (Tether Link) or damage enemies (Tether Lash).

The Striker’s tether link creates an energy transfer that enhances their teammate’s weapon as it heals them, while her tether lash unleashes a powerful gravity well on the target that pulls in surrounding enemies.

The Singularity

Surge Attacks are the ultimate way to destroy Optera, and can only be triggered once your weapon has been sufficiently powered up.

The Striker has a Surge Attack called ‘The Singularity’ that is a proverbial symphony of destruction. The tether provides the overture by trapping the enemy in an inescapable gravity well. Next, the blaster ushers in the movements by firing multiple particle beams that whittle down enemy defenses. Finally, the sonata: devastating homing shots that smash apart Optera. Drop the curtain.

The Heavy Hitter

Strikers are agile fast-movers who can deal an incredible amount of damage. If the Vanguard were a basketball team, Strikers would be the power forward, rushing in and scoring points before their opponent has time to react. She may have the smallest shield and the least amount of health, but she can whip around the battlefield strafing the enemy while turning on a dime.

The Striker can work in concert with any other class, but tends to make a good duo with the Warden, who will wade into the fray and take the brunt of the damage while the Striker hangs back and score precision hits. They also work well with the Surgeon, who can deploy their enhanced healing abilities to protect the Striker as they decimate the enemy.

Stay tuned! Next week we’ll be bringing you an in-depth look at one of the other classes (Warden, Surgeon, or Engineer) in our exclusive coverage of Archiact’s Evasion for PSVR. Evasion releases later this year.