Overall, the game is solid, but my main concern lies with the Demolition mode—specifically, the inclusion of a "knock'' mechanic. For a mode clearly inspired by tactical shooters like Valorant, Counter-Strike, and others in the genre, it’s surprising—and frankly confusing—that someone can be ''knocked'' are part of its mechanic in the mode. CS don't have it for a reason (because it's obnoxious), the right wing version of CS (Valorant), can revive with an ultimate, but you can eliminate them first, and even the soy CS (Rainbow Siege) have the rule that ''if you die, you die''. Yes, I am aware of that sniper that can recalled someone backed from the dead in the game, but this paragraph is more of my gripes with the ''knocked'', not the mechanic of reviving.

Let me paint you a picture from my first experience in rank:

Round starts.
My blue haired flanker dies instantly, contributing nothing but her body to the scenery.
I’m left solo holding B site, playing Aubrey (the one who turns into a turret).
I knock one. Another revives them. I knock them. A third appears like a family Guy cutaway gag and revives them.
Eventually I die, mildly humiliated and lightly grilled by a flamethrower held by a smug anime girl that can teleport to her teammates apparently.

Now, I can't push a knocked because I am outnumbered, only choice is to hold the angle less I die. It's frustrating, knowing when they got their numbered back, they are just going to jumped me. And that numerical advantage will persist because my other teammate was defending another site in the map.


Then comes the post-round TED Talk from our bottom-frag:
“Why aren’t our flankers flanking?”
“Stop pushing as Aubrey!?”

But hey—outside of that?

Pretty solid.

There are waifus who greet you when you log in like you're clocking into your job at this salt mine simulator of a game. You can rent premium skins for a few days with tickets, which is either generous or bait, depending on your willpower. SBMM feels fair until you queue with a friend, in which case the game assumes you're an esports team and sends you into a 1v1 with ♥♥♥♥♥ and his three smurfing alt accounts. It's... There’s something indescribable about getting sniped in this game—you're hiding in a corner, cautiously peeking out, only to see her: perfectly flat, fully 2D, hitbox nowhere in sight as your cursor place on her and the bullets disappear into thin air. Then she turns—and with one shot, sends you straight back to spectator mode like you were never there. I want to rage, but instead, I cradle the invisible trophy labeled “Fell for it Again”, proud and ashamed in equal measure, like a man determined to never learn.

Oh, about that, there’s a mechanic where the anime characters can become two-dimensional. Literally. It’s called Stringify, Stringified(?), and it lets them flatten into a 2D plane, stick to walls and you can watch the jiggle physics while being stuck and press S(down), and glide through the air.

Is it balance when they're stringified? No idea, their hitboxes seemingly vanish into another dimension. You miss because you’re bad, skill issue or you miss because your bullets have been politely rejected by the game itself.

I genuinely have no idea who this game is for. It feels like someone had a fever dream about Genshin Impact and Valorant, woke up in a cold sweat, and turned it into an executable. But hey—it’s free, it’s fun, and odds are you’ll find a waifu. Or a husbando, I guess, though at the time of writing there are… maybe three. One shotgun guy, one sniper guy and one guy that scream ''Domain Expansion''.

Other than that, I can complain about how some characters are stronger in some modes and maps, but all game has that problem. Mara can be a God in some mode, and a victim in the other. Oh, and there's a light novel thingy during events. That's all I wanted to say, thank you for reading. (Yes, it is an intense waste of your time, this review has no value since it's just me rambling about my experience. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry)

Almost 650 hours playing this game, i buy monthly pass, battle pass and I wish i can say I will recommend it, but I'll NOT RECOMMENDED it.
TLDR: Strinova have the same problem like CS, Valorant, and other live service game but even WORSE.

1. Bad Matchmaking.
Yes i'm experienced player yes i'm a high level player, but getting match with average lv 100+ and my teammate is avg 20+ is something else. Then after minimum 3 lose-streak they give you "easier" enemy.

2. Many users Smurfing and Hacker.
Sometimes you meet low level player playing like a pro. Know where to go and when to use skills in certain spot or the timing. Certain Movement only by playing long time to master and stuff like that. You'll met Wallhacker and aimbot sometimes when you play.

3. Boosted rank Service
On certain strinova discord I know they talk about Boosted rank. And they're TOP RANKER too.

4. Bad Balancing Character.
On season 3, they release a new character that BROKEN called Mara. They even adjust ARMOR/HP to "balanced" around her, making certain character less powerful or even weak. I can write paragraph why she's bad, but unless you play the game, you won't understand so i skip it.

5. Bad in-game event.
This game came from China, so we expect to have same reward, but it's not. In general, reward from CN 3 Memory Sequence (currency to costume/weapon skin gacha), Global have 2.
New event (outbreak) force you to play NEW gamemode or you'll miss the reward.
New event as this review written, have daily mission to get currency to play spin to get medal. To buy all item in shop is around 150+ medal, but event duration only around 40 days. Not to mention event Duration is different from China until Global player protest about it.

6. Bad monetization
I don't mind buy costumes and stuff but not for things like this. New gamemode have Paywall item to get, and limited time too. And continue from point 5, to get extra spin you can buy with real money. SO even if you are lucky, get 3 medal everyday you still won't able to get all items unless you pay.

As my grandfather used to say, "I'm so good at Strinova that even my grandmother started to suspect that I was a cheat. And she can barely move her chess pieces at all!" I play in such a way that my opponents burn faster than popcorn in the microwave. I especially love the moment when they start writing something like "How did you do that?!And I told them, "Magic, baby, magic!"


But seriously, the game is addictive. Although, I'm lying, I can't be serious when I remember how yesterday I tried to complete one level and smashed the mouse on the table. My wife is now looking askance, saying that it would be better if I were weeding the beds like this than playing games. But I know I'm saving the galaxy!


In short, play Strinova! Just don't beat the mouse, otherwise you'll have to explain to your wife where the money went. And remember: if you were defeated, then it was me! Or someone who paid me to write it. A joke! Or not? 🤔