Steelrising

Listen to this post:

I’ve said it a thousand times and I’m sure I’ll say it plenty of times to come: the video game industry is all about, well, refining an experience. That means that when something does well in terms of sales or reviews, there’s bound to be dozens and dozens of me-too copycats showing up. That’s where genres come from, after all! Some say that back in the day, FPS titles were known as “Doom clones!” Try and sit with that one for a little bit, especially if you’re old.

Anyway, the modern games industry goes through obvious cycles – we had MOBAs, Battle Royales, Auto Chess, Isaac-style roguelites, Dead Cells-style side-scrollers and now Dark Souls-style action-RPGs now known as Soulsikes (as well as Vampire Survivors clones, but those are a topic for another day). The latest in this ever-growing landscape is Steelrising from Spiders, and it’s all about improving France by packing it to the brim with robots. Sacré bleu!

via YouTube

That’s right: in this world, France isn’t just snooty, it’s mechanically snooty. Human warriors are being replaced with robotic soldiers, and with his metal army King Louis XVI has managed to put down the French Revolution before it could get off the ground. Queen Marie Antoinette is understandably concerned about the deteriorating state of her nation, so she sends her own automaton, the bodyguard Aegis, to find a way to stop the King’s mad reign. It won’t be easy, of course. Aegis is going to have to tear through dozens of her bleepy-blooping compatriots to save the day.

Thankfully, she’s not going into the fray unarmed. Starting with your selection of one of four starting weapon types, Aegis can arm herself with a variety of bot-smashing implements. You’ve got your bladed fans, your alchemy-infused tonfa, giant claws, dual blades…the works. If you can’t find something that tickles your fancy out of a selection like this, the problem might be on your end. Your weapons will scale with Aegis’ various stats, which you’re able to improve by spending currency earned from defeating enemies. Over time you’re eventually able to customize your bot to suit your specific playstyle.

Naturally, this is a Souls-style game, so swinging weapons around, dodging and the like consumes stamina from a rapidly-regenerating meter. Carefully managing your stamina and staying on top of the rhythm of battle so you’re never left unable to escape danger is key to success. Thankfully, as an automaton, Aegis is able to forcibly cool herself down, but repeatedly using this ability might immobilize her which could lead to death. It’s a nice touch that makes Steelrising’s combat feel a little more aggressive and dynamic than many Souls-style games.

That’s not to say your journey through France is going to be completely jank-free. This is Spiders, after all, so it should come as no surprise that Steelrising suffers a bit from some odd gameplay decisions. Perhaps the most noticeable is a slight disconnect between your weapons’ impact and the effect they have on enemies; the best way to explain this to Souls veterans would be to say that enemies feel like they have an absolute ton of poise, so they’ll just keep on trucking through your hits.

This is something you’ll get used to rather than the end of the world. If you do end up having a lot of trouble, Steelrising is here for you! There’s a variety of cheats unlocked from the start and offered as an Assist Mode, allowing you to reduce damage taken, simplify the use of Aegis’ cooling abilities and so on. If you need some help, it’s readily available…but even if Assist Mode weren’t available, there’s options available to smooth things along. Aegis can carry grenades, for instance. Loads of them, and they’re cheap. Chuck these at whatever’s giving you trouble, bosses included, and you’ll have it taken care of in a jiffy.

Goofy balance issues aside, Steelrising excels in a number of areas. Chief among these might be its presentation. Aegis, her foes and the steampunk Paris they inhabit all look absolutely fantastic. There’s also a lot to be said for their animations; these are, by and large, automatons after all, so they tend to move in an inhuman, disturbing fashion. Steelrising’s dedication toward this point gives it a unique aesthetic. Even Aegis herself clanks about right on the edge of the uncanny valley. It’s fantastic.

Likewise, even if it does feel a little off, Steelrising is certainly one of the better Soulslike adventures around. This title’s unique aesthetic combined with its reasonably solid take on action-RPG gameplay makes for a fantastic combination. We live in a post-Elden Ring world, and as this burgeoning genre grows, we can hope to see more unique takes on the concept – but it might be tough to make something more unusual than robotic assassins battling in the streets of steampunk France.