Steelrising sits right up there with the original Nioh as my favourite example of a Soulslike made outside of From Software. The spectacular alternative history backdrop is a delightful way of getting people interested in the events and people of the French Revolution, and that’s backed with some of the most enjoyable and distinctive level and environment design that we’ve seen from the genre to date. Of course, it’s not Elden Ring, and was never going to hit that level of polish or scope, however, it also wasn’t trying to. It’s very comparable to the likes of Nioh, and the sheer thought that went into making every building block within it relate to its themes and artistic vision makes it a compelling and thoughtful entry into an increasingly over-crowded genre.
As a seasoned Soulslike player, Steelrising surprised me.
Ok, it's not as big and polished as Elden Ring, and the graphics might be quite outdated, but the setting had me.
Love the design in general; Aegis, her weapons and armor sets, and enemies/bosses; they made a great job.
Level design is also very interesting, because again it may not be as good as From games, but it has Metroidvania mechanics that make you go back exploring to unlock new areas and secrets.
Some areas might look "empty", and sometimes confusing to travel at first, but in general there are a lot of shortcuts and secret passages that will help you.
CS is always good, the stun mechanic really gives you a huge advantage against most enemies and bosses, and weapons are different and fun to play.
NG+ is very good because it adds new enemies (mostly different element based and reskins), weapons, and even lv. 4 modules, love this, and it was helpful while doing a 2nd for the platinum.
DLC is also good, new huge area with more new enemies (three new this time), weapons, modules, and a boss.
Really happy when "minor" studios deliver games like this one, great job indeed!
The French Revolution gets a twist in Steelrising thanks to the addition of the Automatons and an alternative take on history. The game manages to present an at times engaging story and the main character is very cool. In terms of gameplay, there is plenty to enjoy, but this is somewhat disrupted by some flaws, which can be annoying. As are other minor bugs, such as dropped sound. Points that stand out, but are made up for by the otherwise fine combat and variety of enemies and environments.
The breakthrough hit eludes Spiders once again. This is not the polished diamond the developers might have been hoping for, but it is a fun action RPG with some cool ideas and accessible difficulty.
Steelrising is a beginner friendly entry into the Soulsborne genre with its fairly easy learning curve and enticing alternate history French Revolution premise. The art and visual direction are unparalleled with Spiders’ amazing depiction and design of steampunk automata, but the game is ultimately bottled down by unpolished combat, inconsistent performance, and too many quality of life issues.
Though the alternate history setting allows Steelrising to immediately separate itself from the bloated Souls-like genre in an aesthetic sense, its shortcomings prevent it from standing out in a way that truly matters. Some elements work well, and the accessibility options are very welcome; just don’t go in expecting Spiders to have reinvented the automaton.
If you've played a game bySpiders, Steelrising is the same story. It's a game with lofty ambitions, aiming to compete with the best in the genre, but ultimately lacking the resources and polish to pull it off. I admire a studio stretching to push beyond its perceived ability, but working within limitations is crucial. If this is a path Spiders is truly committed to taking, I hope it can find its footing in its next project. The studio has loads of promise with its RPG experience and its ability to lay solid groundwork for action combat. But Steelrising feels more like a prototype than what the studio is truly capable of.
Nice surprise, for a free game. Solid gameplay, cool and varied weapons, nice experience overall.
But for a Souls Like it's by far the easiest I've ever played. The boss specially are way too easy. They are too easy even for a non- souls like game. I think I just died once for the last one. The only challenge here is when mobs of normal enemies get to you, but even that is mostly manageable. And probably the one with fewer different variety of enemies.
Pretty disappointing overall. The designs of the automats is gorgeous and some parts of the world are beautiful as well, but the game is a drag to play through.
The story is boring and told in the worst ways possible, supported by non-characters and some of the most awful voice acting in modern gaming.
The combat is fun enough for a while, but it never really evolves and so gets boring pretty quickly.
The levels are all designed as frustrating mazes, presumably to hide how small the maps are (not that I mind small maps).
This really seems like a step back for a studio that maybe hasn't really delivered anything great yet, but that can certainly do better than this.
Possibly the worst "souls like" rip off game ever. Awful performance, janky combat, bugs bugs and more bugs. The concept of the game & setting is great, but the execution is disastrous.
It left much to be desired. Initially it drew me in for the concept and aesthetic, but some of the gameplay aspects let it down. The platforming was total shluck, and at sometimes borderline game breaking. All the bosses were way too easy, mopped the floor with every one of them first shot. I only ever struggled when overcrowded by mobs. Felt like Elden Ring on easy mode.
The variety of enemies and weapons was nice, many different playstyles could be utilised. The lore and world building were pretty in depth and engaging for the most part, though a lot was delivered through groups of characters just standing around and talking.
Interesting and refreshing concept, but the mechanics needed to be tightened and the difficulty increased.
3/5 - Guy that compares every soulesque game to Bloodborne and Elden Ring, giving himself exceedingly high expectations for anything that comes after them in the genre.
SummaryParis, 1789. The French Revolution has been suppressed with bloodshed by Louis XVI and his merciless mechanical army. Aegis, a mysterious automaton masterpiece, must confront the king's army alone to save history in this challenging action-RPG.