Developer Spiders, known for the Greedfall- franchise, is creating a Dark Souls-like action RPG where you play as a robotic bodyguard in the early 17 when the French Revolution is bloodier than ever. Nacon will be publishing this game on PC, PS5, and Xbox series on the 8th of September. We got our hands on the game early and we’ll give our first impressions…
The game takes place during the French Revolution when King Louis XVI is reigning with his robotic army and is killing everyone who opposes him. The story starts off in the chambers of his Queen, Marie-Antoinette who’s keeping kept in her palace to keep her out of harm’s way. It’s been days without any known whereabouts of her King and her children and she needs to know what’s going on. Without the admission of her robotic bodyguards, she isn’t able to go out and search for the King herself and that’s where you come in, a highly technologically enhanced machine, serving as the Queen’s bodyguard and the only known Aegis (robotic machine) that’s loyal to her.
“Every decision you make will influence the current battle and ending. “
As an Aegis, you’re to serve the Queen best as possible. You need to be her eyes and ears on the battlefield and gather information about your beloved King so you can put a stop to his reign of terror. Gather information about how to control the robotic army and search for any remaining info about her disappeared son. There will be different notes scattered around in the environment which hold important information about the situation at hand. The story unfolds with main story quests but it is probably in your best interests to look for side quests and complete them also. Every decision you make will influence the current battle and ending.
Exploration will also be a big part of Steelrising. The game offers a certain depth within these environments, meaning that the game won’t be straightforward and you’ll have to jump or even climb across obstacles to find a more suitable path to progress through the map. There will also be different areas that hold locked secrets and are probably worth revisiting after a while to see what the area holds. Use your map and compass accordingly. These 2 features will definitely help you along the way to reach your destination. The map gives you a decent overview of the area but isn’t very interactive at the moment. The compass will help you estimate the distance between yourself and the needed-to-reach destination.
“Attributes, perks, modules, and weapons can be enhanced by using these blue-flame Essence orbs.”
Across the map, there will be different Automats that need to be dealt with. These Automats will battle you in their own way, so you’ll have to observe their mechanics and react accordingly. Just like any Dark Souls game, you’ll need to plan ahead and be patient when it comes to striking your opponent at the right time. Another big “comparison point” is the fact that you also have a “bonfire”-system which can be seen as a rest point to heal yourself but it will also reanimate enemies you’ve already slain. These resting points are named “Vestal” and are randomly scattered around the map.
Slain combatants give you experience points but it’s called Anima Essence. To improve your abilities as a mechanical fighter, you’ll have to confront a certain amount of enemies to gather these Essences. It’ll take some grinding to reach a certain combat level as you will need a big amount of Essence. The moment your HP bar reaches zero, you’ll have to go back to your RIP-place and gather the essence before you die again. Otherwise, your unused essence will be lost and you’ll have to grind again. Make sure you spend them on time or evaluate your success rate before you go into the fray. Attributes, perks, modules, and weapons can be enhanced by using these blue-flame Essence orbs.
“It’s important to look ahead when you’re customizing your mechanical fighter.”
It wouldn’t be an action RPG if there wasn’t character customization. Steelrising lets you customize your mechanical bodyguard as you see fit. The customization is very limited at the moment but could be expanded later on. Not only can you customize your appearances but you will also be able to start off with a certain class that’ll suit your playstyle best. There are 4 classes you can choose from dancer, bodyguard, alchemist, and soldier.
Dancer class gives you two Armored Fans that allow you to execute quick chain attacks with critical damage boosted. Your attacks do low damage but have a heightened percentage do burst some damage thanks to the critical boost. You’re also very versatile and quick on your feet. You can also use flame grenades to push some damage through. The bodyguard is all about defense by using a shield to block incoming attacks. Like any tank, you will withstand a decent amount of damage due to the boosted Armor, Durability, and engineering. You’re slow but you can absorb a lot of attacks. Instead of flame grenades, you’ll be able to use petrification grenades that immobilize enemies.
“Some upgrades will give you e decent upgrade that will allow you to make your own battle style.”
The Soldier is a Halberd-wielding class that will allow you to deal a lot of physical damage by executing ranged attacks. You’re not as sturdy as the Bodyguard because you’re more of a Glass Cannon. Deal high damage with very low retaliation. Your tactical tool is an Explosive Grenade that will stagger enemies while doing high damage. The Alchemist is the last class that allows you to use Batons to inflict low damage but inflict different status effects. There’s a lot of condition damaging going on! You’ll have Alchemical Resistance Vials which will help you reduce DOT damage.
It’s important to look ahead when you’re customizing your mechanical fighter. Along the way, you’ll find different consumables and gear that can help you with your survivability during your playthrough. There will also be materials that can upgrade your weapons. It’s important to know what kind of weapon you want to boost. Choose a weapon that’ll enhance your playstyle because the gear and materials are limited. Some upgrades will give you e decent upgrade that will allow you to make your own battle style.
“The game looks gorgeous but you can tell that the game still needs some polishing.”
Talking about battle style, the game is about patience and hitting your enemies at the best moment possible. Not that there are time-reaction moments but it’s important not to lose too much HP. Every enemy needs to be observed before you can overcome the enemy. Their patterns and moves will be different than others, so learn the game as you guy. Make the mindset that you will “die” a couple of times but that’s okay! Learn from your mistakes and progress further. There are also no straightforward weapons or tactics. Choose a weapon/ class that suits your playstyle best and learn how to fight with your weapons and tactical abilities. Also, keep an eye on your stamina bar. No stamina, no moves.
The game looks gorgeous but you can tell that the game still needs some polishing. It’s great to see that the developers learned from their previous game Greedfall and implement the things we would like to see more. There’s a great emphasis on lighting which allows the developers to create a stunning visual world without the use of a heavy graphical engine. Sound design is definitely in check with the world they’re trying to accomplish. Voice acting is definitely okay but I dislike the “forced” implementation of “French words” in a total English conversation. I would like it if they do the whole conversation in French or English but not this forced implementation. Yes, there are bugs or visual glitches and the settings options are limited but what would you expect from a beta build?
Conclusion
Steelrising will be on the radar of many Dark Souls fans. The game might not be bringing a meta-changing concept but they do build on a foundation that’s liked by a lot of gamers. I do want to mention that the game feels refreshing due to the experimentation with the robotic setting during the French Revolution. It’s awesome to see some alternate ideas that are based on historical events that we know. The mechanics and RPG elements will do the trick to get an amazing experience. If you’re burnt-out on fantasy hardcore action RPGs, this might be refreshing.
