From the Palais du Luxembourg to the Louvre and the Bastille and beyond, Steelrising’s recreation of revolutionary France is fantastic. However, that belies the real star of the show: Paris itself. This Lille City Looks NiceĪs you can hopefully tell, I appreciated Steelrising’s story a considerable amount. If you’ve found yourself lost and aimless in a traditional Souls narrative, you’ll feel more at ease and at home in 1789 Paris. Aside from some odd facial animations and a strange decision to have characters speak in English for 85% of the dialogue, only to add a random phrase spoken in French for no discernible reason, I really enjoyed the story. ![]() I liked the way side content directly ties into these story beats, making them a narratively meaningful addition. A couple of themes are slightly heavy-handed, such as the way racism is depicted, but the story as a whole makes sense and has enough layers that I was actively considering my actions and wondering who to side with.Ĭompleting side missions and making a handful of key choices will affect your final ending which have some big ramifications for the future of France. The revolutionaries you assist have their own motivations, backstories and histories which are explored through side-quests and you’ll reach the end unsure of who’s genuine and who’s out for personal gain. Moreover, Aegis, even as an Automat, develops a deeper personality throughout the run of the story. It was a refreshing change being able to actually follow and understand why Aegis is travelling to these places and killing various machines, instead of relying on a 3-hour deep dive video post-completion. There’s less of the vague and incomprehensible hinting of say, Dark Souls 1, and there’s a lot more cutscene exposition to guide your path. Surprisingly for a Souls based title, Steelrising’s story has an obvious and very interesting hook from the off. On orders from the Queen, Aegis must find members of the revolutionaries and attempt to overcome the odds to save various important figures and restore order to this ravaged city. The King has gone rogue, submitting swathes of Paris to an iron fisted (literally) rule using an army of Automat machines to destroy any who oppose him. You awake as an Automat named Aegis, a loyal dancer-turned-bodyguard for the estranged Queen. The French Revolution has been and was subsequently quashed, with King Louis XVI having stamped down hard on the common folk to eradicate dissent to his rule. Paris is your gloomy, destroyed and steampunked location to explore. With that in mind, can Steelrising cement itself within the gluttony of Souls-likes or does it succumb to its melting point? Viva La Revolution, it’s time to mechanise and delve into the streets of Paris.ġ789 is the backdrop from which Steelrising is set. The potential for public perception to be a guillotine on years of effort is ever-present, but if you can pull it off, it can lead to some truly special experiences. It’s always a tough foundry to navigate when imitating such an established and adored franchise, while also offering enough that separates your own title from the spate of other games trying to do the same. Now, you’ve been further bestowed with Steelrising, a fresh effort from developer Spiders aiming to bring the 3rd-person action to revolutionary France. You’ve already had Thymesia, for which you can read Greg’s glowing review. If you’re like me and consider Bloodborne to be the pinnacle of these titles, you’ve been positively spoilt this month. ![]() How many game directors can claim to have (almost) single-handedly spawned an entire genre of titles from trying to get players thinking more during their play time? Not many, I’d assume. Hidetaka Miyazaki must be sat somewhere in an ivory tower, lauding over the hundreds of Souls-like titles that have attempted to replicate the genre-defining mechanics he spearheaded way back when. ![]() Steelrising blends Bloodborne with 1789 France for a great Souls-like experience that welcomes both newcomers and seasoned vets alike.
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