Steelrising

Developing a Soulslike poses a very particular challenge. FromSoftware’s output is the yardstick by which all others are measured, and the studio has a habit of putting greater distance between it and its peers.

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Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring all have a certain je ne sais quoi, something beyond the features they all share with pretenders to their throne. Steelrising, a Soulslike that wears its influences proudly, is a daring move from Spiders – a developer known for creating characterful but unspectacular RPGs. Since its previous title, Greedfall, was a major step in a positive direction, returning to the Soulslike – given the critical response to its previous attempt, the underwhelming Bound By Flame – is a courageous move.

In keeping with the studio’s work to date, the setting at least is enough to grab attention. Steelrising takes place in revolutionary France, but with the alt-history twist of the king having an army of robotic soldiers – automats – at his disposal, enabling him to behave in even more despotic fashion. The player is dropped into the stylish shoes of Aegis, an automat in service to the queen, who is unique in her ability to reason, speak and act independently. Tasked by her mistress with finding the royal children, as well as discovering exactly what her husband has unleashed upon Paris, Aegis charges off into the city to destroy this robotic army and become an unlikely revolutionary hero in the process.