Steel Assault
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Steel Assault Trailers
Steel Assault - Release Date Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Steel Assault - Gameplay Trailer
Critic Reviews for Steel Assault
Steel Assault is like a bite of an extremely delicious, well-seasoned steak. Just one bite. It lingers in your mind and makes you wish for more, yet in some respects, that's much better than if you were given the whole thing and took it for granted. If you liked the snappy action and ridiculous difficulty of may old arcade classics, then Steel Assault is absolutely something you should look into. It's absurd, it's fun, it's hard. And it's short. It doesn't offer up much more once you've reached the end, but what's here is intensely well-executed, and we'd definitely recommend you give it a go.
A fantastic effort that was well and truly worth the wait, and deserves the full attention of action platform fans young and old.
For its first game, Zenovia Interactive achieves its goal: to pay tribute to arcade-type games. Equipped with elaborate graphics – although somewhat aggressive to the eye – and a pleasant soundtrack, perfectly conveying the desired atmosphere, the title has certain qualities. Never repetitive, it presents various enemies and phases. On foot, by boat or by air transport you will not (surely) be bored. Its other particularity lies in its accessibility. Indeed, it can interest both novices and the most experienced among us.
Review in French | Read full review
All in all, I had a great time with Steel Assault and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes action platformers, especially retro ones. However, it is modeled directly off of old-school arcade games, with all the difficulty and strategic planning that entails. If you don’t enjoy replaying levels over and over trying to get everything just right, or games that challenge you relentlessly, Steel Assault probably isn’t for you. You’re supposed to struggle. That’s the point of the game.
Playing Steel Assault is like being teleported back to a time when Sega was doing what Nintendon’t and blast processing was at its heyday. From its pixel-perfect visuals to its retro 2D action mechanics, Steel Assault is akin to video game comfort food for anyone weaned on the golden age of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming. The game is on the short side and the lack of co-op and post-game unlockables hurt replay value. If you’re itching for some classic twitch gaming, though, Steel Assault is like a blast from the past.
Steel Assault brings back the arcade feel with tremendous accuracy and care. Its brevity nicely contrasts with how difficult it can be, and the bosses are fun and distinct. The grappling hook is a great addition with unique uses, though it's a little unreliable at times. If Steel Assault were to cost 50¢ per play, I probably lost $20, and I don't regret it.
Steel Assault nails its presentation, and I'm impressed more than enough that I'll keep an eye out for Zenovia Interactive's next release. It does need to look closer at the retro arcade classics of yesteryear that it aims to honor, though. Trading in the 1-life setup for co-op would be a wise start, as would be the addition of scoring. This gorgeous game might be better on sale, but it's an accomplished title that does many things with skill.
Steel Assault is a great, action-packed experience that is very easy to recommend to fans of old-school retro arcade games. However, offering only one hour of playtime at that price point may put off newcomers to the genre.
