Steelrising Reviews
Whilst not featuring enough content to draw players back into Steelrising, there is some enjoyment to be found in Cagliostro's Secrets, albeit a very brief amount.
If you enjoyed the challenging combat and metroidvania-lite exploration, Steelrising: Cagliostro's Secrets certainly provides more of both.
Cagliostro's Secrets presents a reasonably-sized extra chunk of Steelrising that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but gets the job done.
Steel Rising isn’t entirely a triumph. The narrative and the way it’s executed, the way you develop your character and its approach at something different is hugely commendable, but as a soulslike the timing feels off, the environment tends to get in your way and sadly it comes across being a bit dull. A real mixed bag.
Steelrising is a good soulslike game, with a very wide range of weapons, fun combat, and great exploration. However, it lacks in the technical aspect, which disappoints a little due to the lack of care and brings some graphical problems, frame drops and crashes.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I didn’t know what to expect going into Steelrising. Expecting a challenge but on the whole, it was quite easy to pick up once I had gotten used to what I thought was going to be a complex battle scenario. I really enjoyed my time in-game, however, it felt like there was something missing when it came to the combat formula. I, therefore, award Steelrising a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
For its first foray into this style of game, Spiders falls into some bad habits that never quite allow for the game to rise to its ambitions, settling into a groove that is at times competent but often uninspiring.
Spiders' middle-market Soulslike harnesses plenty of soul and style, but several rusty gears impair its greater potential.
The other area where Bloodborne’s influence can be seen is the level design. The cobble stone streets of France evoke Yharnam in not subtle ways. Where Steelrising sets itself apart, however, is the sheer verticality. Aegis can jump which allows her to climb to the rooftops to get around (where the game will allow it, of course) and eventually she acquires a grappling hook that allows her to ascend in specific areas for even more traversal options. It’s not open, and most of these areas just lead to item pickups or chests that contain armor or new weapons. Unlike Bloodborne, the levels of the game don’t really change save for one section that takes you into mines so it all eventually looks samey. More variety in the levels would have made the later portions of the game feel distinct and would have done wonders for the pacing of the game. In addition to the repeated enemy variety the back half of the game drags a bit.
I want to like Steelrising, I really do, but it just won’t let me. Every aspect of the game feels like a barrier to the one thing I enjoyed: combat. Even that got boring. The characters are bland, the story is dull, the setting is derivative, and the finished product is too buggy and bloated to truly enjoy. It needed a few more turns of the key to go the distance and keep on ticking smoothly.
With Steelrising, Spiders leaves the classic RPGs behind and tries their luck in the popular genre of FromSoftware.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I enjoyed my time with Steelrising much more than I thought I would. Usually, soulslikes don't come anywhere near FromSoftware's games but this is impressively close with the exception of its copious amounts of weird bugs and inconsistencies.
Steelrising paves the way for those who want the Soulslike experience without the teeth gnashing.
Steelrising's atmosphere and plot may have made it the Bloodborne-inspired Soulslike that fans of From Software's masterwork have been hoping for. Unfortunately, Spiders only managed to deliver an average game, and its problematic gameplay makes it hard to recommend even to enthusiasts of the genre. There are elements that may have made it a great RPG in the vein of Souls, but the game's mechanics and presentation aren't polished enough to keep players engaged.
Steelrising sets itself apart from the Souls-likes by doing what Spiders does best, adding its own unique elements while preserving what is best about the genre.
Steelrising isn’t just another forgettable soulslike experience. Its familiar gameplay is elevated by the stellar look and feel of the weapons alongside a visually striking reimagining of 1978 Paris. There is a lot to love her and a lot more to look forward to in terms of what Spiders can do with a future entry.
Steelrising is a game changer for more casual players that want to experience the genre. The Assist mode is truly a gift, offering a good compromise for both sides of the difficulty conversation while alienating none of them, allowing both newbies and veterans to easily jump right in. What awaits players is a game with a frenetic pace and fun combat, topped off with a serviceable story to keep you interested and motivated to keep going.
Steelrising is an interesting take on the soulslike formula. Exploring the French Revolution in the body of an automat is definitely something that I never thought I’d enjoy. However, while things look promising on paper, the execution is quite poor.
Steelrising could be a great start if you were hesitant to walk into the Soulslike genre due to the genre's complications and difficulty levels, and while it doesn't revolutionize or add anything special to the genre, it still offers a great setting in 1978 Paris and a solid overall experience.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A fascinating game that isn’t quite a well oiled machine.