Steelrising is a souls-like action RPG set in alt-history Paris 1789, where Louis XVI’s clockwork army suppresses the revolution. The player is Aegis, a dancing automaton loyal to Queen Marie-Antoinette, sent into the burning city to find the machine-maker Vaucanson and reach the Bastille.
Combat is souls-like in shape, built on light and heavy attacks, dodge, parry, an immobilisation gauge and a stamina bar that overheats. The rapid-cooling system restores endurance on a timed press, and it proves genuinely useful once the timing clicks.
Each Titan boss defeat grants a traversal module, from the air dash to a boot hook shot and a wall-kicking alchemist kick. These unlocks reshape the city in a Metroidvania mould, opening previously unreachable routes and rewarding revisits throughout the campaign.
The alt-history premise is a genuine hook, weaving Robespierre, Lafayette, Marat, Mirabeau, Neker and Lavoisier into a plot about soul-powered machines and the king’s lanterns of the dead. Side quests knit together across areas, touching on the club de Massiac’s plan for sleepless slaves.
The nemesis fans became the favourite weapon, praised for their insane immobilisation damage and their generous ground coverage. The Titans are consistently distinct in design and attack, and shortcuts and the obvious way forward are handled well.
The combat timing never fully clicked, with combo chaining awkward at best and attacks impossible to cancel once started. The parry window is punishingly small, enemies have insane reach, and level-ups grow expensive while enemies give little essence.
Overall, the game is fun and full of interesting mechanics, carried by its traversal modules, historical setting and satisfying fans. Souls-like fans after a shorter, Metroidvania-flavoured entry will find plenty here, provided they can forgive stiff timing and a steep economy.