Steelrising

An action rpg that offers a solid combat system and interesting encounters (albeit with a never really demanding challenge), but fails to tell a story that can hold on to the player.

The breakthrough hit eludes Spiders once again. This is not the polished diamond the developers might have been hoping for, but it is a fun action RPG with some cool ideas and accessible difficulty.

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. Although I did enjoy the combat and level design, I can’t get past many of all the technical issues the game still has on PlayStation 5. Even after two patches, the game still crashes after a few hours and there’s nothing you can do. There are a few other minor bugs present that don’t really take away from the experience, but it does make it clear that Steelrising needed more polish before release.

An ambitious attempt -from an experienced studio- on a "soulsborne" game, which even though doesn't do anything particularly wrong, it fails to stand out from the rest of the pack and leave its own mark.

Another Souls-like that doesn’t try to innovate much, but at least offers interesting story and setting to compensate for its conservative gameplay.

Steelrising has plenty in common with others in the Souls genre and even though it lacks the polish and variety of the best, the unique setting and some neat gameplay ideas make it worth a look.

Steelrising is an ambitious Soulsborne game but unfortunately its not polished enough, and it doesn't reach its full potential.

Steelrising makes some welcome changes to the genre formula but its best qualities are blurred by its lacklustre writing and world design.

All the trailers predicted a great Souls-like, lifted by its revolutionary, fantastic, historical and original universe. But Steelrising just misses the point. Some more or less annoying bugs, the incomprehensible absence of French voices (it's a french game), and the fact of leaving after Elden Ring harm a game that deserved to be a little more polished and ambitious.

Steelrising is a commendable stab at the Soulslike genre by Spiders. It’s visually appealing, and Aegis’ unique abilities eventually make exploration feel more rewarding while also enhancing the combat. Those jumping in should be aware that combat isn’t quite as tight at that found in the likes of Dark Souls though, and Steelrising is a bit rough around the edges in general. Still, there’s a lot to like here for those seeking out a challenge within a new setting.

Steelrising is not the best soulslike on the market, but with its attractive design and many original ideas (unfortunately not all of them are implemented effectively) it turned out to be a fun and well-made game. Undoubtedly, the best title developed by Spiders.

Steelrising is a beginner friendly entry into the Soulsborne genre with its fairly easy learning curve and enticing alternate history French Revolution premise. The art and visual direction are unparalleled with Spiders’ amazing depiction and design of steampunk automata, but the game is ultimately bottled down by unpolished combat, inconsistent performance, and too many quality of life issues.

Steelrising is a fantastic video game held back by its adherence to other giants of the genre, and a lack of polish, whether that was due to time constraints, budget limitations, technical hurdles, or myriad other reasons. Whatever the case, the developer’s passion for the setting, and the ambitions of a studio on the cusp of the big-time shine through. While nothing revolutionary, Steelrising is well worth your time and attention.

Choppy combat and a lack of innovation aside, Steelrising is an incredibly unique take on the French Revolution with some brilliant environment and character designs, it just doesn’t do enough to make it stand out from other titles in the genre.

Steelrising is Spiders Studio's best game to date, but one too many bugs and tech issues hold it back from greatness. Its combat system remains engaging and enjoyable throughout, and the unique, mechanical take on the French Revolution means it'll live longer in the memory than previous FromSoftware tributes. It's one for the genre fanatics for now, but six months down the line, Steelrising may be in tip-top shape. It's more than worth playing at that point.

Steelrising is a very unique Soulslike game. The developers clearly tried to make this game as French as possible and this worked well. The combat is fun and the bosses are also uniquely designed. The story is where Steelrising missed the mark. All characters look the same and it's just very boring to go through. The checkpoints and currency could have been better. The Assist mode is the best aspect of this game, it helps newcomers to the Soulslike genre to give them the best experience possible.

Though slightly wanting when compared with its Souls contemporaries, Steelrising still offers up challenging combat, inventive enemies, and an attractive and atmospheric take.

Steelrising is a familiar game with just enough to really stand on its own two feet. It's not a revolution but it could have been the start of one.

Steelrising is the epitome of a solid, low-highlight Soulslike that will pass the time until the next genre smash hit.

Steelrising has an interesting take on the French Revolution, but it really has nothing new to offer to soulslikes' lovers, expect for the difficulty selection.

Though the alternate history setting allows Steelrising to immediately separate itself from the bloated Souls-like genre in an aesthetic sense, its shortcomings prevent it from standing out in a way that truly matters. Some elements work well, and the accessibility options are very welcome; just don’t go in expecting Spiders to have reinvented the automaton.

Steelrising puts together a solid, accessible Soulsborne title complete with fun combat and simplistic RPG elements. However, the dated aesthetic combined with the overstretched narrative and the foibles that come with it make this feel like a Spider Entertainment game and more of a basic third party title. The heart of the development team shows from time to time, especially near the end of the game. But, the way the team executes this formula knocks the fundamentals out of balance, creating an uneven experience with too much of its weight on the back end.

While it may not knock Elden Ring off its pedestal, Steelrising offers a lot for someone in need of a fix of aristocracy… and robo-murder.

If you enjoy the Soulslike style then it's easy to recommend Steelrising, as the game is one of the most original takes on the subgenre we've seen in terms of its setting, character, and time period. Those who've always wanted a game to combine elements of Souls with Bayonetta will also find a lot to like in Steelrising, particularly after tweaking the settings… Anyone who's not a fan of Soulslikes but is keen to try one may find the flexible difficulty a great way to get started. It's no Elden Ring, but it's certainly got something about it that makes it worth a look. After all, where else can you storm the Bastille with razor-tipped Parisian fans?

Steelrising neither reaches the heights of the best Souls-likes nor sinks to the lows of the genre's worst, and it can't hide its flaws with next-gen shine.

The visual spectacle, creative setting and mechanical intrigue of Steelrising are never quite able to justify its shortcomings in challenge and consistency. It’s an inspiring experience that I had a good time with more often than not, but it certainly pales if you’re already familiar with the paragons of the genre. That said, rubbing elbows with French revolutionaries made for an entertaining interlude between bouts of robot vs. robot combat, and I can’t deny how glad I was to experience that.

A competent Soulslike lifted by its alternate history premise and Parisian setting, but it’s not quite enough to compete with its obvious inspirations.