I was already talking about Steelrising following a test carried out at gamescom, published in early September. I come back today to talk to you about the same title after having had the opportunity to play on the final version. Note that I haven't finished the game yet. Far from it, I think. I'm two nights into the game, maybe five or six hours, and I've been wandering/exploring quite a bit. So my overview may not cover some items that only unlock late.
This time, I took the time to listen to the intro cutscene. On the eve of the French Revolution, Marie-Antoinette and Gabrielle de Polignac are worried. Although far from Paris, they see the city burning through the windows of their castle of Saint-Cloud. A golden prison from which they cannot escape. The Queen is especially tormented by the absence of her children, including the Dauphin. She fears for their lives in this time of trouble. Gabrielle then proposes a solution that looks like a last chance: send the last servant who remained faithful to them to meet the creator of the automatons, Eugène de Vaucanson, in the hope that he has a solution to stop the disaster. Checking the spelling of the name, I was surprised to discover that a French inventor and mechanic so named did exist, and that he was justly known for his stunningly realistic automata (even if he died a shortly before in our timeline, in 1782).
This is how the creation of the character of Aegis, our character, is introduced. An automaton, like the bad guys. Seven body shades. Eight caps. Seven faces. There are many possibilities to create an avatar that pleases. I opted for copper skin, with a braid on the side (à la Katniss) and a doll's head with a very fair complexion, highlighted by dark red makeup on the eyes and lips. Isn't she charming, my little dancer?
Because yes, I took up the same specialization that had attracted me to the show. Even if, concretely, it does not have a great impact beyond the beginning, because the progression is free. Not to mention that all weapons and accessories are usable. However, here is a summary of the possible options:
- The bodyguard can rely on its toughness to take hits while inflicting heavy physical damage on its enemies (+3 Toughness / +2 Engineering). It starts with a mass of scriptures (heavy weapon) and a petrifying grenade.
- Thanks to her power, the soldier is able to wield heavy weapons in order to perform powerful physical attacks (Power +3 / Vigor +2). It starts with a Gribeauval halberd (heavy weapon) and an explosive grenade.
- Very enduring, the dancer connects rapid attacks to immobilize her enemies and inflict critical blows (Agility +3 / Vigor +2). It starts with an Aegis flabellum (fast weapon) and an incendiary grenade.
- The alchemist favors elemental weapons capable of triggering persistent afflictions to ignite, freeze or blast his enemies (Elemental +3 / Engineering +2). It starts with Heart of Glass rods (fast weapon) and a vial of alchemical resistance.
The adventure begins in the palace gardens, battling automatons that patrol the garden's groves. Immediately, the difficulty of these early enemies sets the mood. And that's just the beginning... You don't have to fall asleep on your keyboard to play Steelrising! The objective is clear, typical of the genre of souls like: avoid damage as much as possible. Aegis is fortunately very mobile, able to jump and dodge in no time. Each enemy killed grants manes. A currency that is also sometimes found on inanimate bodies or in caches. It is used for everything: buying equipment, improving the current one, unlocking passives and increasing skills.
Most of these actions are performed from a vestal, a statue that serves as a respawn point. This is also the place to store his Volatile Manes, which disappear on death (unless the option is checked in the menu to avoid it). A save is not without consequences: all enemies in the area reappear. This is not to help my disastrous sense of direction. I usually tend to tell myself that if an area is crawling with bad guys, that means I haven't been there yet. Needless to say, I wandered quite a bit, despite the very useful compass that tells me my next quest objective. Especially since the zones play with doors to unlock, which often lead back to the level of the vestal.
To return to the progression of the character, therefore, nothing prevents from starting on the specialization of a dancer, then to put points in robustness as a bodyguard to increase its life. That's what I did, just to gain survival. The various accessories are very useful, especially not to be spoiled by mishandling. They are rather rare on enemies, and not given to the vestal. My favorite: the petrifying grenade. It's simple, some enemies have them, I still haven't found how not to leave all my health there without stunning them.
Fortunately, I can also count on my rifle, just to stay away from worries. The weapon is not always available, however, as it runs on ammunition. Which means you have to either collect it or buy it. But buying them, just like grenades, means wasting manes that could be used for perennial bonuses. But, sometimes, it is not possible to do otherwise. The advantage is mainly due to the elemental effect which is superimposed: ice, fire or electricity. The latter two hurt, with either extra damage over time or electrocution on each hit. But I use freeze, which freezes my enemy in place after three successful hits.
Now that I've talked about the gameplay, let's take a look at the atmosphere, sound and visual. Because, after all, it was the graphics that appealed to me first. Needless to say, it's beautiful. Even very beautiful. I enjoyed each environment visited, with a great diversity of scenery. Just at the beginning, the gardens of the castle have nothing to do with the Parisian quays of the second zone. The music knows how to be discreet, even often absent, to better return to key moments. The realistic ambient sounds help to immerse oneself in the gothic universe of the French capital on fire and blood. A special note for the soundtrack, in English, which plays with mixing French words. Some actors have an accent that leaves no doubt about their origins. Then, it is almost a pity that a full French version is not offered. We are in Paris, right?
As you will have understood, Steelrising is an excellent surprise. After a brief glimpse at gamescom, I enjoyed every moment spent in this uchronic Paris. Note that I however abused the assistance mode which adapts the difficulty (but deactivates certain achievements). I cracked towards the end of the second zone, after having recovered the episcopal ring if you played. Until then, I had only checked the option to keep my ghosts when I die. But I continued the adventure with the damage reduction, stamina recharge speed and cooling to the maximum. Inevitably, the fights have become very trivial. It's up to everyone to make their own choices! And that's also the strength of Steelrising, which certainly makes it one of the most accessible soul-likes of the moment.
The game is available on all recent platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC (or from our partner Gamesplanet). Finally, a last word on bugs. Although many complain about PC optimization on Steam, I haven't encountered any particular issues, but you might want to be vigilant.
