Steelrising Critic Reviews

Steelrising sits right up there with the original Nioh as my favourite example of a Soulslike made outside of From Software. The spectacular alternative history backdrop is a delightful way of getting people interested in the events and people of the French Revolution, and that’s backed with some of the most enjoyable and distinctive level and environment design that we’ve seen from the genre to date. Of course, it’s not Elden Ring, and was never going to hit that level of polish or scope, however, it also wasn’t trying to. It’s very comparable to the likes of Nioh, and the sheer thought that went into making every building block within it relate to its themes and artistic vision makes it a compelling and thoughtful entry into an increasingly over-crowded genre.

Spiders nailed the Soulslike experience with Steelrising, providing longtime fans of the genre and newcomers alike with an entertaining and innovative experience precisely tailored to their play style. There's a lot to love in Steelrising, and each playthrough will let players discover exciting new ways to rage against the machines. Steelrising is a step in the right direction for the Soulslike genre.

Next to Greedfall, SteelRising shows just how much Spiders has come on as a developer. There are some kinks for sure, but Aegis’ Parisian adventure is easily Spiders’ best game to date.

Steelrising is another gem from the mine that is Spiders. The choice of the steampunk, alternate history French revolution setting is amazing, and somehow the Soulslike formula works beautifully in tandem. Throw in a distinctive story and phenomenal assist mode, and Steelrising is a sleeper hit in a year where we could use another.

In sum, there’s a lot of good to Steelrising, I had a great time doing a thorough playthrough, but a few significant drawbacks temper the overall experience and keep it from getting into that upper tier of greatness.

Thanks to its setting, outstanding art, and level design, paired with excellent combat mechanics, Steelrising makes a strong case for itself in a very crowded Soulsborne landscape. Occasional uninspired bosses, sketchy platforming and technical issues only slightly marred the overall experience. Steelrising is a Soulslike from start to finish, but it stands out as a game I actually can’t wait to play through again.

While I hesitate to use the phrase ‘hidden gem’ before a game has even launched, I will say that Steelrising is a pleasant surprise, an engaging riff on a genre that increasingly feels to have run its course even as it gets reinvented by its originator. While this may seem a trite statement when compared to the bombastic praise which often accompanies a game's launch (and wouldn’t see me quoted on a box), Steelrising is a game I have thoroughly enjoyed playing and hope to see more of from Spiders in the future.

Spiders manages to emerge from the grave of mediocrity in the highly competitive genre of soulslikes of all things. Chapeau!

Steelrising is yet another feather in Spiders’ cap that clearly shows how far the developer has come. Not content with putting out a steady stream of sprawling Western RPGs, the plucky French studio has made a largely seamless transition to the souls-like genre. Hitbox frustrations aside, Steelrising’s challenging combat and deep world-building feel like the work of a team who have been churning out souls-likes for years, rather than a studio stepping into uncharted territory, and they’ve successfully created a world that I hope we see a lot more of in the coming years.

Steelrising's Parisian setting and tireless robotic enemies help it to stand out from the growing Soulslike crowd, though its mechanical heart still ticks with the same carefully crafted and unforgiving style of combat. If you want a Soulslike with a bit of a difference, or maybe one that's got an assist mode to help ease you into the genre, Steelrising is well worth considering.

Ultimately, Steelrising is a fantastic Soulslike game that offers a streamlined combat and exploration experience that's always pushing the player forward. The combat is fast and fluid, with enemies that are challenging, but never feel unfair.

Steelrising is a unique soulslike with its own identity and aesthetic, powered by strong characters and great art direction. It doesn't push the envelope on any other aspect of the genre it finds itself in, however, which may alienate those familiar with the gameplay of the soulslike formula.

Steelrising can offer unique setting, worldbuilding and plot, but all of this co-exists with a rather simple souls-like gameplay style.

Steelrising confirms the golden age of Spiders’ team, with a solid and compelling soulslike. Nothing new, but a complete, funny and rewarding game.

While lacklustre in some areas, Spiders leverages Steelrising’s daft premise for a 8 wonderful action adventure in a Paris steeped in history and robotics.

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.

Steelrising has the necessary gears to offer a solid soulslike experience.

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 is a game that borrows a lot of good ideas from other titles of the genre while putting its own identity. Paris is an incredible playground where the artistic direction takes all its meaning and gives us a lot of eye candy. However, the technical side of the game struggles to keep up and we can clearly feel that the studio lacked the means to achieve its ambitions. The gameplay is very well thought out, rigid without being rigid, which fits perfectly with our character devoid of flesh and blood. Steelrising will perfectly satisfy Souls-like fans who don't know what to do once Elden Ring is over... As long as you can get past the technical aspects and the realization that sometimes leaves something to be desired and certainly deserves more attention.

Despite some simplistic combat and unmemorable boss fights, Steelrising is a satisfying robot action romp that earns bonus points for being one of the most accessible soulslike titles on the market, meaning more gamers will be able to enjoy its haunting vision of alternate history Paris overrun by dastardly machines. Bon travail!