The Spiders studio offers a reinterpretation of the French Revolution which gives pride of place to the robotic armies of the king. An extraordinary setting for a game that is a little too academic.
Paris is on fire and blood. Armies of automatons descended on the capital on the orders of King Louis XVI in order to suppress the revolutionary aspirations of the population. In the Château de Saint-Cloud, Queen Marie-Antoinette, devastated by the death of the Dauphin, is held prisoner by these same robots. She fears that her king of husband will lock himself into the spiral of violence. She asks her personal bodyguard, an news named Aegis, to leave for the City of Light and find Monsieur de Vaucansson there so that he find a way to regain control of the machines that he created on behalf of the crown.
We cross pell-mell Lavoisier, Robespierre, Lafayette, etc. But the main thing will be to fight against hordes of belligerent robots.
This adventure will be an opportunity to meet the great figures of the French Revolution, all in powdered faces and white wigs. We thus cross pell-mell Lavoisier, Robespierre, Lafayette, etc. But most of the encounters will mostly consist of fighting against hordes of belligerent robots.
This mixture of genres between the historical framework of the Revolution and the imaginary “steampunk”, an aesthetic that projects current, even futuristic technologies into the past, built with the means of the time, impresses. The robots we meet are therefore steam engines driven by clockwork mechanisms, combined with a touch of alchemy. This alternate history is visually impressive and leaves a vivid image. Undoubtedly one of the great successes of the title, signed by the French studio Spiders. It is above all a question here of get rid of the national novel, without forgetting to tackle hard themes such as the tyranny of power and the enslavement of peoples. And the result works.
Mechanical adventure
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Unfortunately, not all the cogs in “Steelrising” are so well oiled. Like its protagonist, the game is unfortunately often a little too mechanical and rigid for his own good. It is openly inspired by the mechanics of games from the studio From Software, at the origin of titles such as “Dark Souls”, “Bloodborne” and, more recently, the bewitching “Elden Ring”, the studio’s masterpiece. .
The progression of the game is anything but organic and deprives us of the pleasure of strolling through this revolutionary Paris.
These “Soulsborne”, as they are called, always apply the same recipe: each enemy killed allows you to earn experience points which also serve as currency in the game and can be invested in order to improve the character. Regularly, safe, enemy-free areas offer some respite and the chance to convert those points. But there are several hitches: stopping in these areas brings back to life all the enemies that will have to be killed again in order to progress. Also, if you are killed, these experience points are lost. We are therefore constantly torn between the desire to go further to amass more experience points until we discover the next rest area, and to turn back to secure the points already earned. A constant balance between risk taking and reward in which the studio excels.
Unfortunately, Spiders applies here quite academically this formula perfected over the years by From Software. And forget some, yet crucial, such as the exhilaration of discovery. A lack perfectly summed up by the construction of the levels: when you discover a new area, you are often faced with so many blocked doors that only one path turns out to be passable. And once you have progressed enough, you find yourself on the other side of these closed doors, which you just have to open to unlock a shortcut and avoid the enemies you have already slain. On paper, this is exactly how “Souls” games work, but the slightly plan-plan and systematic execution of the formula is sorely lacking in madness. This progression is in any case anything but organic and deprives us of the pleasure of discovery and wandering through the levels.
Paris dark side
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We find this lack of life in the surroundings yet very pretty in this dark, almost gothic Paris. We see nothing, or very little, of the revolutionary agitation. Only a handful of more or less disjointed robots roam the streets littered with the corpses of soldiers and townspeople. Not once will we come across a Parisian sheltering behind the barricades or struggling with the mechanical royal guard.
“Steelrising” managed to create a credible universe, enjoying a particularly gripping scenario and a convincing artistic direction.
Finally, the enemies, not very varied, generally lack panache. Quite slow due to their robotic nature, it is often enough to keep them at bay with shotguns and grenades before finishing them off with bladed weapons.
Stay all the same the dark and sticky atmosphere of the environments that we take pleasure in recognizing: the Invalides, the Luxembourg garden, Notre-Dame, etc. The city’s monuments rub shoulders with the still very medieval and labyrinthine alleys. It is undoubtedly this atmosphere which will remain of “Steelrising”. An effective entertainment although too classic and which does not provide great thrill, of course. But also a game that has managed to create a believable universe, enjoying a particularly gripping scenario and a convincing artistic direction that plunges into the torments of the end of the 18th century.
“Steelrising” – Trailer
Developped by
Spiders
Published by Nacon and Bigben Interactive
60€
Available on PlayStation 5, PC, and soon Xbox Series
Note from L’Echo:
Difficult, but very flexible
Unlike other games in its class that leave no room for error, “Steelrising” is far more engaging for those who would prefer a less punitive experience. Thus, the settings allow you to customize the difficulty of the title in a very precise way. We can therefore choose to make a cross on the overheating mechanics, which prevents Aegis from chaining together too many attacks and dodges. We can also make her blows more powerful while reducing the damage received when she is attacked by an enemy. This modularity allows everyone to personalize your gaming experience.