Sebastien Di Ruzza is the gameplay manager at Spiders, the developer behind the upcoming Steelrising game. In a new post shared on PlayStation’s blog, he decided to talk about the combat system for the new game and reveal some of the goals they had going in.
First, Steelrising is an action RPG about a single mechanoid named Aegis taking on the deadly army of machines that have been sent to squash the French Revolution in an alternate version of 1789. With this premise in mind, the setting will be 1700s Paris but with clockwork-style machine monsters prowling the narrow streets. This explains Aegis’s wardrobe choice as well.
Sebastien said that the Souls-like games such as Elden Ring are exciting and tend to really engage players. This style of gameplay was the major inspiration for Steelrising as well. The team wanted to focus on deliberate, detailed, and action-oriented fighting while also including some classic RPG components. To get the full effect of Steelrising, players will have to do more than button mash. They have to observe their opponents, think about all of the skills that they have at their disposal, and then take strategic combat action in order to take down the machines without gathering too much attention from the rest of the army.
Combat for Aegis will include the ability to jump. It doesn’t sound like much except that it can be useful in combat and in exploration. She can get above her opponents. She will also have an arsenal of weapons that will be more of an extension of her than just a prop. There will be nine different weapons that come in 40 variations, so you can choose the weapon that feels the most natural to you. Aegis can also switch between two weapons rapidly, so use that to your advantage. The image below shows off the variety, including the fans that double as shields!
Fighting styles can be yours to choose as well. Most RPGs will allow you to choose from a different race or class. In this game, her combat style can be that of a bodyguard or more of a quick and deadly dancer. You can also choose to be an alchemist from afar, shooting at your enemies with a custom weapon. You will have to observe the machines to recognize their patterns. Then choose your next moves to defeat them with a mix of cunning and force.
Other RPG components include stamina and stats. For Aegis, the stamina bar comes in the form of overheating. There is an ability to instant cool, but if used at the wrong time, she might just end up frozen during a crucial battle. Meanwhile, throughout the game, there will be stats for you to tinker with as you improve.
Steelrising will be out on PlayStation 5 on September 8, 2022. You can add it to your Steam wishlist today!
