Steelrising is a single-player action role-playing game that blends challenging combat with an alternate-history take on the French Revolution. Players control Aegis, a mechanical bodyguard built to protect the queen, as she navigates a Paris overrun by the king's automaton forces. The Bastille Edition bundles the full campaign with the Cagliostro's Secrets expansion, which adds a new quest line, area, boss, weapon, and related content after the main Bastille mission.
Gameplay
Combat centers on precise timing and resource management in third-person encounters against mechanical soldiers and larger threats. Players string together light and heavy attacks, dodges, parries, and jumps while monitoring a stamina bar that can overheat, triggering a cooling phase that risks freeze damage if mismanaged. Charged attacks and weapon-specific abilities expand options, such as firing a freezing musket or detonating an explosive mallet. Stealth approaches allow surprise strikes on isolated foes before full engagements begin.
Progression lets players customize Aegis through ability upgrades that support different approaches, from aggressive melee focus to elemental or ranged tactics. Weapons come with variants and special properties that reward experimentation across repeated fights. Boss encounters emphasize pattern recognition and patience, often requiring multiple attempts to master positioning and openings.
Exploration takes advantage of Paris's vertical layout through a grappling hook combined with dash movement. These tools open hidden paths, rooftops, and multi-level sections that encourage backtracking once new abilities are acquired. Carriages and secret passages further connect districts, while a detailed map helps track objectives amid the city's unrest.
Game Modes
The core experience is a linear single-player campaign that follows the main story from start to finish. New Game Plus becomes available after completion, carrying over progress for additional runs with adjusted enemy scaling and access to new equipment. An Assist Mode offers adjustable settings such as reduced damage taken, retained resources on death, faster stamina recovery, and simplified cooling to lower the difficulty barrier for newcomers.
No competitive or cooperative multiplayer options exist. All content, including the expansion's new quest and encounters, integrates into the single-player structure and requires progress through the base campaign to unlock.
Story and Setting
The narrative unfolds in a reimagined 18th-century France where King Louis XVI deploys legions of automatons to suppress the revolution. Aegis must navigate political intrigue involving figures such as Marie-Antoinette, Lafayette, and Robespierre while uncovering the origins of the mechanical army. Choices and alliances influence the path through a world choked by tyranny, with the goal of ensuring the revolution's success.
The Cagliostro's Secrets expansion continues this thread by exploring hidden motives behind the king's forces through a new quest line, additional characters, and a fresh area that reveals further details about the automaton threat.
Is It Worth Playing?
Steelrising suits players who enjoy accessible soulslike combat paired with a distinctive historical setting and steady character growth. The combat loop rewards disciplined play without overwhelming complexity, and the expansion extends the campaign with meaningful additions once the main story reaches a certain point. Reception has been mixed among critics yet generally positive among users who appreciate the unique premise and traversal mechanics over more conventional entries in the genre.
Those seeking a focused single-player action experience on Xbox Series X|S will find consistent challenge and replay value through New Game Plus and Assist Mode adjustments. The game stands as a complete package in the Bastille Edition, with no ongoing seasonal content or live-service elements required.
