Steel Seed offers an engaging narrative where protagonist Zoé, a cybernetic entity, seeks to recover her lost memories and find her father, assisted by a droid named Koby. The demo showcases dynamic gameplay blending action and stealth, reminiscent of titles like Prince of Persia. While the visuals are impressive, and sound design captivates, there are minor optimization issues. Anticipation builds for the game’s release, set for April 10th, as it promises an enjoyable action-adventure experience.
Preview experience: We kicked off our experience with an insightful presentation, followed by an engaging Q&A session with Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, the studio’s CEO and artistic director. Following this, we delved into a demo distinct from the one available on Steam, which we wrapped up in about 20 minutes. Our testing rig consisted of a PC equipped with 32 GB of RAM, an RTX 3070 graphics card, and an Intel i5 12-400 processor running at 2.50 GHz.
Zoé’s Quest to Find Her Father
Steel Seed appears to present a straightforward narrative based on our brief demo experience. The game opens with a cinematic that shows our protagonist, Zoé, awakening on an operating table after undergoing a transformation into a cybernetic entity, only to find her memories erased. Zoé’s mission is to recover her lost memories and track down her missing father, aided by Koby, an adorable little droid who rouses her from her stupor. We are keenly anticipating the full storyline and its developments.
So far, the dynamic between Zoé and Koby seems intriguing, and the presentation hints at an impressive visual experience. This 20-minute demo featured an exhilarating sequence reminiscent of a Michael Bay film, where we had to evade a ship filled with menacing droids. This moment promises to be well-executed, and the game is likely to include contemplative scenes that shift to a 2D perspective, which already showcased a delightful effect in the demo. It’s clear that the Italian studio demonstrates skill and craftsmanship in their work.
Moreover, Steel Seed may harbor greater depth in its artistic direction and audio design. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the team at Storm in a Teacup has already delivered some visually stunning futuristic landscapes in this demo. While we await the game’s launch to see if minor optimization issues and collision bugs are addressed, the sound design has already captivated us. Although we are yet to see if this quality is consistent throughout the game, the musical score and voice acting appear to be commendable thus far. The game seems to be on track to deliver a compelling auditory experience.
Impressive Gameplay Mechanics?
Initially, there were some reservations before we launched the Steel Seed demo, but it seems those concerns were unfounded. The game promises an action-adventure gameplay style akin to Prince of Persia or Splinter Cell, rather than leaning towards a more linear experience like Stellar Blade, as highlighted by Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi during the presentation. The controls, while slightly floaty, appeared convincing at first glance. The demo showcased a well-balanced platforming experience, albeit with some assistance, alongside gameplay that merged action and stealth elements.
The combat mechanics were straightforward, allowing players to evade enemy attacks and respond with either swift or heavy strikes, each with different damage outputs. While we noticed a certain weightiness in the attacks, the gameplay remained responsive, though a parry system would have been a welcome addition, which was absent in this demo. The option to approach scenarios freely was appealing; during encounters with multiple foes, we could either stealthily eliminate them from behind or charge in, making the challenge of managing robust opponents with our weapon more complex.
This degree of player freedom is a thoughtful design choice by the Italian developers, and everything seems to function seamlessly, although we are curious to see how it holds up over extended play sessions. Additionally, aside from a few inaccuracies in cover mechanics, we appreciated the holographic features that rendered us invisible, enhancing the stealth component that seems to be carefully crafted. The ability to distract enemies before eliminating them easily added another layer to the gameplay. We also discovered the potential to collect glitches from defeated foes, which could serve to enhance Zoé’s abilities. Furthermore, expansive levels await exploration.
While we eagerly anticipate the final release, it’s evident that Steel Seed currently offers solid platforming mechanics and engaging combat/stealth gameplay. However, we are curious to see how the synergy between Koby and Zoé evolves throughout the game. A brief trailer at the end of the demo hinted at opportunities to utilize the droid’s unique abilities as the story progresses, which could provide players with various strategies for encounters, whether stealthy or aggressive. We are also interested to see if the platforming segments become more challenging, as this wasn’t entirely evident in the demo. Notably, we detected a Prince of Persia/Uncharted vibe in the platforming sequences, which are certainly positive references.
Although we remain cautious about the depth of the narrative and wary of certain gameplay inaccuracies that may need refining, Steel Seed is shaping up to be an exciting title. With a coherent vision and gameplay that draws inspiration from well-known franchises, it’s safe to say that the Roman studio’s production is poised to provide an enjoyable action-adventure experience. While the game has its share of graphic shortcomings and gameplay elements that need fine-tuning, it promises well-balanced mechanics and a degree of player freedom. This optimistic outlook should be approached with some caution, and we look forward to seeing if the title lives up to expectations upon its release on April 10th for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.