Publisher: ESDigital Games
Platform(s): PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: April 10, 2025
Steel Seed is one of those games you can honestly pick out the influences in. There is definitely a dash of Battle Angel Alita (not the 2019 movie!) mixed in with just the right amount of Blade Runner and maybe even a touch of SNATCHER that shapes up this cyberpunk world where humanity is ready to be made extinct. You play as Zoe, with her flying robot companion KOBY as they explore an underground facility that is meant for robots and not mankind.
All of this sounds pretty cool, and it honestly is. During my hands-on demo of Steel Seed, I went through the tutorial level and all but completed it (the timer ran out as I was about to approach the final cutscene). The publishing company explained to me that the game is developed with a stealth-focus in mind, but players are free to instead fight each and every enemy to their heart’s content if they wish.
The gameplay is incredibly slick and smooth. The tutorial level is designed to take advantage of Zoe’s climbing and sliding skills, and I found myself easily moving from cliff grab to cliff grab around the level as they were helpfully marked with glowing yellow lines. There was never a point when I was trying to move between handholds where I felt like I was stuck. There were jumps I had to make after sliding down a long incline, and I found myself able to make those after an attempt or two. At least in the demo, Steel Seed didn’t punish me for failing to make a jump (or when I was defeated by enemies) other than placing me right before where I was to attempt it again. The publisher team told me there is a glide mechanic that needs to be unlocked during the game, and I am honestly not surprised with how Zoe jumps and double jumps and moves around the game with ease.
Out-and-out combat in Steel Seed was honestly meant to be secondary in focus. In the demo, I had a light attack, a heavy attack, and I could dodge attacks. Towards the end of the demo, I entered into a room where there were four enemies, and I tried to take them on all at once…and I repeatedly kept getting massacred. It was only when I started to sneak around the room (holding down right bumper) and assassinating them from behind one after another that I was able to finally pick my way through. While you can fight everything, the game clearly doesn’t expect you to. Otherwise, the combat wasn’t anything truly unique – attack, dodge, wait for an opening, and attack again.
The one thing I couldn’t get enough of in Steel Seed was the dynamic atmosphere. There was one point where I was running across a narrow walkway and the camera pulled back to show off flying cars whizzing by before a giant robot suddenly reached up and started raining havoc on everything as I found myself having to slide and try to escape from its grasp and certain death. Those kinds of moments are unexpected and incredibly cinematic.
Ultimately, is Steel Seed worth giving a try to when it releases in April 2025? I think so. I am curious to see the storyline itself, and I want to definitely give the sneaking around more of an effort.
Are you planning on picking up Steel Seed when it comes out next month?
What kind of cyberpunk influences are you hoping to see in this game?
Let usvknow in the comments below!
