One of the many indie projects that I was following very closely and that I have finally been able to try is Steel Assault , the debut feature from the Zenovia studio, backed by Tribute Games (Mercenary Kings). A game in the classic run & gun line that stands out above all for its extremely neat pixel-art aesthetics .
With a launch scheduled for this year on Steam, it was thanks to the current Steam Game Festival that I was able to satisfy my desire to try it and know if its playability was up to the task. And he couldn’t have a better feeling .
A game with 16-bit hypervitamin essence
Steel Assault clearly bets on mechanics of yesteryear , but adapting them in its own way. There is no clear reference, although his style can evoke classics such as Strider or Bionic Commando, but infusing them with a more frenetic rhythm. Because of both Capcom titles it is similar in its close range weapon and in the use it gives to a very special hook in certain areas.
In appearance it may also remind us of other heavyweights such as Gunstar Heroes or Metal Slug, but the truth is that it moves away from that classic run & gun spirit to embrace direct contact more, despite the fact that we can use ranged weapons in certain situations. , like a turret attached to a ship.
Its protagonist, Taro Takahashi , an agile resistance soldier with a thirst for revenge because of a dictator, will mainly use his electric whip, as if it were a Belmont from Castlevania. Such will be the power of that whip, that it will be able to stop enemy bullets, although this carries its risk, of course.
We can attack in eight directions, which makes it a very versatile character and with the most aggressive spirit, having to get close to the enemy in order to destroy it. And here, of course, there will be times when there will be no choice but to keep the distances, such as when the opponent has several shots in a row (which we can no longer stop all at once) or a flamethrower.
Steel Assault demo on Steam leaves you wanting
This demo offers a minimal brushstroke of what is to come , since the use of the hook is hardly used, leaving it only to climb a platform, with a couple of areas where we can restore life or obtain a shield. And it is that in the final version it can also be used to stick to side walls, being able to ascend or fall in a much more controlled way.
Graphically it is a delight , on the other hand. It adopts a 16-bit style, but ultra-detailed and with the use of various planes to create scenarios that powerfully attract attention due to the high level of detail they offer. And it even simulates the effect of CRT televisions, although this can also be disabled.
There has only been one aspect that has not convinced me at all, with a couple of situations where electrified walls have suddenly appeared to defeat a small wave of enemies in order to advance. A resource that here has seemed unnatural to me if we compare it with other games of its kind. At least in the helicopter part it did make all the sense in the world.
The pity is that the demo ends just before the first boss showdown, which leaves you wanting more, without a doubt. It is a project that I already wanted from the first time I saw it and I want to see how this 2021 ends.
- Platforms : Steam
- Multiplayer : no
- Developer : Xenovia
- Company : Tribute Games
- Released : 2021
- Price : not available