Steel Seed review: Spare parts

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Daniel Keys Moran, a science fiction author, pointed out that while mastery of technique separates mediocre from good artists, it might not be as crucial as having conviction. Steel Seed, unfortunately, lacks the conviction to stand on its own; it seems like a hodgepodge of elements borrowed from numerous other games, pieced together without much consideration for compatibility. While it’s not terrible, it’s heavily influenced by others, resembling a photocopy of a photocopy, losing clarity and vibrancy over time, produced only because the original has been misplaced. Essentially, Steel Seed is a game devoid of its own unique voice or message.

It’s unfortunate that despite each part of Steel Sead being competent on its own, when combined, they fail to coalesce into a unified whole. This suggests that while Developer Storm in a Teacup demonstrates proficiency in their individual components, they struggle to create a seamless, standalone experience. Instead, Steel Seed feels like a collection of elements primarily drawn from games developed during the Xbox 360 era.

Main Character Zoe, visibly ailing, initiates the story in what appears to be an operating room, drifting in and out of consciousness as her scientist father frantically works nearby. Upon regaining consciousness, millennia have elapsed, leaving her with a revised physique reminiscent of a discarded cyborg ninja design from Mortal Kombat. She encounters KOBY, a cute, flying robot sidekick who assists in navigation. Zoe’s mission is to ensure her father’s project to rebuild the earth after humanity’s near-extinction due to environmental disasters caused by climate change functions effectively. To accomplish this task, she must locate Crucial Artifacts, uncover her father’s fate, and evade robots intent on harming her. Sounds straightforward? Thankfully, KOBY is here to help.

A moment of silence, please

The story in Steel Seed isn’t poor (it leans towards predictability), however, there are extended periods where it lacks substance. The core of this game revolves around characters Zoe and KOBY. Their bond is endearing, and KOBY’s character is charming, despite only communicating through beeps and boops. This leaves Zoe to take on a dual role, translating KOBY’s messages and responding, often in a single line. The fact that these interactions generally work well speaks volumes about Steel Seed’s writing quality. However, it also results in many conversations feeling like Zoe is having one-sided discussions, which leads me to another concern I have with her: she talks excessively.

Observe, Zoe, much like many lead characters in current video games, appears to struggle with a condition known as Video Game Protagonist Always Talking, Frequently to Themselves Syndrome. This affliction seems to be spreading rapidly and it’s evident that it’s striking a chord with players, but it can get quite grating for me personally. For instance, when Zoe lures an enemy over for a sneak attack, she asks them aloud to take the bait. Very subtle, Zoe. Looting a robo-corpse? She says, “This will be useful.” I understand it will be, Zoe; I don’t need you reminding me every time we loot a robot carcass. I appreciate characters with depth and dialogue, but please, could we have some moments of silence or introspection from the protagonist? Let me, as the player, ponder over my actions without having those thoughts dictated to me via Zoe’s commentary.

The gameplay in Steel Seed can be somewhat frustrating, yet not unbearable. The core issue lies in its gameplay mechanics. As advertised, the stealth-action elements are competently executed, even if they aren’t exactly groundbreaking. The platforming segments resemble classic Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed games, with yellow-marked ledges indicating areas Zoe can climb. While not original, it functions adequately.

When Steel Seed introduces variations like making Zoe move to a platform, then control KOBY to activate a switch, followed by returning to Zoe to ride the platform to a new area or reach the next one while it’s within her grasp or passing nearby, it’s quite engaging. There are numerous predictable and satisfactory scripted sequences, and given how frequently the ground collapses beneath her and she slides down ramps, you might think Zoe is trying out for the next Tomb Raider or Uncharted role.

Despite being far from revolutionary or demanding, these elements operate smoothly enough to keep me intrigued. Whenever I wasn’t platforming, I often found myself wishing I was.

Stealth? Action? Who needs ’em?

A significant aspect of Steel Seed resembles Bush Stealth from Assassin’s Creed, but with a twist. Instead of blending into natural vegetation, you conceal yourself in purple glitch zones to evade enemies’ detection. You can utilize these areas strategically as pauses between movements or to attract adversaries by tapping on Zoe’s metallic chest, encouraging them to approach and unwittingly stroll into the glitch zone for a stealth takedown. Essentially, it’s Bush Stealth, but with a purple hue. The objective is to blend in, lure enemies, and carry out multiple stealth kills in a repetitive pattern.

The main issue lies in situations where stealth tactics don’t work and you’re forced into combat. Unfortunately, Steel Seed’s battle system leaves much to be desired. It employs the typical “light attack, heavy attack, dodge” setup that has been prevalent in Western action games for the past two decades, but it falls short significantly. The combat mostly boils down to dodging predetermined attacks and rapidly pressing light attacks until the enemy in front of you is defeated because heavy attacks take too long to be effective, and enemies seem invulnerable during their wind-up, dealing a substantial portion of your health bar at once. To add insult to injury, enemies are incredibly tough, making combat tedious, and there isn’t much variety when it comes to enemy types.

No need to fret, even if you get hurt, you can recover with a certain number of healing options. You can replenish these by either attacking opponents or taking a break at an S4VI Point, which functions as a fast travel spot, upgrade hub, save point, and more. The drawback is that reviving at one of these points will bring back any enemies you’ve defeated. Hang on, let me clarify…

The Dark Souls of Xbox 360-era games

Indeed, as you’ve observed, the game in question is Dark Souls, and there seems to be a similarity I can’t quite grasp. Perhaps it’s due to the ability to revisit earlier locations to gather collectibles, but this feature feels odd since you can replenish healing reserves by striking enemies. However, typical of Steel Seed games, if another title shares this aspect, it must also be present in this one, regardless of whether it aligns logically or not.

Did you know Steed Seed also features skill trees? You can utilize the resources gathered from fallen foes to purchase moves such as evasive maneuvers for Steed, portable glitch fields for KOBY, increased healing powers, and more. Frankly, it’s quite monotonous to see the same mechanics repeated in numerous games, don’t you agree? At least Steel Seed allows players to unlock skills through specific actions like achieving a certain number of stealth kills or dodging attacks. Instead of simply buying new tools, you must demonstrate proficiency in existing ones – a concept I find intriguing and well-thought-out in game design.

However, minor details aside, Steel Seed appears visually appealing and well-constructed, but it lacks innovative concepts. While the elements present are satisfactory, they failed to surprise me or stimulate my thoughts. Instead, it felt like a blend of several games I’ve played in the past, without offering much that sets it apart.

God help us, we’re in the hands of engineers

It’s possible that it’s unjust to dismiss Steel Seed due to its similarities with numerous other games, but it’s challenging not to notice the strong resemblances, especially since the elements it borrows are quite evident and we’ve encountered these gameplay mechanics frequently before. If you haven’t played the games that inspired Steel Seed, I can understand why it might be intriguing. However, having played those games, I found myself largely uninterested throughout its duration.

Steel Seed successfully maintains a concise narrative, allowing players to complete it within approximately twelve hours. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the game (except perhaps the combat), it lacks excitement and feels dull. Storm in a Teacup demonstrates proficiency in game development, yet the game seems like a hodgepodge of elements from various other games that fail to coalesce into a unified whole. Steel Seed struggles to establish its unique identity, which is unfortunate because Storm in a Teacup appears to be a gifted developer with a strong grasp of game production. However, Moran’s words ring true: skill isn’t as crucial as passion. While Zoe may be the prophesied savior of the world, the game surrounding her never fully embraces this notion—or its own identity—leaving players unconvinced of both the story and the game itself. If you’re not fully committed to the tale you’re weaving, it’s challenging to win others over.

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2025-04-22 16:28