Steel Seed is the latest release from Storm in a Teacup and tries to push the boundaries of sci-fi, end-of-the-world stories we’ve become all too familiar with over the years. Taking on the mantle of Zoe, with the aid of Koby, you’ll spend your time in Steel Seed stealthing, platforming, and marvelling at some of the incredible-looking environments, but is it good? That’s what this review is here to answer.
From the opening moments of Steel Seed, it’s clear what the developers were going for, but it’s also immediately clear that the first hurdle was a big one. Players are greeted with an opening cinematic explaining the bare bones of the situation we find ourselves in, but it all feels very… by the book? Hapless and unknowing Zoe wakes up, confused by her new robotic body (her reaction is very understated for the severity of the situation), wondering where her father is and why the world around her is so different.
Her soon-to-be companion Koby, an incredibly wholesome robot, reminiscent of Pixar’s WALL-E, just with flight, soon explains the world has progressed hundreds of years, and she needs to find answers as to why she’s woken up now… and Zoe is chill about it, and off she goes.
This is an early indication of what the writing is like for the story, and throughout my nine hours of playtime, I found myself bored by the narrative, and never really buying into the motivations of any of the characters, or the believability of their situations. It’s also a story that has been done numerous times over the years in film, TV, and video games, and you’d be blind not to see the huge inspiration of Horizon Zero Dawn, with entire story beats seemingly ripped right out of it. However, for how mundane the story is, Steel Seed does have something to offer gamers, and it does it in spades.
Stealth, Combat, and Well-Thought-Out Progression
In a game where the story isn’t much beyond a predictable slog, the gameplay needed to be top notch, and whilst it’s perhaps not the most varied of combat, it is a well-designed and well-thought-out attempt. Many, many times you’ll find yourself approaching a new environment, and be tasked with wiping out the enemies in the surrounding area.
In short, you’re always going to be offered two choices: you can sneak your way around and dispatch them one by one, or go all-out war and fight them face-to-proverbial-robot-face. Whether early on or end game, all out war can easily result in your death, but depending on your use of the environment, your skills (unlocked by doing certain acts a number of times) and your general stealth aptitude, not only does stealth become the go-to, it’s nearly always fun to do. Throwing in taking control of Koby, you have a variety of ways to dispatch and mark your enemies.
Relatively early on I unlocked a skill that allowed me to use Koby to mark my enemies, but also see their patrol paths. From here on out, I felt like a stealth God, cutting through the ranks of the automatons with ease, and along with the glitch fields and proximity mines, it made life so much simpler. Too simple. I’d quickly grow reliant and sloppy with it, and that’s when they’d swamp me and I’d end up a bloody and battered robot mess on the floor. Sometimes it felt like I was playing a robotic version of the early Assassin’s Creed, and then once combat started and got hectic, it felt like I was playing a futuristic, far inferior later Assassin’s Creed.
Steel Seed is exactly what it looks to be. An AA experience with a futuristic setting, stealth gameplay, and a relatively thin story. It may not be the longest game out there, but in this age of bloated open worlds, that’s far from a drawback, and the feel of the combat, especially the stealth aspects, will have you feel like you’re playing a late 00s, early 10s action platformer, except with an incredible paint job thanks to Unreal Engine 5.
Steel Seed
Steel Seed is a stealth-action adventure set in a dark sci-fi world on the brink of extinction. Play as Zoe and her drone Koby as they explore a hostile underground facility. Uncover secrets, survive dangers, search for answers, and find humanity’s last hope.
Summary
A lacklustre story is propped up by fun, if unoriginal, stealth gameplay, with some fun nods back to the ‘good old days’ of action platformers. A few glitches and crashes here and there didn’t help, but it hits the intended points and doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.
HOURS PLAYED: 9
PLAYED ON: PS5
- It looks better than most AA games out there.
- The stealth gameplay loops allows you to make Zoe your own, with a wide array of different skills and abilities.
- The story is lacking, and outright boring at times.
- Zoe is devoid of any real likability.
Steel Seed is out and available on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or why The Last of Us Part 2 may have failed where the show succeeded. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
