SteelRising is the next game from RPG developer, Spiders. The team is experienced when it comes to making RPG games, with titles in its catalog covering different settings and narratives. The developer is possibly best known for its 2019 game, GreedFall, which is considered to be an underrated gem. GreedFall is set in a fictionalized early 17th century, which imbues fantastical elements while exploring colonialism themes. The game was well-received and put Spiders on the map for many gamers. The developer's next game certainly sounds different to GreedFall, and it's potentially in its best interest to ensure it doesn't follow a GreedFall blueprint too closely.
SteelRising, like GreedFall before it, is taking a piece of history and twisting it. The game is set during the French Revolution, and King Louis XVI has a large force of robots at his disposal. To combat this army of androids, Marie Antionette sends her personal bodyguard, Aegis, on a mission to defeat them. Aegis is a robot too, and its mission is to destroy its creator to defeat the robot horde. For many gamers, the premise has a great hook, and while there are similarities with GreedFall, Spiders should consider taking its next game in a different direction than its predecessor.
SteelRising is a Big Opportunity for Spiders
GreedFall has been compared favorably to the likes of Dragon Age for its scope, narrative, and player-driven choices. While it has a smaller budget than any BioWare game, it has proven that Spiders has the ability to craft an interesting narrative that compels players. For many gamers, GreedFall was the breakthrough title for Spiders and the game has been a positive step forward in making the developer a household name. It would be easy for Spiders to craft SteelRising based on a blueprint of Greedfall, but this might not be the best direction the team could take.
SteelRising has significant historical events it can work with that the developer should take advantage of. The basic premise has already caught the attention of many fans and critics, and it's in Spiders' best interest to go beyond a similar framework of GreedFall. If GreedFall is to be considered a breakthrough title for the company, then SteelRising has the potential to truly put it on the map. The opportunity that Spiders has to capitalize on the somewhat surprising success of GreedFall could be huge for the developer. A fresh take on the RPG experiences it has crafted before could go a long way to make Spiders a household name.
A New Generation and New Possibilities
SteelRising has been confirmed to launch on PC, and next-generation consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. With a new generation of hardware to work with, SteelRising has the chance to be Spiders' best-looking game, along with having a greater scope and ambitious plans. New consoles could enable Spiders to create more vast and rich environments, while also taking advantage of the fast loading speeds enabled by SSD storage. This would give players greater opportunities to explore efficiently, without being hampered by long loading screens. Spiders could also look at investing in a wide range of enemy types, abilities, and particle effects.
Seeing as the new generation of consoles are a significant step forward in terms of raw power. The protagonist of SteelRising is Aegis, a robot bodyguard, who is sure to have access to the usual RPG upgrade systems. A distinctive take on this could be visual representations of upgrades on the character model, where the protagonist changes as they're advanced. There is an argument to be made that SteelRising won't have a traditional class system, and fortifying this with a unique upgrade system that's reflected in the protagonist's character model could be a way to make the game stand out.
GreedFall surpassed sales expectations and managed to sell over one million copies. This is a huge win for the French developer and could go a long way to financially securing its future projects. Spiders is releasing GreedFall on PS5 and Xbox Series X with additional free content, a decision perhaps influenced by the game's surprising success. With SteelRising, Spiders could potentially have a larger budget to work with. The team has proven it can create stories beyond the confines of smaller budgets, and this is an opportunity for it to expand the narrative direction of SteelRising.
SteelRising raised some eyebrows when it was revealed and now Spiders has a chance to move up in the gaming industry. By crafting a game that's fresh and dissimilar to what the team has created before, Spiders could break the glass ceiling of game development. Spiders has a big chance on the new generation of consoles, alongside a larger budget to make something more ambitious.
SteelRising is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.