Steelrising Beginner’s Guide

As is par for the course with a souls-inspired RPG, Steelrising is designed to push you to your limit. With a steampunk-inspired aesthetic and alternative take on the French Revolution to wrap your head around, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed when you first jump in and take charge of Aegis, our clockwork heroine.

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Behind its ruffled wigs and robots on the rampage plot lays a pretty tough game that will have you bashing your controller with the best of them, so you’ll be forgiven for scouring the internet on the hunt for tips and tricks. Lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place. Although these tips will not make Aegis indestructible, they will make your time with Steelrising a little easier. So without further ado, let’s get to it, shall we?

Don’t Fret The Small Stuff

More specifically, don’t worry about the class choice from the beginning of the game. Yes, each class has differing starting stats and weapons, but you can quickly customize Aegis in a way that feels right to you should you change tack halfway through. I started off as the Soldier, but I could have easily changed my build with some well-placed upgrades later.

Although some games make you choose a class with wildly differing stats and abilities, Steelrising definitely is not one of them so don’t worry too much about this choice in the games opening few minutes. Even the various weapons that each class starts out with can be purchased via the Vestals found throughout Paris, so this choice isn’t the be-all and end-all that it is usually in similar games. Pick the one that feels right for you and jump right in.

Don’t Shy Away From The First Area

This is an obvious one, but don’t rush through the first area, which serves as the game’s tutorial. This section is full of low-level enemies that are easy to take out, so make the most of clearing out this spot before activating the first Vestal (Steelrising’s version of Bonfires) which allows you to upgrade Aegis using Anima Essence and then respawn all enemies in an area.

There are 7 enemies around the first Vestal that can be taken out in a loop relatively quickly before hitting up the Vestal to do it all again. Rinse and repeat until you get bored – it’s a good farming spot for such an early area of the game so spend a while here, and you’ll be beefed up and ready for action in no time.

Break Barrels and Sacks

Another easy one, but take every opportunity to break as many objects as the game allows, particularly the hundreds of barrels that you encounter on your travels. The vast majority contain useful items that will surely come in handy in a pinch, whether that be the odd explosive grenade or restoring oil that can be assigned to the Quick Access Belt and used whenever needed.

Not only that, but look out for sacks hanging from ropes strung up above you. These are much easier to overlook, but hitting them mid-jump and spilling out their contents always guarantees a useful item. These are much better hidden than barrels, hanging from trees, or strung up on a balcony, but they are worth keeping an eye out for.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Rosettes

Alongside barrels and sacks, you’ll occasionally come across rosettes pinned to doorways and window frames. These red, white and blue additions do add a slight bit of colour to the otherwise dark dreary streets of Paris, but they would still be nigh impossible to miss if it wasn’t for the disembodied voice that often accompanies them. These are another good source of items or plain old-fashioned advice, providing you have the relevant information or item to give them in return.

Experiment With Weapons

There are a vast number of weapons available to purchase in Steelrising, with each one suited to a different play style and complete with its own Special Move. Whether you like tanking it up with something big and heavy or dashing in quickly for a few cheeky little whacks, there is bound to be something to suit your fancy. Experimenting with as many as you like is key – Aegis does not get over-encumbered, so you can swap out your weapons whenever you feel the need. Once you settle on something you can upgrade it at Vestals to ensure you are getting sufficient bang for your buck.

Each weapon has a Special that can make all the difference in a fight. After a few early sections, you unlock the ability to equip two weapons at a time so don’t feel tied into just one. I made use of the shotgun-like ranged attack assigned to the Halberd, getting in close when I needed it with the fast and punishing Tornado attack that is the Special of the Falcion and Sabre. Play around with a couple and see what works early on so that when you find the combo that works best you can then invest the time and effort to upgrade them for maximum impact.

Always Let The Compass Be Your Guide

Steerlrising has great level design, whether that be through the twists and turns of the Parisian streets or the dark and dingy gypsum mines, and all utilize shortcuts and passages to help you navigate each section quickly. That being said, it is still far too easy to get lost or turned around, so make use of the compass when you need to. This handy item can be purchased at any Vestal, and it is definitely worth its weight in gold (or Anima Essence as is the case in Steelrising). Equipping it to the Quick Access Belt, it will highlight the direction of your current objective whenever you use it, alongside any side quests currently in your vicinity.

Although the compass doesn’t show you exactly where to go, it is a handy tool to have at the ready for those moments when you don’t have a clue where to go or what to do next, so keeping it on standby will serve you well throughout your time as Aegis. As an added extra, even with the compass, it can still be all too common to get lost. Steelrising isn’t afraid of using verticality in its larger areas, especially once you finally unlock the grapple ability. If you find yourself stumped or down a dead end with nowhere to go, look up. Looking high as well as low is something to bear in mind, as often there may be a balcony or grapple point just out of reach.

Finally – Assist Mode Can Be Your Best Friend (Or Worst Enemy)

Steelrising is a tough RPG, and I, for one, won’t blame you for getting stuck – after all, that’s why you ended up 7 tips deep into this Beginner’s Guide. Steelrising does offer some difficulty options in the form of an Assist Mode, which can be accessed from the Pause menu at any time. From here there are a few tweaks you can make that could be the difference between rage-quitting or finishing the game, such as limiting the amount of damage you receive or if you lose all your Anima Essence after a death or not.

These are nice touches, particularly in terms of accessibility, but be warned – turning this on, even for a second, will disable most (if not all!) Trophies and Achievements, so you may just want to think twice before doing so. The game does give you plenty of notice of this at the time but just be warned before you accept some Assistance. If you’re in it for the story then you might not be too bothered at losing a few Pavlovian rewards, but if you’re anything like me the game may not hit as hard without the little dopamine hit of a Trophy every now and again.

So there you have it, a few essential tips to get you started with Steelrising. They may not beat those pesky automatons for you, but they should at least give you a bit of a running start.