During the French Revolution, angry mobs invaded the homes of the nobles and destroyed many of their private collections, which had become a symbol of class difference. During one of these attacks, the ‘Joueur de Flûte’, one of the first automata in history and a forerunner of robotics, was destroyed.
The ‘Joueur de Flûte’ was one of the first creations of French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson. He used his knowledge of anatomy and mechanics to create a ‘robot’ capable of playing a flute. Let’s imagine for a moment that this piece of engineering was far more advanced than anyone could have dreamed of in the 18th century. Now let’s think of an alternate story in which Vaucanson’s automata weren’t just statues playing predetermined tunes on instruments or ducks capable of digesting. What if they were machines with advanced clockwork mechanisms capable of attacking whoever their master indicated?
That’s the ‘clockpunk’ world that Steelrising it show us. This game from the French studio Spiders —creators of Greedfall y The Technomancer— went on sale in September 2022 and belongs to the ‘soulslike’ genre. It mainly reminds us of Bloodbornebut instead of taking us through gothic settings based on Victorian London and Lovecraftian works, it shows us 18th century Paris destroyed by a robotic army.
The most interesting thing about this concept is that it puts robots in the middle of one of the most important and influential events in human history: the French Revolution.
Many of us learned about this social and political conflict during our high school education, but we probably forgot the details as soon as they weren’t part of the exams. We may remember that it was “the end of monarchical absolutism,” created “popular sovereignty,” and helped export the idea of human rights to the rest of the world.
Of course, things were much more complex and analyzing everything that this popular uprising implied is beyond the scope of this text. What we can do is see what it tells us Steelrising
What is clockpunk?
In the 1700s, thinkers, scientists, and inventors began to explore the application of watch movements in different fields. Hence, the Vaucanson automata that we mentioned at the beginning of this note arose. However, the energy required to make them operate by means of springs or pendulums was very high, so it was difficult to give them a practical utility.
The simplicity of these clockwork mechanisms and the showiness of the watches and gadgets that became popular among the monarchies and nobility of the time continue to capture our attention. The artists of the ‘steampunk’ literary current were based not only on steam technology, but on other technologies used at the time to create their style. Clockwork mechanisms became an iconic part of that genre. Some have tried to separate these styles from alternate history and began to refer to art using these mechanisms as ‘clockpunk’.
Due to the era that inspired these pieces of art, the clocks and machinery are highly stylized and decorated. They fit very well with the image we have of the courts of the kings of France and their decadent lifestyle.
That’s why the monstrous but elegant ‘clockpunk’ automata of Steelrising They are at the service of King Louis XVI. They show the course of the French revolution if the monarchy had had a tireless and immortal army to counter the fury of the people. This approach has a very interesting political and social subtext.
the mechanical tyrant
In Steelrisingthe storming of the Bastille prison—considered the event that truly began the French Revolution—never happened. When we go through this level of the game—any level of the game, really—we find everywhere mountains of corpses of the men who tried to oppose tyranny.
The message of this game is really painful. It implies that no matter how powerful or just the cause of a revolution, the people will never be a match for the technological and military might of their oppressors.. In reality, a considerable part of the army joined the French people in their protest, which weakened the royalist forces. If we look at the most important popular revolutions in the history of the world, we discover that the success of the majority is due to the fact that the armies took the side of the people or remained neutral, usually following calculations of political expediency.
What happens when that army refuses to support the people and remains loyal to the government? After the French Revolution, the rulers learned that they must instill a sense of ultranationalism in their troops. They were taught to point their weapons against their own compatriots. People often compare soldiers to robots or automata, criticizing the way they are “programmed” to follow orders without questioning them.
The ‘clockpunk’ automata of Louis XVI in Steelrising they represent the way in which modern revolutions are crushed by a military might that refuses to sympathize with civilian causes. It is no coincidence that, in the game, the only force capable of opposing them and finally overthrowing the tyranny is another automaton. The message is clear: a revolution cannot be successful if it does not have the support of the forces that the government itself controls. When we play Steelrising we decide what kind of government will dominate this fictional France: a democracy led by Robespierre or a constitutional monarchy overseen by LaFayette. The protagonist automaton represents the part of the army that “changed” sides, that allows him to determine the destiny of his country.
The shield of the gods
The automata of Steelrising They have designs inspired by Greek sculptures, but with twisted and bizarre shapes. It is not strange because Paris, especially the Palace of Versailles, is full of Greek-style art. It is so prevalent that in the past many came to associate figures like Apollo more with the French monarchy than with Greece itself.
Aegis, the protagonist, is also a reference to Greek mythology. Her name is the same as the legendary invincible shield of Athena, which was also used by Zeus and Apollo in the form of armor. The vestals, statues in which we can improve the skills of the protagonist, are a reference to the Greek priestesses who served Vesta, goddess of the home.
In Steelrising, Aegis was entrusted with the protection of Queen Marie Antoinette, which goes with the idea of the “protective shield of the gods”. There is another myth that fits with the role of the protagonist. Aegis or Aex was a monstrous daughter of Helios, the sun, who was killed by Athena, who used her skin as armor.. In the game, Aegis ends the reign of Louis XVI, descendant of the Sun King.
The revolution of the bourgeoisie
The French Revolution is widely considered “a victory of the popular classes against oppression.” But many thinkers—including Karl Marx—considered it “a revolution of the bourgeoisie.”. They were right. It was the wealthy merchants who promoted the revolt and benefited the most. They emerged as the social class that replaced the nobility in power.
This is very well reflected in Steelrising. The people of France play no role in the plot. We only see them as corpses filling the streets.
The true protagonists of this revolution are characters with high social ‘status’, wealth and even military power: Maximilien Robespierre, the Marquis de LaFayette, the Count of Mirabeau, Jean Bailly and other familiar names to those of us who pay attention to in history class.
In Aegis’s conversations with these men, we hear them talk about the needs of the people and what they are going to do for the good of the masses. But we do not listen to a single member of the popular classes. What’s more, as the story progresses, his internal quarrels and power plays become clear. Some of the most interesting dialogue talks about the situation of the black slaves, their place in the revolution and the hypocrisy of the landlords of the same race.
Steelrising it also does something very strange about the monarchy: it tries to humanize it. Queen Marie Antoinette is one of the main characters. She is shown as a woman who sympathizes with the revolutionaries and her fate is left ambiguous. The ending also humanizes the tyrant Louis XVI just before his death.
Villainy is reserved for the Count of Cagliostro, a charlatan who became an icon of the occult in popular culture. In Steelrising, he is the mastermind behind the army of clockpunk automata, whom he animated using a combination of alchemy, mesmerism, and the dark arts. This is problematic because he shifts the blame away from a monarchy that has historically despised the masses of the people. He attributes what happened to a single “bad influence” that also comes from a man of the same lower class.
Steelrising It’s a very ambitious game, but its technical and narrative quality isn’t always up to par with the ‘clockpunk’ French revolution it wants to show. Still, it has very interesting elements and fantastic aesthetics. We hope this article has encouraged you to take a look.
Table of Contents
