steel crates At first glance, another clone ticks all the boxes Dark Souls. Besides the fact that his universe is so original and exciting that he manages to attract attention immediately. Embodying an automaton fighting in the streets of Paris in the midst of the revolution, in an atmosphere of doomsday, is unique in its kind. Its very advanced assistance system and compass also make it possible not to lose anyone on the road. It’s even a good stepping stone for those looking to explore the Souls genre. If you don’t want it to be a dream graphically, its elegant DA and its machines, which are as dangerous as they are handcrafted, will make you dream. And what about its story with such impressive power that it would be a shame to limit it to a single game.
Is Paris burning?
Paris, 1789. The revolution tore the city apart, people barricaded themselves, both loyalist and revolutionary forces were massacred in the streets of the bloodless capital. Automatons roam, reigning in absolute terror and sowing death. Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. What should be the end of a world of God-given monarchy will also be the end of the burgeoning breath of freedom. How did the king unleash his personal mechanical army on his subjects? And who is this Aegis, an automaton gifted with speech and intelligence who, in the service of the Queen, will traverse a Paris ravaged by chaos and flames to save the revolution? A Pitch as original as it is catchy for this seductive Uchronia in more ways than one.
After creating his Aegis and choosing his class from among four common archetypes, we’re here in French gardens for a tutorial that gets straight to the point: the revolution is made in pain! This action RPG takes place in the Dark Souls a deep breath and the difficulty persists until you exhale blood. In addition, for Souls regulars, the controls are totally unsurprising and intuitive. In addition, all the clichés of the genre happen there: statues as campfires, the souls to be recovered after death, the reappearance of enemies, the management of potions, the level system. We’re on familiar ground. But not conquered However.
There are a few clever little things that are pretty relevant, such as the usual stamina meter used here to materialize our mechanical puppet’s overheating! Or these four slots that can hold upgrade parts. All of this is absolutely classic, but devilishly well integrated and legitimized by the use of automatons as protagonists! But be careful, this early industrial revolution is not really one. The impression that both Aegis and the enemies are unique and handcrafted goldsmith pieces is real. While the basic enemies may seem easier once bosses or semi-bosses appear, it’s a celebration of ornate flourishes to the max. As if their creator had made it a principle that automata must be devastating, but also and above all works of art.
Does Aegis dream of electric sheep?
Spiders’ know-how makes us immerse ourselves rich and exciting world is further demonstrated here. The eight levels, so as many highlights of Paris and the Revolution, are perfect playgrounds for Aegis. Even if they seem linear at first glance, shortcuts and secret places contradict us. Especially since it takes the adventure to return to previous levels to complete secondary quests or continue the main quest. No maps, appropriating the locations themselves is essential, adding to the difficulty. Again, this is compensated for by the clever presence of a pocket compass that indicates the targets. Alongside the monuments of Paris, Aegis will meet the outstanding figures of that fiery era for dialogues in English, with French words here and there. Charming. That makes even us French smile, but I admit that it’s not because of the general atmosphere either. The latter still leaves a lingering scent of the end of the world.
Is the high level of difficulty an obstacle to indulge in? steel crates ? Not, an assistance mode allows you to heavily mix the damage as well as the stamina of Aegis. I did that to get ahead without pulling my hair out. It interrupts the game a bit though above all, it allows everyone to enjoy the adventure, its deep and original lore. Furthermore, all of these automatons, from the simplest to the most sophisticated like Aegis, are also an alternative reinterpretation of electricity that was just in its infancy. While in our reality scientists have made it the source, the very explanation of life in the 19th century, here this technology is being used to create non-living killer automatons in the service of exaggerated ambitions. It is both dizzying and exciting to follow this revolutionary and dying Paris.
All is not rosy steel crates, it is impossible, for example, to interrupt one of our attacks by dodging and thus dodge a poorly calculated enemy attack at the last moment. A period of adjustment is necessary in order not to get trapped… Especially with heavy weapons. In addition, the arsenal is generous, with a sufficient panel for every situation / player, but above all like the rest: works of art in their own right. On the other hand, when the designs of Aegis, his enemies, are taken to extremes, the decorations are not of breathtaking beauty. And if you can’t take advantage of the 4K/60fps combo, you’ll have a choice to make with the Series X too. Despite this, it remains quite suitable to give a satisfactory patina to this Paris on the edge of the abyss. Evidently alternately elegant and sophisticated, decadent and macabre, the DA is a great addition steel crates.
accessibility criteria
| visual impairment | hard of hearing | |
| ✘ High contrast (target reticle) | ✘ Subtitles with mood hints | |
| ✘ Font color size | ✔ Identification of the person speaking | |
| ✘ Tag enemies | ✘ Customizable font | |
| ✘ Customizable user interface | ✘ Customizable font color | |
| ✘ Customizable mini-map color | ✘ Alternative alarm options (vibration, flash…) | |
| ✘ Color blindness option | ✘ Reported ambient noise (presence notification) | |
| ✘ Text to speech option | ||
| ✘ Game slowdown |
test conditions
| TV details | 4K | Game provided by the publisher | oui | |
| console | Xbox Series X | Time spent in game | 10 hours | |
| difficulty level | Support in normal + mode | game over | no, not yet |
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