Steel Seed Review: A Gorgeous Sci-Fi Adventure with an Old-School Spirit

Today, Steel Seed — a dark sci-fi action game from the creators of Close to the Sun — has been released. The game promises to immerse players in an atmospheric, brutal, and philosophically rich world, raising an ever-relevant question: what truly separates us from robots? Let’s find out how well it delivers in our review.

Steel Seed doesn't burden the player with a long exposition and kicks off with a beautiful cinematic intro in the style of movie credits. The main character, Zoe, wakes up in a not-so-human body and tries to adapt to it, aided by her robotic guide, Koby.

Take just one step out of the starting area, and it becomes immediately clear: there will be plenty to see. Steel Seed takes place deep inside a gigantic megastructure, and the developers approached the location design with great skill and creativity.

The world isn't just a backdrop — it’s a living entity. Filled with the grim aesthetic of industrial wastelands, it evokes very special emotions. It fascinates, repels, frightens, and draws you in all at once. It makes you feel small. And for crafting this powerful cocktail, the developers deserve praise.

However, as the game slowly (and skilfully, it must be said) introduces all its mechanics, it's disappointing to notice that the fountain of creativity dries up precisely at the level design stage.

Steel Seed’s gameplay can be roughly divided into three parts: parkour, stealth, and combat. All of them are implemented quite decently.

The parkour is solid, in the best traditions of the "old school." It reminded us of classics like Prince of Persia and Remember Me. It’s intuitive, yet isn’t afraid to challenge the player.

The stealth system is good — at least, there's nothing to really criticize. But it also doesn't inspire much excitement. It's competent but offers nothing new that competitors haven't already done.

Combat is arguably the weakest part. Although the developers tried to spice up fights with different abilities — including those of the drone companion — fighting just feels boring. Fortunately, combat is not overly frequent. The game is flexible, allowing players to choose their approach to various segments.

Overall, Steel Seed leaves a pleasant impression, but it fails to surprise. This is not necessarily bad. Storm in a Teacup simply created a solid action game in an unusual setting — but it felt like the story aimed for something greater, and unfortunately, didn't quite achieve it.

Steel Seed’s premise is one we've seen many times: Zoe is trying to find her father. Think for a moment about how many games over the past 20 years have started with "find your mom, dad, daughter, son, in-law, or some other relative." It’s a cliché that keeps being used for one simple reason — because it works.

Zoe searches for her father because she has no other choice: the girl wakes up in a cyborg body, confused, with memory gaps, in a world ruled by machines. Her only companion is the aforementioned drone Koby — an absolutely adorable creation, by the way.

Following their journey is pleasant, but not exactly gripping. Despite the potentially fascinating conflict — how to preserve humanity when you have lost almost everything human — Steel Seed doesn't dig deep enough. The player is left with a feeling of incompleteness, as if the developers could have gone further but didn’t.

Still, Koby is excellent and extremely endearing. Initially, he seems like just a tool for solving puzzles, but over time he becomes an irreplaceable partner and an emotional anchor for Zoe — and, let’s be honest, for the player too. Huge kudos to the developers for him.

Visually, the game amazes with its scale and detail. As we mentioned earlier, the love and professionalism that went into crafting the world are immediately obvious. But there's a downside: the characters — especially Zoe — pale in comparison to the stunning backgrounds. The environment feels more alive than the protagonist.

This is mainly due to rather awkward animations — particularly facial expressions. Add to that the mediocre voice acting, and Zoe feels even less lively. Sometimes the robot companion reacts to events much more vividly than the main character.

On the technical side, the game behaves well: Steel Seed is very well optimized. Storm in a Teacup delayed the release from early April to late April, citing the need for extra polish. It seems that paid off.

As for the soundtrack — the most fitting thing to say is that it doesn't irritate. Honestly, that’s also the most succinct description of the game as a whole.

***

Steel Seed is a quality game. Not innovative — quite the opposite, it’s rather conservative both in storytelling and gameplay. Much of it gives off a “I've seen this before” vibe — but it’s a pleasant, nostalgic feeling, like déjà vu bringing back a warm memory.

Some mechanics and even the release itself feel “old-school”: it’s refreshing to see a small studio launch a full-fledged game rather than another early access title (it's also available on consoles). But Steel Seed doesn’t quite reach for the title of a masterpiece or a game you’ll want to replay. It doesn’t offend, but it also doesn’t make you fall in love. Simply put — a beautiful piece of sci-fi, and not much more.