Quick Links

Steelrising is here, and fans of these types of games, we are sure you are champing at the bit to get started. However, before you do, let us point out a few things that you may otherwise take for granted. There is a lot going on in Steelrising, so there is actually a decent amount to cover here.

Related: Best Soulslike Games Of All Time, Ranked

Before we even get started, we would like to say that these hints aren't just for people who have less familiarity with the Souls-style games. There are actually a number of things that work differently in Steelrising from other Souls-type titles that will likely throw off veterans.

Barrels, Boxes, Crates, And More!

Steelrising, Must Destroy More Barrels!

So this is one for the Souls fans. If you have been around for a while, you have probably started to learn that From doesn't really care to hide things in barrels and the like. However, Steelrising's developer (Spiders), does not feel the same. There is a lot of stuff hanging around in barrels and other destructible objects.

You are going to want to clear out every last one you encounter. While you don't often find highly valuable items (most of those are in chests), there is a ton of oil refills, bombs, and other valuable consumables concealed by objects in the stage.

Roll Through, Not To The Side

Steelrising, Dashing Behind Enemy

So here is a tidbit that most Souls fans will be quite familiar with. Still, if you haven't played one of these games before, you will likely be oblivious of: when you use your dodge, you are typically better off dodging in the direction of your opponent, as opposed to dodging to the side. Now, there are still instances in which a lateral dodge makes sense, especially when avoiding projectiles.

This isn't an all-encompassing rule. However, more often than not, dodging through your opponents will get you to safety while also placing you in the perfect position to attack your opponents from behind. This actually seems to be even more applicable in Steelrising, as there does appear to be a little more tracking on some of the enemy attacks that will often clip you when you dodge to the side.

Don't Be Afraid To Use Your Alchemical Capsules

Steelrising, Shooting An Automat

Early on, you will almost certainly encounter skills and weapons that use Alchemical Capsules. These will act as the ammunition for your gun weapons, and all infusion abilities use them as well. While you shouldn't use them without any consideration whatsoever, you will get more than enough of them to allow you to use them pretty liberally against the tougher enemies.

Nearly every Automat you kill will give you more of 'em, and you are unlikely to run out unless you are being truly reckless. Even if you do, you can buy more at a Vestal. So, don't hesitate to pull the trigger on, well, pulling the trigger.

While we don't want to discourage the use of them altogether, we will say that the traversal tools that unlock later in the game are pretty expensive when used in combat. While they can still be useful, leaning on them too much may actually cause you to run short on Alchemical Capsules.

Crank Up The Volume And Listen Closely

Steelrising, Attacking The Band

One of the best features of Steelrising is how incredible the sound design is. This is a game that loves to hide enemies. They're up trees, they're behind stacks of boxes, they’re positioned everywhere you aren't looking.

This would feel cheap and unfun if the game didn't give you such excellent audio cues. Thankfully, Steelrising does just that. There is a musical track that will pop up whenever an enemy is on you, so make sure to pay close attention to the music. It is going to be one of your primary means of detecting enemies.

Getting The Most Out Of Rapid Cooling

Steelrising, Engaging In A Little Rapid Cooling

One of the most interesting mechanics introduced in Steelrising is the ability to quickly recover your stamina with the Rapid Cooling mechanic. When you overextend yourself, you will notice that your back starts to glow red. The moment this happens, press the rapid cooling button, and you will be able to instantly replenish a large segment of your stamina.

In the best-case scenario, you are keeping an eye on your stamina, but even if you aren't that visual indicator on your back will inform you in a pinch that you need to recover that stamina. If you get good enough at this, you will be able to replenish three-quarters of it. This can be huge in a life-or-death situation, as it can be the difference between being able to dodge a huge attack, or just having to take it on the chin.

Even more interesting are the offensive applications. This doesn't have to just be used to scramble away. It means that you can aggressively pursue your opponent, even when you know you are essentially out of stamina, only to quickly recover it all and stay on the offensive. In a game that has such a strong emphasis on staggering your opponents, this is vital, as it means you can land that big follow-up no matter what. Just make sure to keep your freezing under control!

The Shield Ability And You

Steelrising, Starting Classes, The Dancer Shield Block

One of the best secondary abilities in the game is the Shield. How it works is your Shield will absorb all damage, while costing endurance. The amount absorbed does not change depending on the weapon's level, and all shields across all the weapons appear to be the same.

The shield will also deflect weaker attacks, allowing you to counter quickly. However, heavy attacks are another matter. If you block an enemy's heavy attack—the Ball-And-Chain Automats have a bunch of these—it will drain all your stamina. Worse yet, if you are low on stamina when you block one of these attacks, it will eat into your health. So, unfortunately, the shield has limited efficacy against harder-hitting enemies.

There are potions that give you unlimited endurance, but unfortunately, this doesn't apply to the Shield ability. While you can dodge and swing your weapon infinitely, the stamina bar will act as it usually does when blocking with the shield.

Aim For The Enemy In The Back

Steelrising, Aiming For The Enemy In Back

This is especially true if you are using a weapon with excellent range. If there are two enemies lined up (and this actually happens a lot), aiming at the one in front with something like the Halberd's charge attack will cause it to stop once it connects, leaving their compatriot untouched.

However, even if you are the same distance away, aiming at the one in the back will cause you to sail through the first, and tag the second. This is so incredibly important when you are dealing with scads of enemies, as it lets you control the crowds more effectively.

Friendly Fire Is Very Much A Thing

Steelrising, Montmarte Floating Workshop, Fighting Enemies In The Side Area

If you are surrounded by enemies, and they are flailing around, they will absolutely damage each other. Once again, you are going to be scrapping with groups pretty frequently when playing Steelrising, so this is a good thing to keep in mind.

It is worth noting that, typically, enemies only deal a small amount of damage to each other. However, this is not nearly as true for Alchemical attacks.

You Can Get Cheesy With Your Enemy's Aggro-Range

Steelrising, Abusing Aggro Range

If you came here for the cheese, this is it. Enemies have a pretty limited range as to where they will go. They are not capable of chasing you down very far. And, once they hit the perimeter of where they are supposed to be, they will turn around and walk away.

So, if you are ever overwhelmed by a large group of enemies, just utilize King Arthur's approach and run away. Better yet, the enemies will completely forget about you, meaning that you can go for stealth kills. We promised the cheese, we delivered the cheese.

Very Few Enemy Attacks Are Armored

Steelrising, Luxembourg Gardens, Fighting The Unstable Falcon Who Is Clearly Not Actually A Boss

That's right, the majority of enemy attacks in Steelrising do not have armor! This is quite possibly the most important piece of advice for fighting Automats in Steelrising. If you don't know what "armored" moves are, those are the attacks that absorb a hit, and then carry forward anyway. In your typical Souls game, many enemies have these attacks. Which meant that you often had to play pretty cautiously. But while armored attacks exist in Steelrising they are very uncommon.

Usually, if you hit an enemy with an attack that will stagger, you will cancel out their attack and sit them down on their butts. And before you ask, yes, this applies to bosses as well! So, be bold with your charged attacks; if you got the timing right you will often cancel out whatever your enemy was doing.

Next: Steelrising: Starting Class Guide