XBOX REVIEW | Steel Seed

Steel Seed is the fifth game from developer Storm in a Teacup and one that I have had my eye on since it was first announced at the beginning of 2023. It is a single-player action-stealth adventure set in a dark sci-fi world where humanity stands on the brink of extinction.  You play as Zoe, a protagonist who wakes to find her human consciousness embedded in a sleek robotic body. She is accompanied by a flying drone named Koby as they explore the deep depths of a hostile underground facility in search of answers—and the key to humanity’s ultimate survival. After a catastrophic event rendered Earth uninhabitable, AI-controlled machines took charge of the remnants of humanity. The underground facility is a vast, machine-built structure designed for machines, not humans.

Zoe, a young woman, awakens centuries in the future to find herself in a cybernetic body within a vast underground facility. As she pieces together her situation, she learns that her father—a scientist who once fought to save humanity—has been dead for just as long. Before his death, he digitally preserved humankind’s consciousness, hoping to restore them once the planet became habitable again. To fulfil his vision, Zoe must track down and retrieve four digital shards of his consciousness, each concealed within nests of machines under the command of the rogue AI overlord, Hogo.

Things I liked!

• Visuals | The visuals in Steel Seed are absolutely stunning for an indie game, with a phenomenal sense of scale that immediately caught my attention. The world feels vast, and while you may not be able to explore every meticulously detailed location you see as you pause to take it all in, the game does an excellent job of enhancing immersion—exactly what you’d expect from a truly engaging experience. Giant mech-sized robots loom in the distance, their intricate designs visible even from afar. Later in the game, you encounter one up close as it hunts you, further emphasizing the scale and intensity of the world. Steel Seed delivers smooth gameplay, targeting 60 frames per second. Throughout my playthrough, I only noticed a few minor frame rate dips, none of which impacted my overall experience. 
  
  
• Gameplay | For the most part, the gameplay in Steel Seed works well and offers a variety of mechanics. You primarily control Zoe from a third-person perspective for most of the game, but at the push of a button, you can switch to Koby, a flying drone. Koby has several uses, including scouting enemy bases and locations to tag enemies. It is also useful for exploring routes and uncovering hidden resources, which can be used to unlock new abilities, purchase upgrades, collect Glitch (the in-game currency), and gather collectibles that provide deeper insight into the world and story of Steel Seed. While the majority of the game is played in third person, there are moments when it seamlessly shifts to a side-scrolling view. For example, early on, you are under fire from a sniper and must move quickly while taking cover behind crates and walls. This transition is implemented effectively, maintaining the immersive feel of the gameplay. Zoe also spends much of her time climbing, which is essential for navigating different areas. Additionally, she can ride a jet ski-like vehicle to traverse the vast, oil-covered environments of Steel Seed’s underground facility. This mechanic adds variety and helps break up the pacing, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.

• Stealth | Stealth in Steel Seed works exceptionally well. Some AI-controlled robots are much tougher to take down than others, especially early on. If you’re spotted, chaos erupts quickly—you’ll be outnumbered in no time and likely killed. Zoe can perform stealth kills from above, while hanging below, or when sneaking up behind an enemy. Later in the game, as you unlock more abilities—such as the double jump and one of my personal favorites, the cloaking field—you gain new strategic options. The cloaking field allows you to place a small grid on the ground, turning invisible when you crouch within it. Koby can scout the area by flying around and also fire a pulse laser, which can be used to drop hanging crates onto enemies—if you time it correctly. However, if Koby is spotted, she can be easily shot down. When this happens, you can walk over and manually revive her; otherwise, she will automatically reboot after a few minutes.

Mixed & disliked!

• Combat | While I wouldn’t say the combat in Steel Seed is bad, I do think it could have been much better. Zoe has a standard attack, which I relied on the most, as well as a more powerful attack that takes a split second longer to unleash. However, there is no block button. Instead of blocking, you must dodge by rolling out of the way. If you time it perfectly, you’ll execute a perfect dodge, which grants a brief window to perform a swift counterattack that deals more damage than a regular attack. I found the combat to be a bit clunky, and while avoiding fights is often the best approach, there are numerous instances throughout Steel Seed where combat is unavoidable. Zoe has both a health bar and an energy bar, both of which can be upgraded. When her health runs low, you can convert energy into health—something I frequently had to do. Using unlocked abilities also consumes energy, with more powerful abilities requiring a greater amount. Unfortunately, far too often during combat, when I used a powerful ability that drained a significant portion of my energy, my attack would completely miss the target. This left enemies untouched while I was in a much weaker position, often forcing me to reload a previous checkpoint. Additionally, the camera isn’t always ideal during combat—especially when making frequent twists and turns—making it easy to lose track of enemies.

• Difficulty\Balancing Issues | At times during my playthrough, I encountered several difficulty spikes that appeared without any warning—especially in the latter stages of Steel Seed. The first major instance for me came when I suddenly had to fight wave after wave of enemy robots, with no option to use stealth whatsoever. This was frustrating, as up until that point, the game had emphasized stealth as the most effective approach. Even when playing on story difficulty, Steel Seed remains very challenging, particularly in combat. The higher the difficulty setting, the less damage you inflict and the more damage you receive. During my playthrough, I initially started on normal difficulty, but toward the end, I was forced to lower it to story difficulty just so I could finish the game. The final boss perfectly exemplifies these difficulty spikes—it took me several hours to beat.
  
  
• Sound | I have mixed feelings about the audio in Steel Seed. The soundtrack features 15 tracks designed to complement the game’s sci-fi setting with moody synths and mechanical ambience. While it never becomes irritating, it tends to blend into the background without anything particularly memorable. The sound effects are solid and do a good job of conveying the presence of robotic enemies and machinery, whether in the distance or up close. Other sounds, such as explosions, gunfire, and the clanking of metal, are well implemented and sound as expected. The voice actors deliver decent performances, with full voiceovers for most characters. Zoe, the protagonist, helps carry the story, and for the most part, the dialogue flows naturally. However, at times, certain lines feel slightly forced—though this is only a minor complaint.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 17 Hours
How long to beat the story? 14 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 23/42 OR 370/1000
How long to achieve 1000G | 30-35 Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Prey and Star Wars Jedi Survivor

CONCLUSION

Score: 75/100

A fun, action-packed stealth adventure set in a distant sci-fi world where AI has taken over. While the story may lack depth in some areas or feel a bit familiar, I still enjoyed my time playing Steel Seed. The stealth mechanics were particularly engaging, and unlocking new abilities while experimenting with them was a highlight. Some abilities become essential later in the game, so I’d recommend unlocking as many as possible early on by completing certain challenges. Others will become available naturally as you progress. There are missable achievements and no New Game Plus, meaning that if you’re aiming for 100% completion, you’ll need to do it in a single playthrough. For an indie game, Steel Seed’s visuals are highly impressive, and I think they’ll be what sticks with me the most. However, the difficulty spikes and somewhat clunky combat do hold the experience back, and I hope these aspects can be addressed in future updates.