Gestalt Steam And Cinder Review (Steam)

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Gestalt Steam And Cinder Review, Join Aletheia and a vibrant cast of characters as they race to discover the secrets of the Steam City of Canaan. Clobber armies of Clockwork golems and hunt horrors that slither through depths once forgotten. Thwart the twisted schemes of Canaan’s corrupt overseers, the nefarious Comitium. Fight for mankind’s survival and reveal the dark and dangerous truths riveted into the very foundations of the Steam City.

Gestalt Steam And Cinder Review Pros:

  • Beautiful pixel art graphics.
  • 3.03GB Download size.
  • Steam achievements.
  • Own in-game achievements.
  • Full controller support is the preferred method.
  • Graphics settings – fullscreen, scale slider, and v-sync.
  • Can remap the controls.
  • Game settings – hide overhead enemy bars, hide bottom right enemy bars, hide enemy damage numbers, hide tutorials, and language.
  • 3 save slots.
  • Pixel art animated cutscenes, in-game sequences, and character interactions.
  • 2D Metroidvania gameplay.
  • The pause menu shows health, exp bar, scrap, ability points, playtime, map completion, kills, and death counter.
  • Brief tutorial signs at the start of the game.
  • Uncover the map as you play and fill in points of interest.
  • Fully animated backdrops.
  • The game looks really good and has so much style.
  • Scrap drops from enemies.
  • Quick slot consumable items can be equipped.
  • You can fast-forward character interactions.
  • Many breakable objects and items.
  • You have a gun that takes energy in order to use it, charge energy into it by killing enemies, using orb generators, and breaking stuff.
  • Aside from a gin you also have a sword, can roll, dodge, and even wall jump and vault.
  • At times they use different filters to give off a different graphical effect.
  • AP (ability points) are awarded for leveling up and you use these or tether portals to spend on the massive skill tree unlocking new abilities or upgrading stats.
  • Tether portals are checkpoints and here you get all health and energy restored and the game saves.
  • Bounty boards can be found and here you choose optional side missions to run alongside the main story for Rewards.
  • Trigger and unlock shortcuts in the game world.
  • Enemies and breakables spawn back whenever you leave and return to the area so you can farm exp and scrap.
  • Full quest control so you can select which one to follow and get help with directions.
  • Tesla bullets let you shoot electrified shots and can break certain objects, and take down enemy shields.
  • Unlock new nodes on your skill tree by finding them in many ways within the world.
  • Accessories can be equipped and change your stats for as long as you wear them.
  • Multiple-choice interactions with characters can lead to new missions, story tidbits, or something else.
  • Enemies scale up as you level up.
  • It is satisfying when you unlock a new area.
  • Short stamina bar that is more of a cool down for rolling to stop you from spamming it.
  • You can find these stations that give you health and energy every time you hit them.
  • Takes a lot of inspiration from games like Metroid and Castlevania but does more than enough to stand out on its own.
  • I found the game didn’t require too much brain work and you could just run around and have some fun.
  • Big boss encounters.

Gestalt Steam And Cinder Review Cons:

  • Enemies and breakables spawn back whenever you leave and return to the area so you can farm exp and scrap. Some will find this a bad thing as you can in essence break the early game by being overpowered.
  • Save points are far apart meaning a lot of your tune is going over old ground.
  • No real penalty for dying except the inconvenience.
  • The style of the game can get in its own way like making it hard to know what ledges are and what backgrounds are, seeing vents and drop-down ledges in particular are tricky to spot.
  • Combat takes some getting used to.
  • Its core mechanics are ones we have seen many times before in other titles.
  • A lot of the time I find I don’t have the energy for the gun in order to shoot the Orb I need in order to progress so I have to backtrack again.
  • Performance hitches when going to built-up areas which makes movement and combat a nightmare.

Related Post: Tchia Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

Gestalt Steam And Cinder:

Official website.

Developer: Metamorphosis Games

Publisher: Fireshine Games

Store Links – 

Steam

  • 9/10
    Graphics - 9/10
  • 8/10
    Sound - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Accessibility - 8/10
  • 9/10
    Length - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Fun Factor - 9/10
8.6/10

Summary

Gestalt: Steam and Cinder impresses with its beautiful pixel art graphics and fully animated backdrops, creating a visually stunning experience. The game offers a 3.03GB download size and includes Steam achievements along with its own in-game achievements. Full controller support is recommended, and players can adjust graphics settings such as fullscreen, scale slider, and v-sync. The ability to remap controls and customize game settings, including hiding various UI elements and changing the language, adds to the game’s accessibility. With three save slots, players can manage multiple playthroughs.

The game features 2D Metroidvania gameplay with pixel art animated cutscenes, in-game sequences, and character interactions. The pause menu provides detailed information, including health, experience bar, scrap, ability points, playtime, map completion, kills, and death counter. Players uncover the map as they progress, filling in points of interest. The game includes brief tutorial signs at the start and allows players to fast-forward character interactions. Scrap drops from enemies, and quick slot consumable items can be equipped. The combat system includes a gun that requires energy, which can be recharged by killing enemies, using orb generators, and breaking objects. Players also have a sword, can roll, dodge, wall jump, and vault.

The game uses different filters to create various graphical effects and awards ability points (AP) for leveling up, which can be spent on a massive skill tree to unlock new abilities or upgrade stats. Tether portals serve as checkpoints, restoring health and energy and saving the game. Bounty boards offer optional side missions for rewards, and players can trigger and unlock shortcuts in the game world. Enemies and breakable objects respawn, allowing for farming of experience and scrap. Full quest control helps players select and follow quests with directional assistance. Tesla bullets enable players to shoot electrified shots, breaking certain objects and enemy shields. Accessories can be equipped to change stats, and multiple-choice interactions with characters can lead to new missions or story tidbits.

However, the game has some drawbacks. Save points are far apart, requiring players to retrace their steps frequently. The lack of a real penalty for dying, aside from inconvenience, may reduce the challenge for some players. The game’s style can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between ledges and backgrounds, particularly vents and drop-down ledges. Combat takes some getting used to, and the core mechanics are familiar from other titles. Energy management for the gun can be frustrating, often requiring backtracking to progress. Performance issues in built-up areas can hinder movement and combat.

In summary, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder offers a visually appealing and stylistic experience with engaging Metroidvania gameplay. While it has some performance and design issues, the game’s strengths in graphics, customization, and combat mechanics make it a worthwhile play for fans of the genre.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!