Steel Storm: Burning Retribution

About

"Steel Storm: Burning Retribution" is a top-down action shooter with a classic spirit and modern twists, where you control an advanced hovertank in battle against extraterrestrial invaders. The game features fast-paced combat, hordes of intelligent enemies, and destructible environments, with 25 missions and online multiplayer for up to 16 players. Complete challenges to unlock first-person mode and use the mission editor to create and share your own levels.

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Steel Storm: Burning Retribution screenshot

55%

Audience ScoreBased on 249 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

Mindless fun, it's a great time-killer and never gets boring.
Offers a good variety of weapons and enjoyable arcade-style gameplay.
Great for short play sessions and has a nostalgic retro feel.

The game suffers from poor design choices, including enemies spawning right behind the player.
Controls and camera mechanics are frustrating, leading to motion sickness for some players.
Repetitive gameplay with tedious backtracking and lack of clear objectives.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
16%
The gameplay of the game is characterized as a fast-paced, top-down shooter with simple mechanics that can be both engaging and frustrating. While some players appreciate the smooth controls and variety of gameplay elements, others criticize the poor camera design, repetitive mechanics, and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic feel with solid core mechanics, but it suffers from significant flaws in level design and optimization.
- “The gameplay is precise and smooth, with a lot of variety.”
- “Gameplay is very smooth and well optimized, to the point I stopped looking for the problems I was expecting to find and started playing the game.”
- “The gameplay is fun, and the difficulty ramps up nicely.”
- “This game suffers from horrible gameplay design choices that should never be used for any reason whatsoever.”
- “Boring gameplay, and a camera that feels almost deliberately evil.”
- “The camera is so poorly designed that it is the only game I have ever played that made me feel sick; my friend and I couldn't even last 20 minutes of gameplay time without feeling nauseous.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The graphics of the game are generally described as average to decent, with many reviewers noting a dated aesthetic reminiscent of older console generations like the N64 and PS2. While some appreciate the cel-shaded style and overall visual polish, others criticize the lack of detail and low-key lighting, suggesting that the graphics may not appeal to all players. Overall, the visuals are seen as acceptable for an indie title, but they do not stand out significantly in the current gaming landscape.
- “Thanks to its nice variety of arsenal, good enemy placement, nice graphics, overall good sound design, and well-structured levels, I see no reason to hate on the game itself.”
- “The cel-shaded graphics are cool to look at and the guns are satisfying to use.”
- “Graphics are nice for an indie game.”
- “The game is pretty dated when it comes to graphics and the interface is really ugly.”
- “Painfully generic combat and graphics.”
- “I would say it is about the same as Zombie Driver in terms of graphics.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
70%
22%
The game's story is largely criticized for being generic, repetitive, and lacking depth, with many players finding it uninteresting and forgettable. While there are briefings at the start of missions, the narrative does not engage players, leading to a perception of the game as primarily focused on gameplay rather than storytelling. Overall, the story is considered minimal and not a significant draw for the game.
- “This game also has a co-op mode so you can go through the story with buddies.”
- “There is a story, but it's a shooter, so don't expect to be gripped.”
- “The game is not bad per se, but it is kind of generic and repetitive and the story is not really interesting, so I got bored after a couple of hours of play and abandoned it.”
- “Ammo is limitless, guns are plentiful and varied, and there is little story to speak of, aside from the short briefings at the beginning of each mission that tell you what to do, and sometimes, where to go, in the expansive levels.”
- “However, not really my type of game; not enough depth and the story was so generic it didn't grab me at all.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it dull and unmemorable, while others appreciate it as a decent accompaniment to the gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is described as inconsistent, with some noting jarring sound effects and audio issues that detract from the experience. Players have the option to mute the music and play their own, highlighting the subjective nature of musical enjoyment in gaming.
- “Good soundtrack, ok soundscape, nice graphics, marvellous gameplay mechanics.”
- “A great little blaster and music is quite good too.”
- “The visual effects and sound effects suit the game perfectly as does the music for the most part.”
- “The music is dull and the graphics are expectedly archaic by now.”
- “The sound is also bad, bad music, jarring sound effects.”
- “The music is horrible; the sound of the gun shooting (which you hear constantly since all you do is hold the shoot button) is one of the most annoying sounds I have ever heard.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, users report good performance at 1440p/60fps with minimal stuttering, though some note that the game is not fully optimized, particularly for higher graphics settings beyond OpenGL 2.
- “I can run this on 1440p/60fps ultra with no stuttering whatsoever!”
- “Performance has been good with minimal issues.”
- “Apparently this is because the game is not optimized; it can't handle anything above OpenGL 2.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to frustrating backtracking and unexpected enemy spawns that can lead to repeated failures. This design choice detracts from the overall enjoyment, as it forces players to redo sections of the game rather than progressing smoothly.
- “Okay, I could deal with that, but what I could not deal with was the tedious backtracking through the level when I was 80% done with the mission and got killed when a hard-to-see boss spawned right on top of me.”
- “It gets tedious; you go to the next objective and get locked in a small room that spawns enemies next to you... again.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as amusing, though some players find it ironic or hypocritical, especially given the game's stability issues. Overall, the comedic elements are appreciated, but they are overshadowed by frustrations with the game's performance.
- “That's funny.”
- “Pretty funny coming from a couple of code monkeys who can't make a stable game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers highlight the atmosphere as polished and immersive, complemented by very tight controls that enhance the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “The game's atmosphere is beautifully crafted, with stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
- “Every detail contributes to a rich atmosphere that keeps you engaged and on edge.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's poor camera design has led to a significant emotional response, with players reporting feelings of sickness and nausea, ultimately detracting from their overall enjoyment and ability to engage with the game.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging campaign mode and a world editor that allows players to create and share custom missions, reminiscent of classic tank games but enhanced with modern graphics.
- “Pretty fun game! It plays like the old tanks game from Windows 95 but with updated graphics, a campaign mode, and a world editor to create missions for yourself or others, which means high replay value for this title.”
- “The variety of missions and the ability to create your own levels really enhances the replayability. I keep coming back to try new strategies and challenges.”
- “With multiple paths and choices in the game, every playthrough feels unique. I love discovering new content each time I start a new game.”