Steel Rats | PAX East 2018

Steel Rats by Tate Multimedia put on a hell of a show with their tail-whipping combat of a game.

At first I struggled to get a grasp of Steel Rats. There is a lot going on, and the controls weren’t too friendly. Naturally the game will introduce you to a lot of maneuvers and controls over time, but jumping into ‘later’ levels to showcase what the game had to offer was a lot to handle. Steel Rats has four unique characters with varying abilities. When a character dies, the next one replaces them. This is essentially how Steel Rats offers multiple lives while exposing players to different characters and playstyles.

My first playthrough was horrendous. The level structure includes ramps and forks turning the game from 2D to 2.5D. Since motorcycles are fast, choosing a ramp or path to take has to be made equally as fast. Any delay choosing a path can result in being stuck on the same path or running into corners.

By my second playthrough, I was tail-whipping junk and zig-zagging through train tracks avoiding oncoming trains, bunny hopping over ledges and taking advantage of the front-wheel saw weapon mechanic while destroying objects, it was amazing! There was something that clicked, and every move had a poetic flow to it which made me feel like a true member of the Steel Rats biker gang.

Gameplay & Interview

Release Date: Q4 2018 on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Developer: Tate Multimedia
Official Site: http://steelratsgame.com/

Oz plays Rocket League and is very bad at it, but at least he tries. As long as there are games to talk about, he's in his happy place.

Further reading

Pinny Arcade | PAX East 2024

There are plenty of things to do at PAX, from gaming of all sorts to panels and concerts. But hidden behind all of this is an entire world that many...

Shape Invaders | PAX East 2024

  We’re always on the lookout for fantastic party games, and sometimes, when all of the controllers are in use, we resort to either a card...

Woodo | PAX East 2024

It was hard to choose words to describe Woodo so I decided to use Spanish phonetics instead, SO KA-YUUTE OMAIGAT!

Obsolete Souls | PAX East 2024

It’s beautiful when you can get a game to give exposure to untraveled land and cultures. It’s awesome when you can do that and kickass.

Pizza Bandit | PAX East 2024

My first thought was a cute and fuzzy feeling game. Like a raccoon going around stealing pizzas from shops to feed the other woodland creatures...

Astro Duel 2 | PAX East 2024

Astro Duel 2 is the perfect party game to settle disputes. Typically I go for something like a Smash Bros, but when you need something less technical...

Recent posts