Metal Gear Fans Shouldn't Sleep on Steel Seed

If there's one video game franchise that's synonymous with the stealth action genre, it's Metal Gear. Konami's espionage series has been around since the late 1980s, and it's had an immeasurable amount of influence on the gaming industry at large. The first Metal Gear installment was the brainchild of video game auteur Hideo Kojima, and although it was rather rudimentary for its time, it laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the stealth video game genre. Later entries in the series, like Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Guns of the Patriots, popularized the concept of cutscene-heavy, cinematic video games.

Ever since Hideo Kojima unceremoniously broke up with Konami in 2015, the Metal Gear franchise has largely fallen by the wayside; that is, until recently. Back in 2023, Konami released a remastered compilation of the first three Metal Gear installments for modern platforms, which was named Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. Additionally, later this year, the company is going to launch a full-blown remake of MGS 3 called Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and it will be the first mainline installment in the Metal Gear franchise in nearly a decade. Since this game is still a few months away, however, fans may want to check out another stealth title, like Steel Seed, in the meantime.

metal gear solid delta snake eater features faster camouflage system

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Confirms Helpful Quality of Life Feature

Konami confirms a useful quality-of-life feature in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater that could significantly enhance the game's immersion.

Posts

By José V. Rossi

Steel Seed is the Perfect Game to Play While Waiting for MGS Delta: Snake Eater

Steel Seed, a New Game from Storm in the Teacup, Flew Under the Radar Last Week

The last few weeks of April have been chaotic for video game releases. The turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became the talk of the town when it came out on April 24, and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered set the gaming community on fire when it was shadow-dropped by Bethesda a few days earlier. Amid all this ruckus, a few games that were released last week have slipped through the cracks. Take, for example, the stealth action-adventure title Steel Seed. This game made its debut on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC a couple of days ago, but it hasn't really taken off that much, despite promising user reviews.

Steel Seed was developed by Storm in a Teacup, an independent Italian studio that's best known for its work on Close to the Sun, a steampunk adventure game that came out in 2019. Close to the Sun was a relatively slow-paced game with little-to-no combat. Steel Seed, on the other hand, is not like that. This game, which is set on a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Earth, follows the adventures of a woman named Zoe who, along with her drone companion Koby, has to explore a deadly underground facility and discover the secrets to saving humanity.

Stealth and Storytelling are Two Major Aspects of Steel Seed's Gameplay Loop

Compared to the Metal Gear games, Steel Seed is a bit more action-oriented, and it doesn't feature as many characters. Instead of prioritizing any complex plotlines, the game's narrative primarily focuses on Zoe’s gradual character development. As players progress through the game, they'll encounter a lot of deadly robots inhabiting Steel Seed's sandbox levels. In most cases, players must use their stealth abilities and surrounding environments to pass by the robots and attack them from the shadows. However, they can resort to confrontational tactics instead.

Despite Critic Reviews for Steel Seed, It's Still Worth Checking Out

Admittedly, critics have not fallen in love with Steel Seed; the game has largely received a mixed reception from most outlets. However, on sites like Steam, the user reviews for Steel Seed are a lot more glowing. At the time of writing, the game has a 95% Very Positive rating on Steam. Even though Steel Seed is relatively short and doesn't have the best production values, many have praised the title and labeled it as a shining example of a high-quality AA game. Steel Seed may not blow people away, like many of the early Metal Gear games did, but it's still worth giving a shot, especially for those who are craving a stealth-focused experience.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image