Taken for a Quickie | Steel Rats

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​We take Tate Multimedia's Steel Rats for a wreckin’ test ride in our latest Quickie.

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​by ​Chris
​Brand

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@SuperCrisco

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Developer: Tate
Multimedia
Publisher: Tate
Multimedia
Platforms: Xbox One,
PS4, PC
Players: 1

Fill us in then, then: What’s it all about?

Steel Rats is a 2.5D side-scrolling arcade platformer with vehicular combat. Half of it desperately wants to be a Trials game, sans the depth, and the whole would be more enjoyable if it was.

There's a dedicated jump button, various unnecessary abilities and a very light puzzle aspect, which you’ll take in while exploring high and low to complete challenges and destroy enemies.

How does combat work?

The four riders, which can be switched between at will, share a basic move set. Boosting will unleash the power of a wheel-mounted saw blade, the bike can be spun 360-degrees to reflect projectiles, plus you have a sidearm.

Each character also has their own batch of unique-but-forgettable abilities, which are unlocked and enhanced via a skill tree.

Can you expand on the progression system?

It's pretty straightforward. Three predetermined unlocks are awarded for every level you complete whilst hitting the requisite score milestone in a single run, ranging from cosmetic options to combat and survivability upgrades.

Scrap is required to purchase some upgrades, however, the in-game currency is handed out so generously that it's never an issue.

Are the unlocks enough to encourage replaying stages?

All stages can be replayed with any unlocks you've acquired so far, excepting the characters who weren't originally available at that point. The first time around, you may want to blitz through the level, ignoring the trio of Trials-like challenges that award bonus scrap, just to get a win on the board and come back later when you're better equipped.

The reason for this is that when all of your riders are killed you have to restart the level entirely, which, even though they’re relatively short, can be enough to discourage exploration.

Sounds tough! Should I be worried?

Limited use Repair Stations provide a marginal safety net, but yeah, kinda, since restarts feel like unfair setbacks when they stem from a mistimed jump and the game then respawning you in an endless falling death loop... This was a persistent annoyance which grew ever more cruel with each occurrence.

That’s unfortunate. Still, can you recommend it at all?

Whilst driving and combat are about competent in isolation, together they pull the game in two different directions, meaning Steel Rats lacks an identity and instead wears the masks of better games that came before it. Even at a wallet-friendly £12.49, it's hard not to recommend you just play Trials.

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If you fancy giving Steel Rats a go for yourself, be sure to keep an eye out for our next giveaway, in which you could win the game on Xbox One.