Steel Empire

Decent port of the Mega Drive shmup. Pick the zeppelin imo.

My impressions of the superior Switch version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZC0620xPMc

This is a cool remake of an often overlooked Genesis/Mega Drive shmup, but the port is absolute crap and if you want to play this, I recommend getting the Switch version and if you don't have a Switch, play this at your own risk.

Compared to many shmups of the day, this has some unique mechanics and ideas that make it stand out. You have two fairly different ships to choose from and while you only have a single weapon and a bomb, the weapon can be upgraded and combat has a twist by allowing you to easily fire in both direction, which you'll have to do to crowd control. The levels are also varied and you'll see and experience a number of different environments and some truly impressive enemy designs, particularly among the bosses. It's not a hard game on the default difficulties, but higher options are available.

The problem is that as a port, this version is plain bad. It runs at a low resolution that you cannot change (there are no video options whatsoever) and despite not saying it requires a controller, it appears to as it didn't respond to any keyboard and mouse inputs for me. Worst of all, the controls are broken so that when you change directions, you'll frequently fire off a bomb, despite not pressing the button for it, at least on an Xbox Series controller. You can remap the controls, but only between several preset configurations, none of which overcome this problem. This fundamentally breaks the game play and the scoring system as you get significant bonuses based on how many unused bombs you have at the end of a level. You may be able to hack your way around this, but you shouldn't have to. Since patch support for this has been dropped by the devs, this will likely never get fixed.

This is a great shmup, but if you want to play it, skip this version and play the Switch one, which is much better. If you don't have a Switch, than either emulate the original Genesis version or if you must, buy this, but be prepared to refund it like I will be doing shortly.

I played this game to death back on my Sega Genesis back in the 90s, so I was happy to find out there was a remake to it; in fact, I was surprised that there was a remake in the first place. It's fun, brings back fond memories of when I use to play it back in the day. The graphics are decent, nothing to write home about but it's a nice upgrade from the original. The arranged music is a bit hit or miss with me, maybe because I'm biased to the original soundtrack. I wish they gave the option to switch between the two. Some of the text in the game seems kinda off, like some spots weren't translated well. Other than that, it's a decent remake. I'd get it on sale if you're not a diehard shump fan, or don't have a history with the original game like I do. Also, works great on Steam Deck!

It's very difficult to decide on whether to recommend this or not.

It's a port of a Genesis game with changed graphics and music. Both the old and new look has some style, I had no qualms with this.

I played through on 'Normal' and it took less than an hour to get through it.

In some Shmups, it can be difficult to track your ship among the hail of bullets (Or your doppelgangers), and it was certainly an issue here.

Your ships weapon never changes, there is a power-up that gives you a couple of doppelgangers, and one that gives extra bullets.

It would be a fine choice if the price were divided by 10.

If you are looking to kill an hour (Or perhaps two if you pick a harder difficulty) then it's competent enough, though quite unremarkable.

Really dreadful port of a solid game. Loved the game back on the Mega Drive, and thought the remake was brilliant on the 3DS. But this is terrible. Its not optimized for high-DPI monitors or frankly controllers, with half the buttons screwed up. There are no graphical options, and your choices are limited. Its not worth the sale price of almost £4, and definitely not worth the full retail price. Avoid this one like the plague, until the devs can be bothered to fix it (and given how long its been in this state, don't hold your breath).

This is way more fun than I expected it to be.
Steel Empire has a wonderful aesthetic, with some great use of color that compliments the steampunk theme very nicely (I particularly appreciate the purple clouds at sunset in level 3). The tunes are fun and engaging, too. But I think my favorite thing about the game is just how simple it is to play and enjoy.

There are no combo mechanics, no grazing enemy bullets for points, no switching between attack modes, no charge meters, no polarity-flipping... Just shooting. You can shoot left, you can shoot right, and you can use bombs. This simplicity allowed me to just immerse myself in the moment without the nagging feeling in the back of my head that I wasn't playing right. It's a minimalist approach to mechanics that I, personally, love to see done right. Oh, and while you play you slowly level up your artillery by collecting Ps, an effect that seems almost unnoticeable at first but ends with a significant increase in firepower that just feels great.

There's lots to do, too. There are a variety of difficulty levels as well as a series of achievements that encourage you to play at harder difficulties and improve your skill (Note: There are more in-game achievements than there are Steam achievements and you need to get all of the former to unlock the last of the latter) . There are 2 playable aircraft that, despite their differences in size, speed and power, are both very fun to use.

I never played the Genesis original, but I feel like I missed out. I was expecting a generic shmup and I got a hidden gem. Recommended.

Not a bad game, but certainly a bad port. The button remapping doesn't work properly, the framerate is poor and the graphics are low-res (even by "I actually really like pixel art" standards).

I tried this game because it got an enhanced remaster on the 3DS that I never got to play. I suspect that this is not the same version that the 3DS got. :\

If you love Steel Empire then you'll probably enjoy this port regardless, but if you're playing it for the first time the issues will be more noticeable.

I was a fan of the original for the Sega Genesis, and I've gotta say this is a really good remake!
Don't know it it's for all fans of the shmup genre since it's a bit on the easy side, but it's a very fun ride with steampunk designs that still look incredible. =)

What did they do to Steel Empire? Everything is worse than the original Mega Drive release: Worse presentation, worse music, worse sounde effects, controls feel a bit off, and no resolution options.

Avoid this port and stick to the original.

This is a good shoot 'em up, not perfect, but still is great. It's improved beyond the SEGA Genesis version, the only thing is now SEGA Genesis games today can be rendered on modern hardware at 4K, and even beyond. this game doesn't have a resolution option, it's not even 1080p and is no where close to 4K, still I like the improved visuals. I've read that's it's an improved version of the 3DS version of the game, either way it's worth playing

I really don't like what they've done with this game. I played 'Empire of steel' as it was titled on the mega-drive and I feel that version is the better game. It sure feels harder than this version.
Graphics, they are 'better' but I wouldn't say superior. I dislike the re-skinned enemy units, they look too cute, but the graphics do seem to be imported pretty much directly from the 3DS version.
I'm not a fan of what they've done with the bosses either. Most if not all of the SFX is from the 3DS too. And while on the mega-drive she may have sounded a little croaky, at least the good luck lady says 'good luck' and not the very obvious 'good RUKK' this version has.
They have included the last phase of the boss here though that wasn't in the 3DS version, where you have to hide behind drifting rocks to avoid the full screen height flame attacks. That's a plus.
The briefing texts flash through pretty quickly, and what I managed to read was like a poor translation.
Finished my first run in 66 minutes, losing only one life to a very, very lucky missile from the last boss, which got between my bullets unnoticed. This one run earned me 80% of the achievements too.
Overall, I'd recommend looking on e-bay for a second hand mega-drive / genesis, and a copy of Empire of Steel / Steel Empire for it. You could probably do it for the price of this game while not on sale.
Or if you'd rather not have the original hardware, check out the Sega emulator steam has, it's bound to be available for that either directly or by workshop mod.

a very disappointing remake, coming from the gba version.

the presentation is a significant downgrade.
clashing visual styles and asset resolutions look much worse when actually playing in full screen.
music is mixed oddly and feels out of tune at times.

everything feels a bit off on a technical level.
movement seems to judder and slow down, and sound effects only play half the time on lower volumes.

not sure what the point of this was, but it doesnt feel like they cared about doing the previous versions justice.

It was fun enough, but it's not worth a second playthrough, I feel. My biggest complaint about the the game is that the boss fights take too long. Every boss in this game is built like a friggin' tank. I would have been willing to replay the game at a higher difficulty if it were not for the long boss fights.

This version of Steel Empire is a very perfect remake game. It updates everything except story and levels.

Pros:
+Widescreen resolution.
+New style menu interface.
+Very good music. You can play them in the BGM Test option at any time.
+They redraw all images of player aircraft and enemy units.
+More beautiful explosion effect.
+Five original paintings. You can find them in the Steam cards.
+Steam achievements.

Cons:
You can't change the default buttons by using keyboard. Because they are corresponding to controller buttons.

This is a port of the Gameboy Advance remake. It is obvious the developers were fans of the Genesis game, and that shows in their work.
However, fans of the original should be aware that there are numerous gameplay tweaks, from the plane having a weaker attack than the zeppelin, to the swarms having more health, to the bosses having slightly different attacks. Those being the major differences.
Whilst not a perfect replica it's definitely close enough for the nostalgia to kick in.

Very nice re-creation of an old game. But I wished it also included something new in terms of powering up. Would also benefit from a little tutorial. You would like this game if you are into retro.

A room light by soft lamps with white wood paneling labeling the walls. There’s a smell of cigarettes put out some hours ago since people arrived. A floral patterned sofa sits against the wall, with a fireplace across from it. People sit pretzel style on a shag carpet with a couple Hershey miniatures as snacks, watching the glow of the wood paneled television show a blimp fighting off enemy missiles across the analog skyline.

This description is how I remember Steel Empire. My grandparent’s rowhome is where my father’s family would meet up for whatever gatherings we would have, and my grandparents had a Sega Genesis with a plethora of games. Whenever it was my turn to play amongst my siblings and cousins, I’d usually play Sonic, or some other Genesis staple, but within the ranks there was also Steel Empire. During my visits, any time I’d try to play this game, I’d fail miserably, as shoot ‘em ups weren’t my strong point. My brother and my cousins, however, were as decent as young kids could be at, which had me watching in awe. However, as the years went by, I credit my initial exposure to Steel Empire for steering me towards other shmups like Ikargua and Under Defeat. While I’m still nowhere great at them, I do enjoy them, and I did eventually come back to Steel Empire. I can beat it without, at least using, a continue.

When I found out that Steel Empire was remade, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it would remain some obscurity on the Genesis, making it on some “best of” lists that showcase its style. Steel Empire was first remade on the Gameboy Advance, and was followed up with another almost-remake on the Nintendo 3DS (the GBA version’s assets were either reused or inspired for the 3DS version). This PC version is a direct port of the 3DS release, made for a single screen (and, sadly, no 3D). The remake changed a lot of things about Steel Empire, but the core idea is still there: A steampunk inspired horizontal shooter.
I do want to say, before delving deeper into this review, that I’m looking at this with rose tinted glasses. However, I don’t think what I’m going to say about this port is that off base. It does have some good things in it, but I honestly don’t think it surpasses the original, even if I try to take these glasses off.

Steel Empire is horizontal shooter that I wouldn’t say is that difficult at all for a seasoned player, but perhaps something that would give new players to the genre a challenge. For a shooter like this, generally you’re moving to the right, and you’re shooting at things coming your way. You can also shoot at enemies and objects behind you, too, which is critical during all parts of the game. You also have the option to use a bomb that takes out everything on the screen (including incoming bullets) or at least does a bunch of damage to bosses. During the course of the game, collecting certain items will level up the power of your guns, resulting in enemies going down faster. Most stages are broken up into a few sub-boss fights, as well as a boss at the end of each. The other component is which ship you fly: a simple airplane or a blimp. While the blimp is marketed as being beginner friendly due to higher health, it’s slower and bigger than the plane (hint: pick the plane, since it’s smaller and easier to dodge).

So, with all that in mind, Steel Empire is an entry level shoot ‘em up. It isn’t too hard, nor is it that unforgiving (except for a few sections). The gameplay is largely the same as the Genesis original. However, they did change things up and modify most of the boss encounters. For instance, while minor, the initial train fight in the first level, the train looks more like a common steam engine versus the rather block like one in the original. Meanwhile, the mine boss, after the mine collapse segment, is completely different. I don’t want to spoil it all, but I think they respectfully changed up the boss fights. I think that’s a great thing for remakes like these, since while it reimagines some parts, it still doesn’t feel “off” or anything of the sort when comparing to the original. Outside of that, however, there are many things with this remake (and port, for that matter) that really hold it back.

One major, major thing to me is the music. The original soundtrack on the Genesis is this mix of hard rockin’ chiptunes with some orchestral-like influence at points. I would really recommend giving it a listen if you’ve never played the original, as it still holds up quite well; it has a healthy mix of emotions from level to level. However, this remake basically sounds like they took the songs and ran them through a MIDI converter. There isn’t any depth to the music, and it’s best to describe it as simply flat. I’d recommend simply turning it off. Another issue I have is the sound that the bullets make on impact: the original has this iconic, to me, *bloop* sound effect, while this remake it just doesn’t really make that noticeable of a noise (let alone there isn’t that much feedback; in the original, the enemies would flash when hit, in this one they turn a bit red). This is a rather minor mark in the grand scheme, but I really liked that design choice in the original.

• The train fight in the original had this great build up where you’d hear this gradually quickening chugging noise, acting like the train boss is gearing up to fight you. It was a great use of suspense in what’s going to happen, and the remake just dropped this detail completely
  
• Some of the graphics don’t quite gel right. A noticeably easy one to find it the blimp’s sprite: you can clearly see it’s made up of two different sprites working in tandem, but the aliasing between them makes it really stick out
  
• Some enemies don’t adhere to their original logic. For instance, there’s these, I guess, flying tractor-style ships that have a giant gear on them. In the original, if you shot the gear, it wouldn’t do anything but bounce off, acting like a shield. You’d have to wait until it turned away to shoot it down. In this version, you can just start downing them while hitting that same surface. This also applies to the mine sub boss, as well as some of the other sub bosses that relied on you hitting specific areas
  
• While I appreciate the changes to some bosses, I really wish they changed one of the air ship fights where the same air ship gets repeated twice in a row in the same level (making it appear in the game for a total of three times)
  
• No way to turn off the screen filler they used, or at least make it black
  
[*]There’s spelling errors during the cutscene segments (though, to be honest, I don’t think I’ve really ever paid attention to the story)

Edit: found out the controls and was able to play for once. A really fun bullet hell game. Great difficult curve even on easy mode. Could be better with a controls tab for PC players.

Here are the controls for PC players:
W A S D keys: Directions in menus and in game play
left arrow key: Left screen gunfire in game play
right arrow key: Right screen gunfire in game play
down arrow key: Entire screen bomb ability in game play
Esc key: Exit/cancel button in menus
Enter key: Selecting and opening in menus
Y key: Used for specific menus (like after completing levels)

I used to play this game for the Sega Genesis
I still love it to this day.

Positives of this game:
)> The nostalgia
)> The music
)> Both ships are awesome
)> Good gameplay

The negatives:
)> Can't change keybinds
)> Can't configure the screen

I do recommend this game for people that used to play it.
Also thanks for the memories. <3

I picked this game up on a whim in the Autumn Sale. Unfortunately its release seems to have been overlooked, because as of writing this it doesn't even have a review score. In fact, its lack of a review score is a large part of my reason for writing this review so I'm going to keep this brief. I believe there are people out there that would enjoy this game if they knew about it.

Steel Empire is a shmup with a steam punk aesthetic. You can play either as a zeppelin or a plane and freely switch vehicles between levels. The aircraft have upgradable weapon systems and can shoot left/right. Although the zeppelin has a slower movement speed, it felt like the stronger ship. There is a story but I've only played one credit so far and I didn't bother to read it. I 1cc'd the game's normal difficult on my first try, so I'd describe it as a pretty easy game. It took a little under an hour which is fairly long for a STG, but the stages felt varied. There is at least one higher difficulty level, but I haven't tried it yet.

It's a neat game and I'd recommend it to shmup beginners and people that like the art style. I may update this review later after playing a higher difficulty level.

-=The Good=-

Nice-sounding battle music
Upgraded visuals over Genesis version
Good control and hit detection
An extra sub-boss near the end
Detailed spritework
Cool Steampunk setting
Extra parallax scrolling added to some backgrounds


-=The Bad=-
Noticeable artifacts in movies
Lots of typos
Odd mix of sprites and non-sprite effects
Strange sprite outline issues
Some stuttering at times


-=The Details=-

Steel Empire was a game originally released on the SEGA Genesis back in 1992, when the influx of shmups for the system was dying down. It made a name for itself by being a well made game with a Steampunk setting that differed from a lot of the other shmups coming out at the time, along with a somewhat movie-like presentation. In time, the game was ported to the GameBoy Advance in 2004 and the DS in 2014. And this game is more or less a port of the DS version.

The visuals in the game are rather nice. When compared to the original Genesis version, you can see extra color was added to give the sprites and background more detail and shading. None of the design details were lost though, so the Steampunk vibe still comes through well with all of the extra colors added. From the little tanks and balloon-powered popcorn enemies, to the big armored train and massive zeppelin air fortress, they all look rather good. There are little animation touches on these ships as well. Spinning propellers, rotating guns and such, all giving the sprites a bit of life as they move about and try to kill you. You'll also see extra touches like glows around lights in dark areas, and how your shots cast light over the sprites where you hit them (somewhat similar to what zdoom does to the original Doom sprites). The diverse and impressive backgrounds of the original game are here as well, with updated details and parallax scrolling that, at times, conveys a crazy amount of depth. Whether you're flying above the clouds or along an elevated city rail as you battle an armored train, the boost in color makes the backgrounds look prettier in this updated version. Some aren't as dark or dramatic looking (like how Level 3's original late-sunset clouds and dark sky are now much brighter), but they still look good. So overall, the game does a pretty solid job on updating the look of the original Genesis version.

The music and sound have also been updated. New, more realistic instruments play the familiar tunes of old, with songs that range from World War II-like marches, to the occasional moody track. All of them are fitting with the idea of flying headlong into battle and add energy to the action happening on-screen with their often rousing compositions. The sound effects, while not a stand out trait, do their job well. Explosions, gun fire, item pickups... they sound fine and don't grate on your nerves.

The gameplay here is pure shmup. Move around the screen and shoot anything that isn't you. You get seven stages to fly through, facing many types of small and medium sized ships, with the expected boss at the end of the stages. The stages themselves scroll not just horizontally, but vertically as well as you dive through clouds, head down into underground bases and climb up a mountain. You'll find powerups that are dropped by certain enemies, which come in the form of money, an “O,” a “P” and a “B.” The money is self explanatory and gives you points. The “O” gives you a pair of small planes (options) that fly above and below you for some extra firepower, while the “B” gives you an extra mega-bomb to use against bosses or to clear the screen of smaller enemies. The “P” gives you a single powerup token, of which you'll need three to bring your guns up to the next level... and there are a lot of levels to your guns (around 20 if I recall). It's a shame that you can't pick up different weapons like you can in many other shmups, but thankfully, what weapons you do have continue to get better throughout most of the game. And the fact that you can fire left or right at any time is a very handy feature to use when getting at the enemies that will come at you from all sides.

A welcome option in this game is that there are two ships to choose from. One is a small plane that's fast, sprays small bombs below it and doesn't have as much armor. The other, is a larger zeppelin that's slow, tough and lobs small bombs out in front of it. They can't be sped up, but both can be leveled up the same amount. Neither feels unusable against the enemies, so which one you choose will depend on your personal preference in ship traits. Lastly, scoring is pretty simple here. Shoot enemies and you get points. The number of bombs you have left gives you extra points at the end of the level, as does how much health you have left and how many dollar items you picked up. And that's about it for the gameplay. Straightforward, but it's executed well.

So what's wrong with the game? A few things, really. Nothing that utterly breaks the game, but things that should have been fixed before release. With the movies that play, you'll find some pretty noticeable artifacts at times, which screams lowered bitrate quality. From the movies, we go to the thin outline around some sprites and background objects that crops up when you're in both fullscreen and windowed mode. The best way I can describe it, is imagine if someone took a large clean sprite image, dropped it into Photoshop and then gave it a very thin, gray-colored stroke around its edges. It's not on everything (though it's close on Level 1), but it's there enough on some sprites and background layers throughout the game to be noticeable. And speaking of sprites, there are aspects of the game's visuals that look mismatched (usually with aspects of the backgrounds or the effects). Soft clouds, soft smoke, soft explosions... things that look clearly different artistically from the harder-edged sprites of the ships and foreground art on some stages. This differing appearance creates a kind of strange mix of visual assets that don't always blend together well.

Getting away from the visuals, there are lots of typos and various oddly worded sentences that really should have been caught over the two years it took to get this game released. As an example, the enemy is either the Morterhead Empire, the Motorohead Empire, or the Motorhead Empire. Those three variants come from the first two movies in the game, which means either someone didn't spell check this very well, or Lemmy and his crew are possibly invading. And with sentences like, "Many fear that this world be the destrugtion of mankind,” there's a real need for someone to go back through the game's text. And finally, the game does stutter at times. It could be slowdown, but it looks more like the game is using frameskipping periodically, resulting in choppier looking movement for short bursts before smoothing out again.

So what can we say about the PC port of Steel Empire? Well, I suppose I should answer the main question. Is it worth buying? In the end, I'd say yes, it is. For $10 (it's current sale price), it's a fun game with good visuals and music, solid controls and hit detection, oldschool gameplay, and a setting that all comes together to create an interesting game that's enjoyable to play through. Yes, it has problems thanks to some stuttering, visual oddities with the sprites (Alpha channel issues? Uneven upscaling?) and a rough translation, but the core game is still there... even if it does feel a bit easier than the Genesis original. So if you like oldschool shmups, you'll likely get your money's worth here. It's still Steel Empire, but with a fresh coat of paint and a few extra dings in its steel hide that weren't there originally.

Score- 7.5 out of 10

-STEEL EMPIRE-

Its Gameplay and Controls feel great.

its Steampunky art style is superb and its Aged really well.

This Version ran absolutley fine and if ur looking to scratch that Shmup Itch then this will do it for you.

I wish alot more old retro style games were done as good as this.

Thanks guys for Bringing this to steam :D