5/10

Steampunk French Revolution: totally approved.
Simpler soulslike gameplay: approved.
Redundant and very basic level design: not approved.
Very bad plot and writing: totally not approved.
Poorly designed characters, enemies, and avatar: not approved as well.

I am still blown away I only found out about this game through a cursory "soulslike games" Google search and that it was not on the radar of and as well received by people who enjoy soulslikes. Not everything has to be a competition of course but it's just very curious how this game's release played out in comparison to say, Lies of P, and tbh... I far more enjoyed Steelrising. I was not super interested in the French history details but gameplay wise, Aegis was so fun to embody. And the relationship between Aegis and Athenais was beautiful and heartbreaking. And her outfits? chef's kiss. The gameplay was super solid, I loved feeling so agile and capable as Aegis and the weapons were fun and interesting. Only occasionally did the enemies feel a little repetitive. Also interestingly, all of the bosses were a walk in the park, most I beat on my first attempt. But imo, that's not a fault, it meant I could enjoy the world and journey in a more relaxing manner but I could see how some people would want a more challenging experience. Overall it's one of the best non-FromSoft soulslikes I've played, would recommend.