One of the most interesting aspects ofSteel Seed, the upcoming sci-fi stealth-action game developed by Storm in a Teacup and published by ESDigital Games, is its commitment to player choice. Rather than tying players down to one route or playstyle,Steel Seedoffers them a variety of different choices to make by putting them in the middle of a linear sandbox where they have more power to personalize their playthrough.
In an interview with Game Rant, ESDigital Games' brand manager Ilia Svanidze disclosed quite a bit aboutSteel Seed’s world design and how it ultimately caters to the player. During the interview, Svanidze even let it slip that it’s possible for players to do afull pacifist playthroughofSteel Seedif they really want to.
Players Can Do a Full Pacifist Run in Steel Seed
Steel Seedis astealth-action adventuregame set in a dark sci-fi universe where humanity is on the brink of extinction, which already sets up a compelling narrative. However, one ofSteel Seed’s more intriguing characteristics is its ability to bridge the gap between linearity and sandbox gameplay almost effortlessly. In fact, based on what Svanidze relayed in the interview, Storm in a Teacup wanted, more than anything else, for players to have full control over their playthrough, despite the game’s linear design. When asked about how Storm in a Teacup balancedSteel Seed’s gameplay to ensure players can approach situations in a variety of ways, Svanidze replied,
We have a sandbox gameplay area, so it’s more open for the player. You will not see a situation where two enemies are near you, and you only have one option: to kill them and nothing else — you can’t go anywhere else or do anything else. We’re not trying to push and force players to choose.
It seems like this philosophy of game design is becoming more prevalent as of late, with more and more developers hearing the cries of gamers who just want the freedom to choose in the games that they play. For the most part, this design is understandably applied tomodern RPGsmore than it is action games, but it’s refreshing to see the concept subverting expectations and beginning to find its way into other genres as well. Getting more specific about howSteel Seedlets players define their own gameplay, Svanidze continued,
You might go to an area and see one turret, five or six different enemies, three of them weaker, simple robots. And then maybe a Stalker, who has two big knives and can scan the territory, and maybe a big Brute — a big guy with big muscles. you’re able to kill them all, or you can try to sneak and not kill anyone. You can use KOBY as a companion, and he will scan the territory, and he will check for enemies so you can see where they are.
Just to confirm, we had to ask Svanidze if his comment about how players can either sneak or “not kill anyone” actually meant that they could do a full pacifist playthrough ofSteel Seed, to which he simply replied, “Yes.” Of course, this might be a pacifist playthrough apart from key points in the narrative —boss fights, for example. However, apart from that, players will apparently be able to just sneak their way throughSteel Seed’s world without killing a single machine.
It will be interesting to see whether Storm in a Teacup incorporates something into the narrative that will take into account how many machines players have chosen to kill or let live. It seems like a long shot, but Svanidze did confirm during the interview thatSteel Seedwas intentionally made to show “this delicate balance between humanity and AI.” As such, perhaps the story will take into consideration those who choose to simply pass by each machine entirely undetected. On the other hand,Steel Seedis a linear game, so it likely funnels every story beat into one ending regardless of the choices players make.
