On Steam, the new shooter Severed Steel is a real insider tip: never before have you felt so much like Neo from Matrix!
When the fourth film in the Matrix series opens in cinemas in December 2021 and protagonist Neo is once again dodging bullets in slow motion, one or two of you will surely feel the need to feel as cool as he does. The easiest way to do this is, of course, to play a bullet-time shooter on your PC.
And there’s no shortage of suitable games to choose from: you could, for example, dig out Max Payne, F.E.A.R. or Superhot again. Or you could take a look at the new single-player shooter Severed Steel, which was released on 16 September 2021 – because here everything really revolves around stylish slow-motion action and breathtaking stunts à la Matrix.
What is Severed Steel about?
In Severed Steel you take on the role of the extremely agile and eponymous professional killer Steel. And since she woke up with only one arm for some reason, the “Severed” in the game title also makes sense. In order to take revenge for this circumstance, you have to let the agile agent dash through dozens of levels, each of which only lasts a few minutes.
How Severed Steel plays: Three elements are the focus of Severed Steel. The fast-paced stunt system, the bullet time that can be activated with the right mouse button and the freely destructible voxel environment. The flow of the game created by this combination quickly develops such a pull that you don’t want to stop and always have the feeling that you can quickly get a taste of the next level.
Just imagine the following scenario: You are standing in front of a closed door and the words KILL. THEM. ALL. in bold, red letters – Severed Steel is very direct with its instructions at all times. So you run and kick down this door, which knocks out the first enemy in the room behind it. With a sliding manoeuvre you dodge the other enemies’ shots, grab the unconscious man’s gun and then turn on Bullet Time.
Using a combination of double jumps, flips, wall runs and pike jumps in the best Max Payne style, you fly through the room, taking out a dozen soldiers with well-aimed shots. By the way, there is no reloading in Severed Steel, because you are constantly on the move. Once you have emptied your weapon, your protagonist automatically grabs the next nearby gun. Alternatively, you can slide through your opponent’s legs and automatically take his weapon.
But that’s not the only way to keep the pace up: Windows are generally not opened or smashed, you dive through them with dives. Doors are kicked in or shot. Even thick walls are no obstacle if you shoot out shortcuts with your thick arm gun. The main thing is that the breakneck speed is not compromised.
Who is Severed Steel for?
Severed Steel is very entertaining – and very short. After about two hours, the story is already played through, whereby the rudimentary plot is definitely not a reason to buy. With a price of 20 euros, the shooter is not really a bargain either, as the scope is quite limited.
However, the game could be worth your while if the stylish combat system excites you. Not only do you have the opportunity to relive the campaign on higher difficulty levels, but you can also design your own maps with the level editor. You can then share these with the community in the Steam Workshop or download further maps. So fans of lightning-fast single-player shooters get enough fodder to spend many more hours acrobatically swinging through the levels and playing them ALL. TO. KILL.
