Gestalt: Steam and Cinder

Lore & Background

Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is set in a steampunk city within a post-apocalyptic world. Players take on the role of Aletheia, a bounty hunter who explores under the city to learn about its history and a mechanical threat. The game features combat against robots and other automatons, with Aletheia's primary attacks being melee weapons that can charge up a ranged attack. Players can customize Aletheia through a skill tree, and power-ups provide temporary boosts. The game uses retro-style pixel art graphics.

Reader's Guide

According to the source article, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder received 'mixed or average' reviews from critics on Metacritic. GameSpot praised the combat, steampunk setting, pixel art, and customization options, but criticized the overwhelming amount of exposition, concluding it is 'a great start for a potential franchise'. RPGSite called it 'an extremely enjoyable experience' and recommended it to action-platformer fans, though they noted that the exposition and unskippable cutscenes would hinder speedrunning. Shacknews enjoyed the game and its art, but disliked the ending despite liking the rest of the story and worldbuilding; they also felt combat needed balancing as bosses became trivial after players became overpowered. Slant Magazine criticized the exposition as 'undercooked but intrusive' and found the exploration tedious. The game's legacy is as a mixed but promising entry in the Metroidvania genre, with potential for a franchise.

Did You Know?

• Gestalt: Steam and Cinder was developed by Metamorphosis Games, based in Los Angeles.
• The game was released for Windows on July 16, 2024.
• Ports to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch are planned for 2025.
• Critics noted that unskippable cutscenes and heavy exposition made the game difficult to speedrun.