The new Soulslike game Steelrising is out now. Developed by studio Spiders - the makers of the wonderfully imaginative but flawed RPG Greedfall - their latest game is set in an alternate-history version of the French Revolution where Louis XVI dominated the dissenting French peoples with an army of vicious robots. Players take on the role of the female robot Aegis, the bodyguard of Marie Antoinette, who is tasked with finding her creator and stopping the automaton rampage that continues to terrorize the citizens of Paris.
As with any Soulslike, the combat and boss battles are key components in making Steelrising a success. While it can't hold a candle to FromSoftware's creations, there are still a fair number of the game's bosses that will push players to their absolute limits. These are the hardest battles Aegis will face on her journey.
8 The Centaur
The enemy wields a flaming lance while mounted atop a "horse" (it has the head of a lion, which has a cannon for a mouth, so call it what you will). He attacks fast and is extremely mobile, leaping and charging around the battlefield wildly swinging his lance while his mount shoots fireballs from its mouth-cannon.
This fight will be particularly difficult for heavy weapon users, as The Centaur can easily outmaneuver their slower attacks. However, The Centaur is particularly susceptible to frost bombs. Six blasts should freeze him in place and keep him there for some time, leaving plenty of opportunity to dish out a good chunk of damage before he gets back up.
7 Treasurer Of Les Invalides
This hulking brute introduces himself by leaping down from the roof of a cathedral and nearly crushing Aegis in the process. He's built like a Big Daddy from BioShock, and he swings a giant key as a weapon (hey, Kingdom Hearts fans).
The good news is that the leap that he introduces himself with is also the Treasurer's most dangerous attack. Players who actively avoid that should be able to dance around his other attacks fairly easily and just need to worry about dealing with the weak enemies he occasionally summons to his side. He's also extremely fragile against elemental attacks, so players using the Alchemist class (or those who have a solid stockpile of bombs) should make quick work of this boss.
6 Bishop Of The Cité
With his scepter and large book (can robots read?), the Bishop of the Cité is one of the coolest boss designs in the game. He rolls around on a giant ball like BB8 as opposed to on two feet and appears to be piloted by a tiny man sitting in its head. As players might expect, the ability to roll instead of run makes the Bishop an agile opponent. As his health depletes, he'll also start to leave a flaming trail in his wake.
While he may be quick, avoiding the Bishop's attacks for a couple of minutes will exhaust him, causing him to droop over and granting the player a few seconds of free damage. The boss will enter its third phase with about a third of its health left, which is when the fire attacks start getting thrown around. Players should increase their fire resistance for this fight, and they won't have a problem taking him down.
5 The Executioner
Built like a walking guillotine, The Executioner is a tall, rangy boss who wields a flail-like weapon that is actually the guillotine's blade (or mouton) attached to a long chain. Getting in close is tricky, given The Executioner's wide, sweeping attacks, and it becomes even more difficult during his second phase when those attacks start dealing ice damage.
However, while this boss may have a wide area that it can strike within, it is particularly vulnerable to ranged attacks. Obviously, ice damage is a no-go here, but fire damage will work quite nicely. Grenades are also a must-have for this fight, along with some ice resistance, just to be safe.
4 Selenite Of The Louvre
The only boss in the whole game that employs a shield, Selenite of the Louvre gives the impression that she is actually trained in combat. She is extremely fast, strikes with sweeping attacks that don't have much of a telegraph, and some of those brief telegraphs are very similar to each other but lead to very different attacks. Players will need to be on their toes for this fight.
Once again, the best approach to this fight is to make regular use of explosives. Selenite is fast, so they won't all hit her, but once enough of them connect, she'll be stunned and open to a few free attacks. During her second phase, Selenite will light her shield on fire, so players should be prepared with some fire resistance ahead of time.
3 Alchemist Of Luxembourg
One of the first bosses players will encounter in Steelrising, the Alchemist of Luxembourg will also be one of the most challenging fights they face. He employs a wide array of elemental attacks, with all three elemental types - fire, ice, and lightning (or "fulmination") attacks - included in his arsenal. Given that he appears so early in the game, players likely won't have the gear to build a strong resistance to all three types. As such, dodging will be essential.
The fact that he employs every elemental type also means that the Alchemist is resistant to all three elemental types. That means players will need to rely on their physical attacks more than anything to get the job done. He is still susceptible to damage from explosive bombs, however, and a well-placed explosion can knock the Alchemist flat on his back, leaving him open for a few quick strikes.
2 The Royal Orpheus
The only side quest boss featured on this list, The Royal Orpheus, is basically like fighting a giant robotic gorilla. It even wields a dead robot corpse as a weapon, swinging it around wildly without any semblance of technique. During its second phase, Orpheus' head will burst out of its body and start breathing clouds of fulmination damage; a nice bonus added on to an already grueling fight.
The thing with Orpheus is that it can be a bit of a trickster boss, which is not uncommon in the Soulslike genre. Occasionally it will stop fighting and start bouncing up and down. This is bait, and after it's done bouncing, it will unleash a rapid series of attacks that can easily kill any players it catches unaware. Its other most dangerous ability, which features a massive telegraphed windup, leaves Orpheus open to attack before it strikes. Players should take advantage, but bear in mind that they'll need to get out of dodge when the attack starts to come down because it's a doozy.
1 The Iron Queen
It's fitting that the game's most challenging boss is also its final boss. The Iron Queen lives up to her name in every respect. Her steel body is polished to a gleam, she has a billowing green peacock's tail, and she fights using a rapier, the weapon of royalty. With Louis XVI in attendance for this fight, The Iron Queen brings Steelrising's story to an epic climax.
This boss is lightning fast, capable of stringing together a series of quick combos that can close distance and dish out big damage in seconds. However, she can also mix up her tactics, hanging back and launching a series of ranged elemental attacks in the player's direction. When she's using ranged attacks, the Queen is usually standing still, leaving her open to attack if the player can get in close. Just be ready for a volley of close-range strikes once she's done lobbing explosives. Speaking of, explosive grenades can also be effective in this fight. Just keep in mind that The Iron Queen has a big health pool and a very high armor rating. There is no rushing through this fight. Stay calm, chisel away and her health, and the Queen will fall.
Steelrising was released on September 8th, 2022, and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.