Steel Assault was first announced five years ago, and since then, the industry has seen a resurgence in action-platformers and run and gun shooters. The original Kickstarter pitch was for a NES-style game, but the art design has shifted to more of a latter-day 16-bit/32-bit style to update things a lot. This genre had some real heavy hitters in the 16-bit days – but not many in the 32-bit era, and other modern games like Blazing Chrome have aimed to answer the question of what a Contra-style game would look like with Saturn-level horsepower behind it.

Steel Assault blends not only fast-paced run and gun action, but also a bit of Bionic Commando with a zipline alongside a touch of Strider with a short-range whip that does quick damage. While a Castlevania comparison may seem more apt, the nature of the weapon as something you use swiftly to deal out damage changes the pacing of how you would use it in a Vania game. Today’s new trailer showcases more of the game’s action and enemies, alongside its 2020 release window. Steel Assault looks promising, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on it as its Steam release draws near.