Play Steel Empire on sega Online

Steel Empire is this wild steampunk shooter where you're either piloting a nimble little fighter plane or this hulking zeppelin that takes hits like a champ. I went with the zeppelin first—figured I'd need the extra health while figuring out the controls—and immediately got thrown into skies packed with floating fortresses and enemy battleships that look like they're straight out of Jules Verne's sketchbook.

What's cool is how different the two ships feel. The plane zips around easily but dies if an enemy so much as sneezes on it, while the zeppelin lumbers along but can soak up damage. Both let you fire forward and backward, which saves you from those jerks who love attacking from behind. And then there's the lightning bomb—hit that button when things get messy, and suddenly the whole screen clears out in this satisfying burst of electricity.

You pick up upgrades from downed enemies—extra drones that follow you around, health refills, even weapon XP that slowly turns your pea-shooter into something actually threatening. By level 3, I was finally getting the hang of weaving through bullet patterns while my little drone buddies mirrored my every move. It's tough but fair, and that steampunk aesthetic? Still holds up.

If you like shooters with personality, this one's a blast.