Play The Steel Empire Online

Ever played a shoot 'em up where your ship feels like it weighs a ton? That’s The Steel Empire for you—instead of zippy little fighters, you’re steering these massive, clunky airships straight out of a Victorian nightmare. The whole thing’s got this weirdly beautiful dieselpunk look, like someone sketched a revolution onto the side of a rusted boiler.

What’s cool is you pick between two ships right off the bat: one’s slow but tanks hits like a brick wall, the other’s faster but made of paper. I went with the tank first and still got wrecked by the second boss. The soundtrack’s all screeching guitars and industrial thumps, which somehow fits perfectly when you’re dodging cannon fire the size of a small car.

It’s tough, but not cheap—just the right kind of retro challenge. If you’ve burned through the usual Genesis shooters and want something that feels different, this one’s worth digging up.