Meet Aegis, Steelrising’s automaton dancer

blog.playstation.com:

We’re back with more inside info on Steelrising, coming to PS5 on September 8. Last time, we talked about our quest to develop an action-oriented RPG. This time we’ll be looking at the origins of our protagonist. In Steelrising, you play as Aegis, a unique automaton that will have to face an army of machines created for King Louis XVI, the Clockwork King.

Let’s kick things off with some top-level stats:

Even before we decided that Steelrising would take place in the 18th century, we had already envisioned an automaton protagonist. Indeed, the possibilities offered by having a machine, capable of rebuilding itself at will or improving its mechanics as it progresses, seemed to fit well for an action-oriented “soulslike” game, where death is an integral part of the learning curve.

Originally, our automaton was called Ada, in double reference not only to the idea of creation, Ada being our Adam, but also in reference to Ada Lovelace, the first programmer in history. Over time and as our universe developed and became anchored in the French Revolution, Ada became Aegis, this time in reference to the aegis, the shield that Athena wields to protect Zeus.

Meanwhile, the art team was thinking about what this machine would look like. There were many influences, but two in particular stood out: “La petite géante” (the little giant) from “Les Machines de l’île (an installation in Nantes) and “La Joueuse de tympanon” (the dulcimer player), the latter also happening to be a product of the 18th century.

On the left, La petite géante and on the right, the dulcimer player, two sources of inspiration that helped Aegis to come to life.

Beyond the mechanical aspect, which reflects the ability to upgrade and rebuild, we also wanted to infuse