Controls
| Joystick | Action |
|---|---|
| UP | Up |
| DOWN | Down |
| LEFT | Left |
| RIGHT | Right |
| ⬤ ◯ | Fire |
| ◯ ⬤ | Fire |
| ◤ ◹ | Switch ammo left |
| ◸ ◥ | Switch ammo right |
| ●○○○ | Pause |
| ○○●○ | Next ammo |
Steel Ranger
In this sci‑fi Metroid‑style shooter, command a self‑charging Ranger armour suit to face off against relentless mechanical foes. Explore a sprawling world full of traps, diverse environments, and massive boss encounters as you fight to turn the tide of war.
Starting a Game
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| New Game | Begins a new game with the chosen options |
| Options | Opens the options screen |
Selecting the New Game option opens the Ranger Profile data screen - before starting the game, input a character name, then choose an armour type and colour. Armour customisation is entirely cosmetic, and doesn’t affect character abilities.
Select the ‘Confirm’ option after customising your Ranger to begin the game.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Changes the game’s difficulty. Difficulty affects the damage that enemies do, the speed that your armour recharges, and the amount of ammunition dropped by eliminated enemies |
| Sound FX | Toggles the in-game sound effects |
| Music | Toggles the in-game music |
| Dbl-Click Menu | Toggles the ability to change weapons and enter the pause screen by pressing the Fire button on the joystick twice in quick succession |
| Back | Return to the starting screen, saving the current options |
Gameplay
Press and hold the Fire button on the joystick to fire the rifle using the selected ammo type. The rifle can be fired in 8 directions by moving the joystick while holding fire - if the character was moving when the Fire button is pressed, movement will continue. Firing down while crouching is not possible - you can either fire diagonally down, or stand up first.
The rifle can be fired using eight different ammo types, as long as there is enough reserve ammo with the selected type. The initial ammo type (full-auto) can be fired even when its ammo has been completely depleted, but at a reduced fire rate. To swap between different fire types, press the Switch ammo left and right buttons on the joystick. Alternatively, press the Next ammo button on the joystick
Find more ammo by eliminating enemies, or looking for ammo caches in the environment.
Some objects in the environment can be interacted with by your Ranger. When standing nearby to an interactable object, an arrow will flash at your feet. Move the joystick upwards to begin interacting with the object.
Lift platforms can be used to traverse more vertical areas of the planet - stand your Ranger on a lift platform, and move the joystick up or down to move the platform. Lift terminals located next to the lift’s shaft can be used to retrieve a platform that’s too far away - interact with the terminal to move the lift towards you.
Pause/map screen
Press the Pause button on the joystick to access the Map screen. The map screen pauses the game and displays an overview of the areas your Ranger has explored, the ammo status of your rifle, and presents the option to end the game and quit to the main menu.
The ‘Status’ option shows the ammo capacity of each ammo type unlocked for your rifle.
To view more of the map, select the ‘Pan’ option at the bottom of the screen using the joystick. Move the joystick in any direction to move around the map view. Press the Fire button on the joystick to exit panning mode and re-focus the menu at the bottom of the screen.
To return to the game, select the ‘Back’ option.
Parts and Upgrades
Various upgrades for the ranger suit can be found while exploring the planet. Instructions on using upgrades are provided during the installation sequence of each upgrade.
Parts are a currency used to upgrade your Ranger suit which can be spent at computer terminals scattered around the planet. When interacting with a terminal, parts can be spent on upgrading your Ranger suit’s power recharge, maximum ammo capacity and other system upgrades. The current number of parts you have collected is shown in the bottom right-hand side of the screen.
Interface
- Available weapons/weapon ammo
- Collected parts
- Score
Story
Year 2218. As humanity is forced to expand beyond Earth, they come into contact with a hostile machine intelligence born from their own creations, and find themselves stranded in a desperate war against its vast offensive fleet.
In the hope of gaining valuable intelligence, the United Military patrol ship “Scourge” is cleared to investigate a mystery signal originating from a barren planet – ones and zeroes forming an Omega symbol.
Aboard the ship are soldiers equipped with “Ranger” self-recharging armor suits, designed for combat against overwhelming enemies in any environment:
Archer - The ship’s commander Kara - Cyberwarfare specialist, second in command Leo - Weapons specialist Diane - Medic Jay - Pilot
You are the newest addition to the crew. Good luck!