Stellar Blade Review

Judging Stellar Blade by its cover and thinking that it’s just another stylistic action game or another souls-like would lead to the wrong conclusion. What Stellar Blade ends up being is a fantastic game that doesn’t fit neatly in any box because it blends so many genres harmoniously. Stellar Blade does feature ultra stylized action along with FROMSOFTWARE elements, but it’s also sci fi horror, part third person shooter and part metroidvania. It’s also dripping with inspiration from everywhere including requisite sci fi and PlayStation heritage with a very small list of shortcomings

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MOBILITY

Shift Up formed in 2013 in South Korea, where mobile games are prevalent and as a result, the studio has been making mobile games up until Project EVE, which became Stellar Blade. Not only did they make the transition with ease, but they did it without any of the cheap gimmicks typically associated with mobile games.

The mobile background has also paid large dividends for Stellar Blade, as this has made the studio hyper aware of the audiences attention span and to ensure that there is always something fun happening. There is great pacing between fighting, exploration, puzzles and story beats. Whenever things slow down, it feels like it is intentional so that the player can soak in the world and digest the story.

Stellar Blade takes place in a post apocalyptic future where humanity has abandoned earth. You are EVE, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, who is sent with many other solider to take earth back from the Naytiba, a grotesque alien race that feel like a blend of clickers from The Last of Us and enemies from Remnant, but manage to feel unique. Enemy design is absolute masterclass, which makes sense when you realize that the Korean monster designer behind creatures from The Host, was brought in to design many of the Naytiba.

Combat is the obvious highlight of Stellar Blade, which is inspired more by Sekiro and less by Bayonetta. There is a focus on the parry system, dealing damage to the enemies stance and shield before being truly effective. Similar to Souls games, enemies that are terrrying at the start eventually become a joy to see as you become adept at dismantling their offenses

All bosses on the other hand were always a challenge and there are plenty, including about ten mini bosses that could easily be confused with the major bosses, due to their scale and difficulty. Major or minor boss, the fights are long, demand patience and require you to fully utilize all of your skills. Stellar Blade also offers you plenty of freedom to tailor your playstyle by creating synergy with five different skill trees as well as exospines, and four gear slots.

The story is not playing second or even third fiddle to the visuals and combat. With inspiration from classic such as Blade Runner, Mad Max and The Matrix, on numerous occasions I found myself leaning in during dialogue heavy cutscenes.

DULLER BLADE

After pouring about 25 hours into a mainline run with minor side questing and missing out on alternate endings, it was shocking how polished and refined Stellar Blade was. However, there were some minor visuals hiccups along with a few areas that could have used a little more attention. As good as the plot was, there were some characters that had some pretty stiff voice acting and on a gameplay level, there are some areas later on that require a little more precision in the platforming sections that the mechanics of the game didn’t allow for. Frustration sets in momentarily, but luckily, these are quickly a distant memory as restarts are nearly instant and puzzle checkpoints are smart.

There were a few weapons that took advantage of the adaptive triggers during combat and during exploration, there were special materials that would faintly vibrate your controller. Both of these were executed well and didn’t feel gimmicky as the studio understood the right way to incorporate the Dualsense feature and it would have been nice to seem them explored deeper as the controller is amazing and in the right hands can further immersion.

As much as you can customize Eve with outfits, exopsines and gear, there was a missed opportunity with weapons. You fight some pretty difficulty bosses with some pretty incredible weapons and it would have been amazing if you were were able to wield your fallen enemies blade or at the very least, infuse some of their powers into your blade to tweak it’s behaviour.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Considering how many sources of inspiration went into Stellar Blade from different mediums, it still manages to feel unique and considering how many elements from different genres are mashed together, it still manages to feel concise.

When the demo ended, there was a feeling that Stellar Blade could be something special, if it is somehow able to maintain such a high level of quality throughout the entire game. After rolling credits, Stellar Blade mostly operates at this elite level with only a few minor dips in quality and will likely be in the conversation at the end of the year.

9/10

STELLAR BLADE FAQ

Is Stellar Blade PS5 Exclusive? Yes, Stellar Blade will only be available on PlayStation 5 at launch.

What is the release date for Stellar Blade? Stellar Blade releases on April 26, 2024 exclusively on PS5

Is Stellar Blade a Souls like game? Stellar Blade is a blend of genres but if it had to be called something, souls like would be accurate.

Is Stellar Blade getting a physical release? Yes, Stellar Blade will be available in physical format.

Will Stellar Blade be difficult? Stellar Blade requires a lot more skill than the average action RPG, as it leans heavy into the souls like elements where patience and timing is required to succeed.

Is Stellar Blade Open World? Stellar Blade features open areas with plenty of opportunity for exploration, but it isn’t a true open world.

How long will Stellar Blade be? According to the developers, Stellar Blade will take about 25-30 hours for the average playthrough.

Is Stellar Blade an RPG? After playing the demo, it would be safe to call Stellar Blade an Action RPG. There is plenty of action, but there are five skill trees and plenty of other areas to upgrade, customize and personalize.