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If the stars aligned, Stellar Blade might just be this year’s surprise hit – I mean, it features an alluring lady doing flips and sword flourishes in scantily clad outfits while accompanied by an exhilarating soundtrack. Something that gets a certain demographic rear up in excitement. After the demo, it was clear that Stellar Blade has so much going for it beyond a sexy lady on the front cover.
For the uninitiated, Stellar Blade is the first AAA title by SHIFT UP, the studio that is primarily known for mobile games with equally seductive ladies such as Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. For Stellar Blade, the game is being directed by Kim Hyung-Tae, who is also one of the founders of the company and served as one of the main illustrators for many games under the studio. Some may even know him before SHIFT UP, as Kim used to be an artist behind the Magna Carta series.
With a multi-talented figure with a long experience in the AAA industry leading the helm for this project, there is no denying that Stellar Blade holds potential that should not be underestimated.
Skydiving into Action
One term that players were throwing around online when discussing Stellar Blade is that the game is Souls-Like. While it does undoubtedly take inspiration from Souls-Like games, rest assured, you can select difficulty options if you are only seeking some laid-back gaming experience uncovering EVE… I mean her story. If you decide to up the challenge, the difficulty option can be changed freely via the menu without needing to restart the game, which is always nice.
The intro wasted no time, immediately plunging you into the world as we saw the 7th Airborne Squad dive into action on Earth via drop pods. Unfortunately, EVE was the only android that survived the brutality of the alien race Naytiba, with all members of her squad wiped out. Severely injured, EVE was rescued by survivor Adam who accompanies her every step of the way via a remote drone, providing support such as scanning the environment or providing commentary.
Sounds familiar? A squad of charming female androids is sent to carry out missions on Earth to save humanity from alien threats while our beautiful and shapely main protagonist has a flying drone as a partner. Perhaps, it reminds you of a certain game named NieR: Automata, the action RPG by the beautiful minds of Yoko Taro. Even our main character EVE is being compared a lot with 2B, the protagonist of NieR: Automata, as both are extremely alluring and badass female fighters with beautiful sets of assets attached to them.
Comparisons between the two are inevitable and director Kim even admitted that NieR: Automata has left a massive impression on him and is one of the sources of inspiration behind Stellar Blade. Despite the familiar air, Stellar Blade has forged its own identity, especially on the combat front.
Impeccable Blade
Combat is one of the game’s strongest selling points and you could tell the developers put a lot of considerations when designing it. First off, the reason why players were quick to call Stellar Blade a Souls-Like is because your movements are deliberate, you cannot simply cancel off certain if not most attacks and have to commit to them. This also means enemies are played by the same rule, and much like your favorite Souls-Like such as Elden Ring, it is all about anticipating attacks and retaliating upon seeing openings.
EVE uses a sword that materializes from her hairband accessory and that is pretty cool. As you would expect, her attacks consist of slashes and you can chain them up for combos. Depending on your button sequence, whether you spam normal attacks or mix them up with strong attacks, she would execute different combos. There are even some combo attacks that require you to delay your input or hold your presses, similar to how some strings work in other hack-and-slash titles like Devil May Cry.
Adding more attack options to the combos are the various special attacks you can trigger once accumulate enough energy. What’s more, there are even more ways to execute your offense if you take a peek at the skill tree, which comes with many potential combos and new abilities for EVE to go ham on enemies as you progress.
Dance into Perfect Parries and Dodges
Offense is not going to net you a victory if you have poor defense and the game emphasized this aspect greatly. There are various defensive options for EVE, from dodging to blocking, and each of them is important to the overall combat loop of Stellar Blade. As mentioned, this is a game about anticipation and retaliation. Dodging just as an attack hits, causes a slow-time effect and opens up options for EVE to counter back with her own strikes. Similarly, blocking with careful timing allows EVE to perfectly parry incoming attacks to slowly wear down enemies to a state of vulnerability for a flashy cinematic-like critical move. Think of the game like NieR: Automata with elements of Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice and typical Souls-Like weighty combat sprinkled on top while not sacrificing stylish actions.
These techniques require timing and thoughtful execution, and since there are so many mechanics to keep track of, the game can come off as quite challenging to master. Of course, as typical of such games, the mastery of techniques is part of the journey as you grow to improve and enjoy the moments when you style on enemies.
Naytiba Bosses be Yucky yet Cool
This combat element is further presented with the solid roster of bosses available in the demo. Even when the demo has you play a set early portion of the game, it ends with a battle against the boss Abaddon, which gives a great showing of challenge and cinematic flair while enforcing the understanding of combat fundamentals.
You would think that the demo ends there, but there is a surprise for defeating Abaddon because a Boss Challenge option will show up in the menu and have you face the Stalker. This grotesque quadrupedal creature is likely a boss that shows up in the later portion of the game as it possesses aggressive moves with a flurry of swift scratches, brutal grapple, and hard-hitting attacks that demand careful timing on evades. This challenge also armed EVE with more skills, and options to outfit her with more choices of beautiful and rather eye-pleasing garments. The battle against Stalker is a great showcase of the combat mechanics of Stellar Blade. It is adrenaline-rushing and challenging but fair and rewarding.
However, the demo is simply a demo and does not offer as many adversaries to face, but with such a strong combat foundation, Stellar Blade has lots of potential in the realms of providing cool satisfying action for YouTube compilations when it launches.
The Melodies, So Good
As mentioned, Stellar Blade is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth with buildings left dilapidated and bridges destroyed, while civilization perished and only left remnants of its existence. The progression in the demo while linear, unveils some rather sad yet in some way beautiful sceneries as you stroll along the abandoned city.
There is no doubt that the inspiration from NieR: Automata is strong here, especially with the beautiful melodies crafted meticulously to evoke a certain level of soothing sadness. Certain soundtracks may also remind you of NieR: Automata and that is because of Keiichi Okabe is involved in this project, the composer of the NieR series. From one of the most influential composers in gaming, there is no doubt that the soundtrack of Stellar Blade is in good hands, and yes, I can’t stop humming the game’s melodies.
Level design-wise, Stellar Blade does seem to take some notes out of Dark Souls, but the demo offers little to say for sure since the early portions do feel linear. That said, there are camps where EVE could rest up and upon taking a breather, enemies do respawn a la bonfires in Dark Souls. These camps are also where EVE could top up on consumables, or unlock new abilities via an extended skill tree and so on. More importantly, sit down, relax, and listen to wonderfully cozy music.
EVE, My Goddess
The Stellar Blade demo is an amazing showing of the game’s golden potential as it seduces you with a satisfyingly wicked combat all about reading your opponents and responding with your onslaught in flashy ways. It almost feels like an unofficial sequel to NieR: Automata but with its own distinct identity. While I admittedly wish there were more enemy types for me to get my combat groove going, the foundation is just pure solid that the full game could easily ascend to greatness.
One aspect that I would nitpick is that the control scheme might take a while for most players to get used to, as, despite EVE’s slender appearance, she is not exactly nimble in action. With a weighty take on combat where move executions are deliberate choices, you can get overwhelmed with input options at the start when enemies are throwing out attacks that require specific ways to avoid. Of course, this differs from player to player, and some may get used to how the combat works quicker than others.
All in all, keep your eyes peeled for Stellar Blade because this game is so passionately crafted that it radiates with potential. The demo gave us an excellent soundtrack, an interesting premise, satisfying punchy combat, and a world that while cliché, still is decorated with beautiful sceneries to keep you staring with amazement. More importantly, let’s not forget EVE, who will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on gaming much like how 2B does.
The demo for Stellar Blade is slated to launch exclusively on the PlayStation 5 on 29 March 2024, while the full release is scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024.
