The upcoming year promises to be exciting for gamers, with titles like Black Myth: Wukong and the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC generating buzz. As an ARPG enthusiast, I had been eagerly anticipating the release of Stellar Blade. The game’s demo left a strong impression on me, and I was eager to dive into the full release.
After a considerable wait, the game was finally launched. Thanks to a copy provided by Sony and Shift Up Studios, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the game as EVE and gather my thoughts. In this review of Stellar Blade, I’ll share my experiences and opinions on the game. So, continue reading for an in-depth discussion.
This Stellar Blade review is entirely spoiler-free. Everything discussed and shown here has already been revealed in the game’s demo.
Story: Redefined and Unforgettable
As I embarked on my journey with Stellar Blade through the demo, I initially had reservations about the story, finding it to be somewhat generic and reminiscent of other sci-fi games. I was open to being proven wrong, and boy, was I? In the words of Shaq, now it’s my turn to convey to Shift Up Studios: ‘I Owe You an Apology. I Wasn’t Really Familiar with Your Game.’
For those unfamiliar with Stellar Blade’s storyline, here’s a quick overview. You play as EVE, an elite soldier of the 7th Airborne Squad dispatched to Earth to eliminate the Naytibas, a malevolent force that has ravaged the planet. Left to her own devices in this daunting mission, EVE must liberate Earth.
At first glance, Stellar Blade may appear to be a typical sci-fi narrative with engaging combat. However, Shift Up Studios had already emphasized that Stellar Blade would be a “story-driven action adventure” game, and they were spot on.
While the game starts off at a leisurely pace, it gradually picks up speed. Stellar Blade’s greatest strength lies in its unpredictability. As the game unveils the broader narrative, you find yourself witnessing the gradual unveiling of the story. I often found myself surprised and torn when it came to aligning with certain characters.
Experiencing the story’s captivating conclusion was incredibly satisfying, akin to watching a compelling sci-fi movie or TV show. The narrative of Stellar Blade evolves into a complex tale, transforming the post-apocalyptic journey with EVE into a thrilling and adventurous ride. With each reveal that reshapes the game’s narrative structure, I found myself consistently blown away.
Appealing Characters Pull the Story’s Strings
Although the lore is undeniably crucial, it would be nothing without well-developed characters. Fortunately, Stellar Blade excels in this aspect as well. The game features a myriad of unforgettable characters who play pivotal roles in shaping this extraordinary story.
While these characters may initially seem superficial, you quickly gain insight into their perspectives of this fractured world. Each character undergoes significant growth, and their stories and arcs culminate in a deeply satisfying finale.
Every character in Stellar Blade is like a puppet, expertly manipulated to play their role in this magnificent tale. EVE begins as a naive girl, experiencing everything as if for the first time. However, as the story unfolds, she matures into a courageous and strong character.
Additionally, the game offers multiple paths to shape your future, with a well-crafted “multi-ending” story. I appreciated the ability to influence EVE’s fate, making her more than just a passive character.
Stellar Blade features excellent voice acting that effectively conveys the characters’ emotions. I personally preferred the South Korean voice language over the English one, as I enjoy experiencing entertainment in its original language. However, players can choose whichever language they prefer, and the game offers many memorable dialogues.
Combat: A Blood-Curdling Dance
The combat system in Stellar Blade revolves around parrying and dodging, serving as the game’s cornerstone. What sets this combat apart is its meticulously designed skill trees. With a total of 5 distinct skill trees, each contributes significantly to your preferred play style.
The arrangement and execution of each skill are cleverly done, resulting in a seamless and rewarding combat experience. For example, after successfully parrying, you can immediately press either the square or triangle button to execute a powerful follow-up attack.
This example merely scratches the surface, as the game’s combat system offers a plethora of combos and skills to unlock and master. Consequently, the fast-paced combat in Stellar Blade is highly addictive and strikes a fine balance between offense and defense.
The system is brimming with Beta Skills, Burst Skills, Ranged Weapons, follow-up chain attack skills, and more. Consequently, mastering it feels rewarding and not burdensome. In skilled hands, mastering these moves and techniques can lead to impressive feats in battles against formidable foes.
The developers have succeeded in elevating the combat beyond mere button-mashing. This is further enhanced by the ability to enhance your abilities by collecting various exo-spines and gear sockets. These thoughtful additions are game-changers that cater to contrasting playstyles.
Despite the superbly designed combat system, the only minor drawback for me was the slight slowdown in pace during parrying. It feels slightly out of place in an otherwise excellent and adrenaline-pumping combat experience.
Mission & Level Design
While Stellar Blade excels in its story and combat, it falls short in mission design. The game still adheres to the old-fashioned approach of collecting objects to unlock the next level. However, there are instances where you can engage in enjoyable puzzles to progress to the next area.
Despite the missions feeling dated, the stunning environment played a significant role in keeping exploration exciting rather than repetitive. Many collectibles are hidden in plain sight and evenly distributed throughout.
The side missions in Stellar Blade are not groundbreaking; they typically involve rescuing individuals or items. While they may not be exceptional, they are decent and provide enough entertainment to warrant a detour, especially due to the connection they help build with the characters.
In one such instance, I stumbled upon a backstreet and discovered, through a side mission, the fate of Airborne Squad members at the hands of other humans. These types of side quests add depth to the main story’s lore and are quite enjoyable.
The linear level design works well, with checkpoints evenly spaced out for convenient travel. The supply camps are well-equipped for upgrading weapons and suits, unlocking new skills, purchasing items from the store, and designing new suits.
However, the game lacks the ability to fast travel to other areas, limiting fast travel to the region you are currently in using the phone booth. While this was a bit disappointing, it was not a major issue for me.
Packs Enough Difficulty to Keep Things Interesting
There are two difficulty settings available in this game: Story and Normal. I played through the game on Normal difficulty, which proved challenging yet forgiving enough until the final chapter. The difficulty sharply increased towards the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed the heightened challenge of the final battles.
The boss fights are engaging right from the start. However, I felt that some bosses could have benefitted from more varied move sets, which would have made the battles even more memorable.
Most early and mid-level bosses can be defeated in just one attempt due to their relatively predictable patterns. Additionally, the high-energy action sequences and finishers, along with quick-time events (QTE), intensify the already thrilling experience and are incredibly satisfying to execute.
I must admit, I was hoping for more varied finisher animations for common enemies, similar to what you see in the God of War series. Unfortunately, the animations felt somewhat repetitive, especially when compared to the more diverse animations seen in the boss fights.
Later in the game, you can unlock Hard mode by completing your first run. While I understand that this decision was likely made to appeal to a broader audience, I personally enjoy the challenge of extremely difficult games and wish this option had been available from the start.
Fortunately, there are several accessibility features available to adjust the game’s difficulty for those who prefer a simpler and easier experience. The puzzles can be quite challenging, and I wish there were accessibility options for them as well, particularly since they often come with both error and time limits, adding to their difficulty.
Beauty Blooming From the Ruins of Devastated Earth
Whether it’s the desolate, quiet streets of Eidos7, the decaying cityscape of Xion, or the vast, scorching deserts and wastelands, each area you explore in your journey is uniquely distinct. The developers dedicated considerable time and attention to detail, meticulously crafting the eerie, beautiful, and ravaged landscapes with diverse architectural styles and utmost care.
This attention to detail breathes life into the world, creating an immersive experience unlike any other I’ve encountered in a post-apocalyptic setting. It’s truly astonishing that such beauty was achieved using Unreal Engine 4.
The main and supporting characters are charming, almost as if they’ve stepped out of an anime. Their designs are exceptional, complemented by meticulously crafted costumes. However, it’s the grotesque and unsettling creatures you must battle that truly captured my attention.
Without a doubt, the character designs of these vile adversaries are masterfully crafted and among the finest I’ve ever seen. With over 50 distinct enemies, the developers have done an incredible job of capturing their ferocious aggression and bloodthirstiness on screen.
In addition to the character designs, the developers have showcased their artistic skills in the smallest details, such as EVE’s hairclip transforming into her blade, the seamless transition of the drone into a hybrid weapon, and EVE’s captivating costumes. Shift Up has excelled in creativity, evident in every nook and corner of this realm.
Dynamic Music System to Revitalize Your Journey
The setting of NieR: Automata served as an inspiration for Stellar Blade, including its renowned soundtrack. Alongside in-house composers like Park Jin-bae, Oliver Good, and Keita Inoue, other studios have contributed. One such studio is MONACA, led by Keiichi Okabe of NieR: Automata fame. Together, they have crafted an outstanding dynamic soundtrack that adapts to your situation, smoothly transitioning between tracks.
Stellar Blade’s soundtrack is rich and diverse, featuring vocal tracks, EDM, orchestral music, and more, which enhance your entire journey. While the vocal tracks may not be to everyone’s taste, I particularly enjoyed the rest of the soundtrack, especially those featured during boss fights.
In an interview with the game’s director, Kim Hyung-tae emphasized the importance of music in Stellar Blade. As a result, the game features over 100 songs for players to enjoy.
Graphics & Performance
Fortunately, Stellar Blade didn’t succumb to the trend of poorly optimized new-gen titles, delivering a smooth performance throughout my playthrough. I opted for the “Balanced” graphic mode, which upscales to 4K with 60 FPS, striking a balance between resolution and frame rate.
I encountered no performance issues, bugs, or glitches during my entire playthrough, which is a testament to the game’s stability. I also tested the other graphic modes, Performance (1440p and 60 FPS) and Resolution (4K and 30 FPS), and experienced no issues.
The game’s visuals are stunning, depicting a decimated Earth and the character EVE with remarkable detail. Shift Up Corporations deserves applause for creating an outstanding title in the midst of ongoing challenges.
Verdict: Never Judge a Game by Its Starlet
Stellar Blade draws inspiration from many renowned titles in the genre but adds its own unique twist: a reimagined sci-fi narrative and an exhilarating combat system. Shift Up Corporation has managed to carve out its own identity with this stellar debut (pun intended), which will be warmly received by the gaming community, especially ARPG fans.
Despite minor shortcomings that are easily overlooked, this game is a heartfelt tribute to action RPG enthusiasts. If you can overlook the modest fan service, you’ll discover a grand, action-packed sci-fi epic that will stay with you for years to come. Stellar Blade is a perfect blend of intense action and sci-fi brilliance, making it my current pick for the Best Action Game of 2024.
[UPDATE] Today, an update has introduced a New Game+ mode with new skills and enhancements. I’m eagerly anticipating the addition of a Photo Mode; this post-apocalyptic world is so visually stunning, and I don’t want to miss capturing and reliving EVE’s adventures. Stellar Blade is set to launch on April 26th, 2024, with the Standard Edition priced at $69.99 and the Deluxe Edition at $79.99.
Pros and Cons
The Pros
- Robust combat system with tons of unlockable skills
- Sci-Fi tale that grows on you
- Well crafted world infested with ghastly creatures
- Ingeniously designed enemy types and distinguishable boss battles
- Excellent soundtrack while embarking on heroic missions
- Exceptionally well-optimized performance
The Cons
- Outdated mission designs that feel redundant
- Some bosses have similar move set
- Parrying brings down the combat’s pace
- Movements can be janky and off putting
Final Verdict
Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade from Shift Up Studios had a significant impact on me, reigniting my passion for Action RPGs. While the game has its flaws, they are outweighed by its compelling aspects. Its thrilling combat system, creative world-building, and captivating sci-fi narrative transported me back to the days of playing on my PlayStation 2, where I could immerse myself in a game without a care in the world. As a result, I wholeheartedly recommend this game.
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