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Stellar Blade review on PS5

April 24, 2024

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Stellar Blade is a brand new thrilling action-packed adventure from developer SHIFT UP Corporation and exclusive to PlayStation 5. This visually stunning game takes inspiration from fan favourite franchises like Devil May Cry and Nier: Automata, delivering a combat system that is both deep and extremely satisfying. The game’s captivating narrative blends heartfelt storytelling with over-the-top, Kojima-esque character designs, creating a world that is both bizarre and compelling.

Let’s take a spoiler free look at what makes Stellar Blade one of this year’s best action-adventure games on PS5 so far and an absolute must-play.

Stellar Blade details

Platform(s): PlayStation 5
Developer(s): SHIFT UP Corporation
Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action-adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

A heartfelt sci-fi adventure

Stellar Blade’s story is a mix of the familiar and the intriguing. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has retreated to an orbital colony. You play as Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, as you return to a ravaged Earth to investigate the alien Naytiba creatures that have driven humanity from their homeworld.

Stellar Blade’s story has moments of both heartfelt emotion and character development, particularly in Eve’s interactions with her friends Adam and Lily. Their banter and the glimpses into Eve’s own personality help ground the high-stakes, often bizarre events unfolding around them. SHIFT UP has also done a great job of building out the world through environmental storytelling and optional lore, hinting at a deeper, more complex history between the Naytiba and humanity. It’s a near perfect mix that had me wanting and needing to know more.

However, there are a few things about Stellar Blade’s story that I feel could be improved. First, the game’s story pacing can be uneven at times. Without spoiling anything about the story, I found that there were key moments that lacked the emotional impact that I felt they really deserved. Second, the game’s overarching plot, while I did find it interesting, doesn’t always feel like it’s living up to what it could be. Occasionally, the story veered into the realm of the predictable, drawing heavily from familiar post-apocalyptic tropes. Honestly, these are only minor shortcomings. All in all, Stellar Blade’s story remains an exciting backdrop to the game’s true star: its fast-paced combat and exploration.

Slick and spectacular combat

Stellar Blade’s gameplay is a thrilling blend of fast-paced action and strategic combat. As Eve, you’ll find yourself immersed in a dynamic battle system that rewards precision and adaptability. At the core of Stellar Balde’s gameplay is Eve’s impressive arsenal of melee attacks and combos. The speed and gracefulness at which you move at weaving between enemies and delivering devastating strikes is like poetry in motion.

One of the many aspects of Stellar Blade’s combat system that I really enjoyed is that it encourages you to master the art of parrying and dodging. This is a crucial part of gameplay, as perfectly timed blocks can open up opportunities for powerful counterattacks. And, this focus on timing and reading enemy patterns adds a layer of depth that sets Stellar Blade apart from more button-mashing oriented action games.

Complementing Eve’s melee prowess is her ability to utilize a versatile drone weapon. You can switch between various ranged attack types, such as rapid-fire shots, explosive rounds, and my personal favourite lock-on missiles. These wide variety of ranged attacks allow you to deal with different enemy types or create openings for close-quarters combat. It is this dual-pronged approach to combat that I really enjoyed and found that allows for a great deal of strategic flexibility. It gives you the ability to adapt your playstyle to the situation at hand.

While the core combat is undoubtedly the star of Stellar Blade, as with the game’s story, the game’s pacing can occasionally feel uneven. And, in some instances, some areas or encounters felt slightly repetitive. Additionally, Eve has a lot of upgrades, abilities, and systems to manage. At first this seemed a bit overwhelming. However, if you are willing to invest the time, Stellar Blade’s deep and satisfying combat system is well worth it.

Stunning visuals and evocative soundtrack

Simply put, Stellar Blade looks amazing! It’s a visually stunning game that takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5’s hardware capabilities. The game’s art design is a blend of the bizarre and the beautiful, with a cast of characters that range from bizarre cyborgs to very pretty humans. The costumes and overall aesthetic evoke a distinct Japanese street samurai style, complete with baggy sleeves and an abundance of belts.

Stellar Blade’s environments are equally impressive, with the semi-open world areas showcasing a desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape filled with crumbled skyscrapers and overgrown ruins. The attention to detail is stunning, and there are plenty of collectibles to discover that help flesh out the game’s world.

Complementing Stellar Blade’s visuals is its soundtrack. The music perfectly sets the tone, transitioning seamlessly from melancholic melodies in quieter moments to pulse-pounding scores during intense combat encounters. The voice acting, while not necessarily award-winning, does the job and helps to tell the story.

Stellar Blade is a must-play for fans of stylish action games

Stellar Blade is a thrilling action-adventure that delivers an exhilarating combat experience wrapped in a stylish, post-apocalyptic world. Drawing inspiration from NieR: Automata and Devil May Cry, the game blends fluid hack-and-slash mechanics with RPG progression systems to create a satisfying and challenging gameplay loop.

At the heart of Stellar Blade is Eve, a skilled warrior who must protect the remnants of humanity from the alien Naytiba threat. Her arsenal of sword combos, parries, and special abilities allows for a high skill ceiling, rewarding those who master the nuanced combat system. The variety of enemy types and boss encounters constantly kept me on my toes, which ensured the action never grew stale. While the game’s story may not have reached its full potential, it still manages to craft an interesting world filled with intriguing lore and characters. The game’s semi-open environments provide a nice balance, giving you more than enough opportunities for exploration and discovery without feeling bloated or overwhelming.

Overall, Stellar Blade is a triumphant debut for developer SHIFT UP. The game blends thrilling action, RPG depth, and a captivating post-apocalyptic setting into a cohesive and extremely satisfying experience. If you are a fan of stylish action games, Stellar Blade is an absolute must-play on the PlayStation 5.

Pros

Extremely satisfying fast-paced combat
RPG systems provide depth, with an impressive amount of abilities and combos to unlock and master
There’s a lot of content to explore, including open areas, side quests, and mini games