Stellar Blade Feels Like the Start of an Exciting New Saga
Inverse Score: 8/10
Understanding what it means to be human can be a complex issue. As Eve explores a post-apocalyptic Earth searching for monstrous creatures called Naytibas, the question of humanity becomes a central theme. Humans and Naytibas alike roam the planet, but what’s really happening here? Throughout her journey, Eve will visit underground caverns in search of answers as history slowly unfolds.
Stellar Blade offers a story about sacrifice interwoven with religious themes combined with challenging combat and stylish graphics. South Korean studio Shift Up's first console game delivers a narrative that will make you question what it really means to be human, while also requiring split-second timing in battle if you want to live to tell the tale.
Also read: Stellar Blade and the Male Gaze
Combat With Style
I would often wait until an enemy lunged, block their weapon, and then immediately launch one of Eve's beta abilities, such as Shock Wave, to maximize damage.
Stellar Blade is all about combat, and that’s where the game truly shines. Combat requires patience and precision, and rushing into battle without a game plan will result in failure more often than not. Throughout my many battles, I discovered that while a good offensive strategy is important, defense is even more crucial. Being able to block an enemy's attack at just the right moment to parry with one of my own is often the determining factor of whether or not I survive each encounter. I would often wait until an enemy lunged, block their weapon, and then immediately launch one of Eve's beta abilities, such as Shock Wave, to maximize damage.
Some boss fights can be brutal, but for those who might not have much experience with this type of game, there are two different difficulty settings to choose from. Those who like "soulsborne" action will want to go with the standard difficulty, which offers a great challenge that tests your skills as the game progresses. Stellar Blade also features a "story" mode, which slightly drops the difficulty. To be clear, there are battles in this game that offer a substantial challenge regardless of the difficulty selected, but for those who might not be used to this style of combat or game, "story" mode is the way to go due to its more forgiving nature. Stellar Blade also has different assists such as the ability to automatically collect items or turning on “Action Assist” which will help with actions that require timing. These assists can be turned on to increase your chances of survival, regardless of difficulty setting.
Traversing A Barren Landscape
Much of the world around Eve is a desolate wasteland.
When I wasn't fighting for my life, I was traversing Stellar Blade’s post-apocalyptic version of Earth, which includes some tricky platforming sections. The game’s controls can be described as "floaty" which makes jumping between platforms surprisingly difficult at times. I often either jumped too far or Eve would land on the platform but then run off it before I could stop her. Hopefully, Shift Up can fix this in a future update.
Much of the world around Eve is a desolate wasteland thanks to the final battle. There is a wasteland to cross, one last city that functions as a (somewhat) safe haven, a network of underground facilities, and more. The setting and sword-wielding female protagonist for Stellar Blade feels like Nier Automata mixed with combat reminiscent of Sekiro.
As the story unfolds, Eve's belief system comes into question. Her mission revolves around eliminating the Naytiba. But as she discovers their origins and what exactly happened to humanity, she begins to question everything she was led to believe — including the leadership of this world’s central religious figure, a deity known as the Mother Sphere. Eve's internal conflict isn't a groundbreaking narrative in any way — especially if you’ve played Nier Automata before — but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
A Solid First Attempt by Shift Up
Looking back at my time with Stellar Blade, I believe it has the potential to turn into a franchise instead of just a one off deal.
Stellar Blade is the first attempt at a big console game by the team at Shift Up, and it is a success overall. My two big complaints about the platforming controls being too "floaty" and the story being a bit predictable at times don't take away from my overall experience. The combat is challenging and demands to be taken seriously, and that’s where the game truly shines even if the story is often too predictable.
Looking back at my time with Stellar Blade, I believe it has the potential to turn into a franchise instead of just a one off deal. There is still a good deal of story to tell involving Mother Sphere, potentially even a prequel so we can see how things got so bad on Earth in the first place. With Stellar Blade being just the second game from this South Korean studio, the future looks incredibly bright.
8/10
Stellar Blade launches exclusively for PlayStation 5 on April 26.
INVERSE VIDEO GAME REVIEW ETHOS: Every Inverse video game review answers two questions: Is this game worth your time? Are you getting what you pay for? We have no tolerance for endless fetch quests, clunky mechanics, or bugs that dilute the experience. We care deeply about a game’s design, world-building, character arcs, and storytelling come together. Inverse will never punch down, but we aren’t afraid to punch up. We love magic and science-fiction in equal measure, and as much as we love experiencing rich stories and worlds through games, we won’t ignore the real-world context in which those games are made.
