Is this a game for gooners? Yes, but there's surprisingly way more depth than you would expect, considering all the vocal neck beards complaining about "censorship" and crying for refunds. At its core, Stellar Blade is a pretty fun action game with smooth combat, cool bosses, and a great soundtrack. The biggest shame here is that the story and characters never fully gripped me. I was intrigued by the world and what happened, but ultimately, I didn't love any of the answers. At the end of the day, it just felt like a watered-down Nier story. I firmly believe that if this game had a better story it would be put on a similar (if not the same) level as Nier Automata. Luckily for us, it looks like Kim Hyung Tae and Yoko Taro are bonding over each other's games and their love for android waifus. Hopefully, Yoko can share some of his storytelling wisdom with the team at Shift Up and give Eve's tale a little more depth in the future.
In conclusion, I feel there is a ton of untapped potential for the Stellar Blade sequel. With some minor tweaks in voice acting and a better script, we could have something very special on our hands.
In conclusion, I feel there is a ton of untapped potential for the Stellar Blade sequel. With some minor tweaks in voice acting and a better script, we could have something very special on our hands.
This is a solid game with a lack of depth. With time if this studio continues to make triple A games they will eventually make something that carries all the positives from this game and amplifies it.
Its combat is the strongest part of the game and found me heavily reminiscent of sekiro, all styles of parry & dodging brings flair to the combat which i thoroughly enjoyed, purple & blue dodges being my favourite.
With that being said, i was hoping that this game would have a great story to carry on its back but it does fall short in that area which is unfortunate but its not to say that its at least a average story that you can enjoy with the exciting combat set pieces. Having the youngest of the party be the one with the most personality shows the lack of depth in both EVE and Adam when big story beats and development moments are happening.
And can't deny what a great soundtrack it is that came with this game with both rebirth & this year ill be surprised if i don't see square enix not win for once. All boss themes, zone themes & specifically the resting area songs are complement the game and moments that are happening in the game.
The one big takeaway for me on this game is its evidence that giving the ability to unlock multiple costumes or search for new ones that you may have not found gives an idea into what life would be like if companies took this and put it into games where people have been begging for different appearances on characters without having some sort of paywall. I found myself having far too much enjoyment in finding a new costume and wearing it until finding the next one on my journey.
I think this is one of those games that has the ability to take its foundation and apply it to later titles that they may work on and improve towards making a game that reaches the standard of others in this category, this was a fresh approach and something different especially it being a Korean studio, the future seems bright for them.
Its combat is the strongest part of the game and found me heavily reminiscent of sekiro, all styles of parry & dodging brings flair to the combat which i thoroughly enjoyed, purple & blue dodges being my favourite.
With that being said, i was hoping that this game would have a great story to carry on its back but it does fall short in that area which is unfortunate but its not to say that its at least a average story that you can enjoy with the exciting combat set pieces. Having the youngest of the party be the one with the most personality shows the lack of depth in both EVE and Adam when big story beats and development moments are happening.
And can't deny what a great soundtrack it is that came with this game with both rebirth & this year ill be surprised if i don't see square enix not win for once. All boss themes, zone themes & specifically the resting area songs are complement the game and moments that are happening in the game.
The one big takeaway for me on this game is its evidence that giving the ability to unlock multiple costumes or search for new ones that you may have not found gives an idea into what life would be like if companies took this and put it into games where people have been begging for different appearances on characters without having some sort of paywall. I found myself having far too much enjoyment in finding a new costume and wearing it until finding the next one on my journey.
I think this is one of those games that has the ability to take its foundation and apply it to later titles that they may work on and improve towards making a game that reaches the standard of others in this category, this was a fresh approach and something different especially it being a Korean studio, the future seems bright for them.
11/10 Tragic Yuri.
"This feels like a PS2 Game" is one of the only ways I can describe this game, and I mean that in the most positive sense. There are so many mechanics and tidbits in this game in all aspects of its game play that some aren't even explained and you just have to try and learn it yourself. It gives me the feeling of devs who understand what their working with and want to push the envelope in just how much more they can fit into their game.
The story is pretty short, sweet, and to the point. It's a cool sci-fi story that's in a way is focused more on the characters rather than twists and turns. And I think that works in that the short, individual stories of the cast help build towards central ideas rather than feeling like you have a bunch of story lines that may or may not contribute to central themes.
Also, it's Yuri??? Just straight up women being affectionate and tender with each other with no strings attached of how they're totally just friends or anything of that sort. Totally unexpected but completely appreciated.
"This feels like a PS2 Game" is one of the only ways I can describe this game, and I mean that in the most positive sense. There are so many mechanics and tidbits in this game in all aspects of its game play that some aren't even explained and you just have to try and learn it yourself. It gives me the feeling of devs who understand what their working with and want to push the envelope in just how much more they can fit into their game.
The story is pretty short, sweet, and to the point. It's a cool sci-fi story that's in a way is focused more on the characters rather than twists and turns. And I think that works in that the short, individual stories of the cast help build towards central ideas rather than feeling like you have a bunch of story lines that may or may not contribute to central themes.
Also, it's Yuri??? Just straight up women being affectionate and tender with each other with no strings attached of how they're totally just friends or anything of that sort. Totally unexpected but completely appreciated.
it’s good overall, but it’s flaws hurt so much.
negatives: it’s open-world areas are so bad, idk if me disliking desert areas but having a true “sandbox” is an eyesore. lots of empty space 👎
story is something else, it’s a bit predictable but it’s also a lot of things at the same time and can’t tie those plotlines cohesively.
characters aren’t fleshed out a whole bunch, couldn’t be invested to the characters despite them looking cool :P
positives: excellent combat, the payoff for parrying is still satisfying countless fights later.
the music is incredibly good. it really amps up the atmosphere of a fight, especially the ones where you’re fighting another humanoid enemy.
there are a bunch of customization options: hair, eyewear, accessories, and like 30+ outfits. a little of everything for everyone. i personally stuck to the gothic/formal attire (cuz it took the entire fucking game to get, i’m gonna wear that shit)
the variety in bosses is a little lacking (4 repeats) but each of them are really cool to fight. even more rewarding to see the finishers eve performs at the end of each fight.
where the open world areas fail, the individual levels shine the most. pretty much any area outside of the wasteland is extremely pretty
negatives: it’s open-world areas are so bad, idk if me disliking desert areas but having a true “sandbox” is an eyesore. lots of empty space 👎
story is something else, it’s a bit predictable but it’s also a lot of things at the same time and can’t tie those plotlines cohesively.
characters aren’t fleshed out a whole bunch, couldn’t be invested to the characters despite them looking cool :P
positives: excellent combat, the payoff for parrying is still satisfying countless fights later.
the music is incredibly good. it really amps up the atmosphere of a fight, especially the ones where you’re fighting another humanoid enemy.
there are a bunch of customization options: hair, eyewear, accessories, and like 30+ outfits. a little of everything for everyone. i personally stuck to the gothic/formal attire (cuz it took the entire fucking game to get, i’m gonna wear that shit)
the variety in bosses is a little lacking (4 repeats) but each of them are really cool to fight. even more rewarding to see the finishers eve performs at the end of each fight.
where the open world areas fail, the individual levels shine the most. pretty much any area outside of the wasteland is extremely pretty
Its fun.
booty and sword, boss fight, booty entire screen with shiny big sword
I loved this game but I just hate sony and consoles..
Cant play on 4k 60+ fps (2024 gaming btw) and I'm stuck with this "balanced or quality" graphic settings that doesn't even say what it really does its so fucking stupid.
I loved this game but I just hate sony and consoles..
Cant play on 4k 60+ fps (2024 gaming btw) and I'm stuck with this "balanced or quality" graphic settings that doesn't even say what it really does its so fucking stupid.
I can't belive such a good game came from current sony
The MC is also very hot, and that's always a plus
Good music and good gameplay
The story is quite mediocre and thr environments are quite boring, but you'll probably be looking at something else anyway
Would be nice to have this game on PC too
The MC is also very hot, and that's always a plus
Good music and good gameplay
The story is quite mediocre and thr environments are quite boring, but you'll probably be looking at something else anyway
Would be nice to have this game on PC too
Nota 8: Muito bom. Stellar Blade merece um 8 alto. Tecnicamente é impressionante, roda muito bem para o nível de ação que oferece e o jogo ainda é bonito. Agora, tem defeitos, o open world é repetitivo, e tem umas missões que parece que só colocaram para encher linguiça. Se fosse um pouco mais objetivo, e a história fizesse um pouco mais de sentido, era 9 para cima. Mas assim, o combate carrega fácil, as lutas contra os chefes são incríveis, o design dos personagens e monstros é absurdo. Para um estúdio que fez um primeiro jogo para console, mandaram bem DEMAIS. Tem futuro.
Stellar Blade was a good time. I knew I was going to buy this game when I saw it on State of Play a couple months ago, because I am down horrendous, but I found the gameplay itself to actually be awesome.
The combat is legit some of the best I've ever seen in an ARPG. Hours of slashing enemies never got boring, even after my 20 or so hours in this game. The story didn't feel like it overstayed its welcome by any means, but was a little flat. I wasn't a big fan. A certain event in about the middle of the game picks up the stakes a little bit, but overall, I was here for two very large reasons..gameplay and more gameplay.
Jokes aside, the game is amazing, and I hope it doesn't only be known for Eve's design. The game is outstanding beyond that. I knew I'd like this game. A fresh IP coming to PlayStation. I had no idea I would REALLY have a good time. It kind of re-sparked my interest in new releases again after a lull in March.
I give Stellar Blade an 8!
The combat is legit some of the best I've ever seen in an ARPG. Hours of slashing enemies never got boring, even after my 20 or so hours in this game. The story didn't feel like it overstayed its welcome by any means, but was a little flat. I wasn't a big fan. A certain event in about the middle of the game picks up the stakes a little bit, but overall, I was here for two very large reasons..gameplay and more gameplay.
Jokes aside, the game is amazing, and I hope it doesn't only be known for Eve's design. The game is outstanding beyond that. I knew I'd like this game. A fresh IP coming to PlayStation. I had no idea I would REALLY have a good time. It kind of re-sparked my interest in new releases again after a lull in March.
I give Stellar Blade an 8!
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought. I assumed because its’ demo was slightly janky that it would be rough. What I found was a game that wasn’t entirely sure what it wanted to be, but the parrying/counter high defense system wasn’t bad. When all the counters worked for me, it was awesome to slide in and out of enemies whole flipping and slashing. The world was fun to explore and the fishing mini game is one of the best I’ve played in a long time. The story isn’t anything special but it was worth focusing on. Eve also isn’t bad to look at; a lot of her outfits are well designed even if they are overly fan servicey (not complaining).
A game like this shouldn't be this fun and exciting. Yeah, the plot and characters are super forgettable, the combat is not as flashy and smooth as Bayonetta or even Nier Automata, and the world feels kind of shallow. But for a game made by a Korean mobile game studio, a term I never put in the same breath as quality, this was a very good first try.
Seeing that there will be an eventual sequel, I hope they will improve many aspects of the game and maybe add some character to the world that it desperately needs. It needs to find it's own unique identity than just simply being a clone of other games that are better.
Seeing that there will be an eventual sequel, I hope they will improve many aspects of the game and maybe add some character to the world that it desperately needs. It needs to find it's own unique identity than just simply being a clone of other games that are better.
The most fun i've had with a game in 6 years.
It needs some technical tweaks and quality of life improvements, but overall it is amazing. The combat is top notch, it looks stylish as fuck and while the fetch quests are not top-of-the-line they still end up feeling like they matter.
It needs some technical tweaks and quality of life improvements, but overall it is amazing. The combat is top notch, it looks stylish as fuck and while the fetch quests are not top-of-the-line they still end up feeling like they matter.
I've had an eye on Stellar Blade since it got shown off in the September 2021 PlayStation showcase as it looked like something that had the opportunity to fill the action game void that has somewhat been growing throughout the past decade or so, and it looked a lot like NieR Automata, like, A LOT like NieR. Following this the game kinda lodged in the back of my head and I kind of forgot about to a degree until a couple months ago when more and more trailers and pre-release material kept coming out it became one of the most anticipated games of the year for me. I thought it could follow in the footsteps of recent masterpieces in the genre like Stranger of Paradise: FFO and cement itself as a really worthy title in the genre. After just coming off of finishing it, did it?
I'd say so, its a really fun title with a really solid combat system and surprisingly solid level design and platforming. However, one of the biggest observations from the initial reveal would end up being the games biggest fault. It really, REALLY, wants to be NieR so bad to a detriment. The world, soundtrack (which is still very good), and especially its story can come off as a straight-to-DVD ripoff regardless of how well they do it. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest when I say this game literally has the same exact plot-twist of the NieR games (and Adam must want to be Genesis from FF7 so bad because he seems to have studied his yapping classes real well). Which sucks because the game is very much at its best when it decides to do its own thing especially environmentally. Some of the late game areas of some of sickest looking areas I've ever seen but then they decide to have both the more open areas to just be somewhat generic desert areas.
Combat is as expected the highlight of the game. The skill progression is pretty well done until the last third of the game where you kind of already have all the cool abilities causing combat to get slightly repetitive near the end. I think more weapon types would have greatly added to the combat in giving more variety. The late game bosses were beating my ass but they provided a very fun and fair challenge.
It actually reminds me a lot of Sonic Frontiers, its very fun and mechanically strong but lacking in carving out its own style and identity. Somewhat unrelated but finding different outfits was a very fun way to reward exploration and something that I almost find under-utilized in the modern gaming landscape.
And that last line I feel sums up my thoughts, while it wears it influences on its sleeve a little too much, it still feels like a breath of fresh air from the recent gaming landscape and SHIFT UP should be extremally proud of what they created especially given its their first full console title and one of my bigger takeaways is that I really hope Sony rebuilds their focus on the Eastern market they've really seem to have lost over the the past console generation so we can get more titles like this and hopefully a sequel of some sort that can be an all-timer if focus is put in the right areas.
(blame the scatter brained review on the brain damage i received once twitter got their hands on the game)
I'd say so, its a really fun title with a really solid combat system and surprisingly solid level design and platforming. However, one of the biggest observations from the initial reveal would end up being the games biggest fault. It really, REALLY, wants to be NieR so bad to a detriment. The world, soundtrack (which is still very good), and especially its story can come off as a straight-to-DVD ripoff regardless of how well they do it. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest when I say this game literally has the same exact plot-twist of the NieR games (and Adam must want to be Genesis from FF7 so bad because he seems to have studied his yapping classes real well). Which sucks because the game is very much at its best when it decides to do its own thing especially environmentally. Some of the late game areas of some of sickest looking areas I've ever seen but then they decide to have both the more open areas to just be somewhat generic desert areas.
Combat is as expected the highlight of the game. The skill progression is pretty well done until the last third of the game where you kind of already have all the cool abilities causing combat to get slightly repetitive near the end. I think more weapon types would have greatly added to the combat in giving more variety. The late game bosses were beating my ass but they provided a very fun and fair challenge.
It actually reminds me a lot of Sonic Frontiers, its very fun and mechanically strong but lacking in carving out its own style and identity. Somewhat unrelated but finding different outfits was a very fun way to reward exploration and something that I almost find under-utilized in the modern gaming landscape.
And that last line I feel sums up my thoughts, while it wears it influences on its sleeve a little too much, it still feels like a breath of fresh air from the recent gaming landscape and SHIFT UP should be extremally proud of what they created especially given its their first full console title and one of my bigger takeaways is that I really hope Sony rebuilds their focus on the Eastern market they've really seem to have lost over the the past console generation so we can get more titles like this and hopefully a sequel of some sort that can be an all-timer if focus is put in the right areas.
(blame the scatter brained review on the brain damage i received once twitter got their hands on the game)
Esse é um jogo complicado, seus pontos altos são bem altos e seus baixos, bem baixos, mas, ele acerta no que importa para mim nesse tipo de jogo, gameplay. A história não é ruim, mas também não é boa, porém o combate é tão bom que compensa tudo.
Como um jogo, mecanicamente, ele é otimo e bem polido, mas como arte....Ele não é bom. Mas ai vem o fator determinante, o tanto que isso pesa nessa avaliação, eu já fui esperando isso, não esperava nenhuma expressão artística e sim apertar botão apenas. Não acho que ele é péssimo nas partes onde ele não acerta, mas não passa de mediocre nelas, a história tem boas ideias, mas a execução é pessima, a direção de arte não tem identidade, tem poucos cenarios que gosto ou designs que acho inspirados, e o elefante na sala...Nier Automata... Esta sempre presente, o jogo tenta emular tanto ele que as vezes incomoda. Ate em um dos melhores aspectos do jogo, a OST ele lembra Nier, mas nesse ponto pelo menos as musicas são otimas, mas não posso dizer o mesmo da ambientação e design de inimigos, tem raros exemplos no game que eu gostei desses aspectos. Agora, eu que prezo por jogos com um cunho artístico, porque eu gostei tanto do jogo? Pois tem outra coisa que prezo também, um sistema de combate viciante e prazeroso. Ele me lembrou de Sekiro, e com isso ja tocou num ponto fraco meu, e apesar das comparações não acho que o combate copia outros jogos, é uma boa mistura de Souls com hack and slash, tem um grande foco em parry como Sekiro mas tem muitas características de um character action, o combate desse jogo é genuinamente excelente e bem pensado, muito acima de todo o resto, Os chefes também são um ponto muito positivo, o design de vários não me agrada, mas as lutas em si acho otimas e divertidas. A OST que já citei é fenomenal e ajuda muito a deixar a experiência de jogar, mais interessante, o level design também é bem competente e eu não esperava, o jogo também consegue entregar uma variedade surpreendente de sistemas, alguns são spoiler, mas isso foi bem positivo, as side quests tem algumas legais mas nada a mais.
A parte técnica tbm impressiona, zero bugs e problemas de performance.
Mas no geral é isso, otimo jogo pra quem quer só matar coisas e caçar skins pra Eve. Mas não recomendo pra quem quer tirar algo a mais dele, ou se conectar com o mundo e personagens.
Como um jogo, mecanicamente, ele é otimo e bem polido, mas como arte....Ele não é bom. Mas ai vem o fator determinante, o tanto que isso pesa nessa avaliação, eu já fui esperando isso, não esperava nenhuma expressão artística e sim apertar botão apenas. Não acho que ele é péssimo nas partes onde ele não acerta, mas não passa de mediocre nelas, a história tem boas ideias, mas a execução é pessima, a direção de arte não tem identidade, tem poucos cenarios que gosto ou designs que acho inspirados, e o elefante na sala...Nier Automata... Esta sempre presente, o jogo tenta emular tanto ele que as vezes incomoda. Ate em um dos melhores aspectos do jogo, a OST ele lembra Nier, mas nesse ponto pelo menos as musicas são otimas, mas não posso dizer o mesmo da ambientação e design de inimigos, tem raros exemplos no game que eu gostei desses aspectos. Agora, eu que prezo por jogos com um cunho artístico, porque eu gostei tanto do jogo? Pois tem outra coisa que prezo também, um sistema de combate viciante e prazeroso. Ele me lembrou de Sekiro, e com isso ja tocou num ponto fraco meu, e apesar das comparações não acho que o combate copia outros jogos, é uma boa mistura de Souls com hack and slash, tem um grande foco em parry como Sekiro mas tem muitas características de um character action, o combate desse jogo é genuinamente excelente e bem pensado, muito acima de todo o resto, Os chefes também são um ponto muito positivo, o design de vários não me agrada, mas as lutas em si acho otimas e divertidas. A OST que já citei é fenomenal e ajuda muito a deixar a experiência de jogar, mais interessante, o level design também é bem competente e eu não esperava, o jogo também consegue entregar uma variedade surpreendente de sistemas, alguns são spoiler, mas isso foi bem positivo, as side quests tem algumas legais mas nada a mais.
A parte técnica tbm impressiona, zero bugs e problemas de performance.
Mas no geral é isso, otimo jogo pra quem quer só matar coisas e caçar skins pra Eve. Mas não recomendo pra quem quer tirar algo a mais dele, ou se conectar com o mundo e personagens.
Максимально хорни игра с крутой боевкой и боссами и неплохими сайдами, но со спорной философией солслайков и слабым опен-ворлдом.
Stellar Blade ist für mich eines der Spiele, die ich gemeinsam mit z.B. einem Returnal, ohne lang darüber nachdenken zu müssen, nennen würde, wenn mich jemand fragt für welche Exclusives sich auf der PS5 so richtig lohnen. Das Kampfsystem macht richtig Laune, die Steuerung ist bis auf ein paar Plattforming Passagen on Point und das Spiel sieht dabei unfassbar gut aus und man merkt, wie viel Arbeit und Eifer in dieses Projekt geflossen ist. Lediglich die Story selbst fand ich gegen Ende doch etwas zu klischeehaft, aber insgesamt wurde ich über die ganze Spieldauer trotzdem gut unterhalten und vor allem die gut erzählten Nebenquests machen das dann fast schon wieder vergessen.
this ain't it, not feeling it played 2-3 hours
The bland mission structure (blocking the path and finding items mainly codes to move forward), bland art style, mid storytelling but the gameplay is good.
maybe If I played it a year later I might enjoy it but atm not in the mindset to play an okaish game
The bland mission structure (blocking the path and finding items mainly codes to move forward), bland art style, mid storytelling but the gameplay is good.
maybe If I played it a year later I might enjoy it but atm not in the mindset to play an okaish game
Eve would go insane if she was around for the time when Baja Blast was only at Taco Bell
Having now beat it twice, I feel pretty conflicted on this game. The combat and bosses can be really awesome when they get a chance to shine. The music has clear inspirations but is beautiful all the same. However, most of the story has no heart, the writing is terrible, the side missions are almost exclusively mid, and the art direction has no cohesion.
The only thing more stale than most of this game is the conversation surrounding it. But when the game has as hype as a final few hours as it does, its hard to not be excited for a possible sequel
The only thing more stale than most of this game is the conversation surrounding it. But when the game has as hype as a final few hours as it does, its hard to not be excited for a possible sequel
It’s really a shame that reactions to Stellar Blade are more focused on the fanservice or the coomer reactions. You got one group of people who just focus on the fanservice and hail the game to be the savior of sexualized women in gaming, and then you got the other group who view the game in a negative light because of the first group. And you know what? I can’t even blame them because the first group is really insufferable.
I don't care in the slightest about Stellar Blade having a "sexy" protagonist. I saw a trailer for it once and was immediately interested, because of how fun and unique it looked.
But coomers saw the female Protagonist’s butt and were obnoxious about it ever since. Like come on, it’s bottom of the barrel fanservice you’re going all crazy for. Literally everything I've seen about this game online is people with underaged anime character avatars cream their pants over how this game is "destroying wokeness" or whatever. Nothing against Eve, because she is really pretty and I actually really like her, but she looks like every female character in every korean MMO ever made. It's like people going to war over white bread. Apparently, these guys are now whining about censorship, signing petitions, and making videos of themselves (they look about as you'd expect) about why their cause matters lmao. These pathetic gamerbros will never not be incredibly annoying and cringe to me.
Because Stellar Blade is just so much more. Picture all those apocalyptic gachas and their really great world-building, fantastic atmosphere but really cheap and dull (chibi) gameplay, then amp it up to AAA levels – that's the magic of Stellar Blade.
The environments are beautifully crafted and the atmospheric soundtrack is another aspect I deeply appreciate and thoroughly enjoyed in this game. There's nothing quite like losing yourself in a captivating melody as you journey through vast, lonely landscapes and cities. Just like Nier, Stellar Blade really nailed its soundtrack.
The gameplay is just so much fun and showcases an exceptional level of refinement and polish. Every movement, dodge and parry hit the mark perfectly. The more skills you unlock, the cooler and more fun the combat gets. There's never a dull moment - the gameplay remains consistently exciting and stylish from start to finish.
I found the plot to be really intriguing, and I really enjoyed uncovering plenty of secrets and snippets of lore. But what really surprised me were the sidequests. Sure, some were usual filler content, but most served to make the world feel alive and deepened the lore. Completing them was enjoyable, they never felt like a chore. So good job there.
Oh, and I'm pleasantly surprised by Eve! Initially, I expected her to be the typical "waifu" (ugh, I hate that word), merely there for visual appeal with little personality beyond conforming to generic “anime girl” tropes. Most of these tropes revolve around being “innocent”, "naive" or a "sweet flower girl." But Eve defies those expectations, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Even though Stellar Blade took huge inspiration from Nier and other apocalyptic gacha games, it's still an extremely unique and fun game that everyone should give a chance. Don't listen to the manchildren throwing tantrums or all the buzz about the “fanservice," which is honestly vastly overexaggerated due to some optional skins. Honestly, aside from the optional skins, there are absolutely no horny aspects present in the game.
There are just so many little touches to the point where you can tell the developers really cared about making this game great, and they succeeded. Stellar Blade is simply a beautiful game.
I don't care in the slightest about Stellar Blade having a "sexy" protagonist. I saw a trailer for it once and was immediately interested, because of how fun and unique it looked.
But coomers saw the female Protagonist’s butt and were obnoxious about it ever since. Like come on, it’s bottom of the barrel fanservice you’re going all crazy for. Literally everything I've seen about this game online is people with underaged anime character avatars cream their pants over how this game is "destroying wokeness" or whatever. Nothing against Eve, because she is really pretty and I actually really like her, but she looks like every female character in every korean MMO ever made. It's like people going to war over white bread. Apparently, these guys are now whining about censorship, signing petitions, and making videos of themselves (they look about as you'd expect) about why their cause matters lmao. These pathetic gamerbros will never not be incredibly annoying and cringe to me.
Because Stellar Blade is just so much more. Picture all those apocalyptic gachas and their really great world-building, fantastic atmosphere but really cheap and dull (chibi) gameplay, then amp it up to AAA levels – that's the magic of Stellar Blade.
The environments are beautifully crafted and the atmospheric soundtrack is another aspect I deeply appreciate and thoroughly enjoyed in this game. There's nothing quite like losing yourself in a captivating melody as you journey through vast, lonely landscapes and cities. Just like Nier, Stellar Blade really nailed its soundtrack.
The gameplay is just so much fun and showcases an exceptional level of refinement and polish. Every movement, dodge and parry hit the mark perfectly. The more skills you unlock, the cooler and more fun the combat gets. There's never a dull moment - the gameplay remains consistently exciting and stylish from start to finish.
I found the plot to be really intriguing, and I really enjoyed uncovering plenty of secrets and snippets of lore. But what really surprised me were the sidequests. Sure, some were usual filler content, but most served to make the world feel alive and deepened the lore. Completing them was enjoyable, they never felt like a chore. So good job there.
Oh, and I'm pleasantly surprised by Eve! Initially, I expected her to be the typical "waifu" (ugh, I hate that word), merely there for visual appeal with little personality beyond conforming to generic “anime girl” tropes. Most of these tropes revolve around being “innocent”, "naive" or a "sweet flower girl." But Eve defies those expectations, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Even though Stellar Blade took huge inspiration from Nier and other apocalyptic gacha games, it's still an extremely unique and fun game that everyone should give a chance. Don't listen to the manchildren throwing tantrums or all the buzz about the “fanservice," which is honestly vastly overexaggerated due to some optional skins. Honestly, aside from the optional skins, there are absolutely no horny aspects present in the game.
There are just so many little touches to the point where you can tell the developers really cared about making this game great, and they succeeded. Stellar Blade is simply a beautiful game.
Pretty good action game. I'm a bit annoyed about the sexualization cause Eve is a good female character, not the best but still good. The plot is good and clearly has inspiration but at the same time is unique on its way.
The soundtrack is so catchy and have many bangers. Very recomendable if you like Sekiro or NieR Automata, even when it has more Astral Chain vibes than Automata tbh. The worldbuilding, side quests and lore are very well structured and the characters and enemy designs are fantastic. Will we see Stellar Blade 2? Who knows.
The soundtrack is so catchy and have many bangers. Very recomendable if you like Sekiro or NieR Automata, even when it has more Astral Chain vibes than Automata tbh. The worldbuilding, side quests and lore are very well structured and the characters and enemy designs are fantastic. Will we see Stellar Blade 2? Who knows.
This review contains spoilers
A breath of fresh air for Sony's catalog this generation. A game that takes cues from many sources and makes it all it's own thing in a very compelling and polished package.
The success here mostly stems from the gameplay inspirations. The game likes throwing curveballs at you. I can't be the only one to notice the levoire sections that play like straight out of dead space. Nier is likely the biggest inspiration here, but with the expanded gunplay and more reactive combat akin to souls/MGR, Stellar Blade manages to stand on its own.
The combat opens up in a big way, requiring high awareness from you by the end of the game with 3 different meters to manage and diverse utility to spend the meter on. While you wont be launching enemies and juggling them in this game, this is far from your soulslike affair where your primary and almost only concern is parrying/dodging. Strong usage of combos and meter moves can stun lock enemies and might as well be identical in utility to air juggles in other action games. You have access to many moves, and with how most of the damage you deal/meter you gain is back loaded in combos, you have to carefully consider what opening allows for shorter or longer combos.
That is not to say defense is neglected, far from it. You have parries and dodges as well as two specific counters depending on telegraph similar to the Mikiri counter in Sekiro. What makes these options more interesting in this game is that you can commit to immediate counters after a parry/perfect dodge and spend meter to increase damage output from the counter. This opens you up to getting clipped by fairly slow followups, It's a nice way to incentivise taking risks for a more damaging punish. I'd say the only thing missing here to get the full character action game label is unlocking different weapons, but the variety on offer here does make me inclined to put it up there with them.
It's kind of a shame that both open world sections are themed the same, as the areas are relatively well put together otherwise. A design reminiscent from Nier, it avoids that "checklisty" feel many other open worlds have. Landmarks are very obvious and accepting side quests naturally makes you explore most of the relevant points on the map, minimizing pointless wandering. I do take issue with the constant use of "push the box" type puzzles. Once or twice is fine, but when I have to push a box very slowly like 5 times per map, youre starting to lose me. When you start throwing enemies at me as I push the box, Im just gonna get more annoyed especially with how long it takes to let go of the box for some reason.
There are some UX issues which drag the experience on these open world maps down. For one, I dont get why it's not possible to teleport to a checkpoint from any point on the map, so much wasted time having to run back to a nearby telephone. On top of that, some of the camps dont show up as teleport points for god knows what reason. While I generally enjoyed the open world sections, Im not gonna make a secret of the fact that I preferred the linear maps much more. The on rails and set piece driven progression of these maps makes for a better paced experience. Though the actual variance of these maps is appreciated as well, having to go through 2 open world deserts gets tiring.
Where this game truly falters is in its shitty story. The main trio speak to each other like dead fish, the sporadic attempts at banter fall completely flat with how dry the voice direction is.
All the plot threads are predictable here, this isnt necessarily a bad thing but the execution here is uninteresting, mainly held back by the awful character writing again. The final reveal ended up being unintentionally hilarious. This dude Adam has spent the entire game being a lame nerd side kick with barely any personality to speak of, but now the game is trying to pull the "dear friend was actually the final boss all along" type lol. There was absolutely 0 reason given for you to care about this development, the dialog was completely embarrassing to boot.
I still want to comment on the audiovisual experience. The soundtrack is phenomenal, I know im blaspheming here for some but I actually prefer the ost in Stellar blade to most of keiichi Okabe's work on Yoko Taro's games. The mostly vocal tracks really stand out, usually this type of song is not featured in games so frequently due to how vocal tracks can often distract from actual gameplay. It takes tremendous skill to pull off vocal tracks so consistently within a game, but going for it does ensure you will stand out.
Something also has to be said for Day 1 performance. Locked 60 frames with upsampling, decently attractive models, standard baked lighting and no fear of letting the art design do the talking. The restraint and polish shown here is commendable, especially in todays reality where devs are more concerned with implementing the latest features without consideration for how it will look or run in end product. My only wish is of course a pc version, as I'd be able to clean up the image further and run at higher frame rate. Eh, guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer for the inevitable port.
The success here mostly stems from the gameplay inspirations. The game likes throwing curveballs at you. I can't be the only one to notice the levoire sections that play like straight out of dead space. Nier is likely the biggest inspiration here, but with the expanded gunplay and more reactive combat akin to souls/MGR, Stellar Blade manages to stand on its own.
The combat opens up in a big way, requiring high awareness from you by the end of the game with 3 different meters to manage and diverse utility to spend the meter on. While you wont be launching enemies and juggling them in this game, this is far from your soulslike affair where your primary and almost only concern is parrying/dodging. Strong usage of combos and meter moves can stun lock enemies and might as well be identical in utility to air juggles in other action games. You have access to many moves, and with how most of the damage you deal/meter you gain is back loaded in combos, you have to carefully consider what opening allows for shorter or longer combos.
That is not to say defense is neglected, far from it. You have parries and dodges as well as two specific counters depending on telegraph similar to the Mikiri counter in Sekiro. What makes these options more interesting in this game is that you can commit to immediate counters after a parry/perfect dodge and spend meter to increase damage output from the counter. This opens you up to getting clipped by fairly slow followups, It's a nice way to incentivise taking risks for a more damaging punish. I'd say the only thing missing here to get the full character action game label is unlocking different weapons, but the variety on offer here does make me inclined to put it up there with them.
It's kind of a shame that both open world sections are themed the same, as the areas are relatively well put together otherwise. A design reminiscent from Nier, it avoids that "checklisty" feel many other open worlds have. Landmarks are very obvious and accepting side quests naturally makes you explore most of the relevant points on the map, minimizing pointless wandering. I do take issue with the constant use of "push the box" type puzzles. Once or twice is fine, but when I have to push a box very slowly like 5 times per map, youre starting to lose me. When you start throwing enemies at me as I push the box, Im just gonna get more annoyed especially with how long it takes to let go of the box for some reason.
There are some UX issues which drag the experience on these open world maps down. For one, I dont get why it's not possible to teleport to a checkpoint from any point on the map, so much wasted time having to run back to a nearby telephone. On top of that, some of the camps dont show up as teleport points for god knows what reason. While I generally enjoyed the open world sections, Im not gonna make a secret of the fact that I preferred the linear maps much more. The on rails and set piece driven progression of these maps makes for a better paced experience. Though the actual variance of these maps is appreciated as well, having to go through 2 open world deserts gets tiring.
Where this game truly falters is in its shitty story. The main trio speak to each other like dead fish, the sporadic attempts at banter fall completely flat with how dry the voice direction is.
All the plot threads are predictable here, this isnt necessarily a bad thing but the execution here is uninteresting, mainly held back by the awful character writing again. The final reveal ended up being unintentionally hilarious. This dude Adam has spent the entire game being a lame nerd side kick with barely any personality to speak of, but now the game is trying to pull the "dear friend was actually the final boss all along" type lol. There was absolutely 0 reason given for you to care about this development, the dialog was completely embarrassing to boot.
I still want to comment on the audiovisual experience. The soundtrack is phenomenal, I know im blaspheming here for some but I actually prefer the ost in Stellar blade to most of keiichi Okabe's work on Yoko Taro's games. The mostly vocal tracks really stand out, usually this type of song is not featured in games so frequently due to how vocal tracks can often distract from actual gameplay. It takes tremendous skill to pull off vocal tracks so consistently within a game, but going for it does ensure you will stand out.
Something also has to be said for Day 1 performance. Locked 60 frames with upsampling, decently attractive models, standard baked lighting and no fear of letting the art design do the talking. The restraint and polish shown here is commendable, especially in todays reality where devs are more concerned with implementing the latest features without consideration for how it will look or run in end product. My only wish is of course a pc version, as I'd be able to clean up the image further and run at higher frame rate. Eh, guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer for the inevitable port.
Amazing game, combat, exploration, environments, level design, music etc all fantastic only weaknesses are the characters and story. I think the stories idea was excellent just some missteps in execution. Would love to see a sequel
I’m left speechless with how perfect this game is and how special this game to me from the get go I felt the connection the joy it reminded me the reason why I love video game it’s pure joy and fun throughout the journey of eve it’s rich with its lore , stories , deep meaning to humanity and earth ,the outstanding balanced difficulty the gameplay mechanisms is the soul of the game it makes you feel the moves feel the challenge feel the fights ,the platforming to exploring the worlds the gorgeous songs to the beautiful direction to a bugfree game with an outstanding graphics everything is close to perfection would have loved if the maps were a bit detailed in some chapters overall it’s a perfect action game shift up got a fan now can’t wait for thire next projects and thank you for making a pure video game
Stellar Blade is simply stellar! An astoundingly great action game, with loads of combat abilities doled out nicely throughout the game, paired with a lot of great enemy variety and superb pacing and encounter design.
With a focus on parrying or perfect dodging enemy attacks to deal with them, clear animation cues and responsive controls are key. The game mostly succeeds at this, though some bosses have attack strings that are pretty dang hard to escape without a scratch.
The animation on Eve's abilities are very polished and a ton of fun to see and experience over and over again. It feels so satisfying to perfectly anticipate and counter an incoming attack after failing to do so a few times, knowing it was your own skill that gets rewarded.
The game also runs practically flawlessly while looking great at high resolution. It's not aiming for the kind of visuals in the absolute cutting edge games these days, but it's always appealing and, importantly, pretty much always free of any technical hiccups.
There are loads of outfits and customization options, it's so much fun trying out new clothes and hairstyles for Eve, and the game is constantly giving you new ones as you progress and explore.
The game's biggest flaw is probably the English localization, with a lot of awkward conversations, especially in incidental dialogue with minor NPCS. Important cutscenes fare better, but still fall short compared to even decent efforts in other localized media. The music is also somewhat hit or miss; some tracks are very good, others are just ok.
All together it's just a fantastic time and super enjoyable to play. Very glad I got to experience it.
With a focus on parrying or perfect dodging enemy attacks to deal with them, clear animation cues and responsive controls are key. The game mostly succeeds at this, though some bosses have attack strings that are pretty dang hard to escape without a scratch.
The animation on Eve's abilities are very polished and a ton of fun to see and experience over and over again. It feels so satisfying to perfectly anticipate and counter an incoming attack after failing to do so a few times, knowing it was your own skill that gets rewarded.
The game also runs practically flawlessly while looking great at high resolution. It's not aiming for the kind of visuals in the absolute cutting edge games these days, but it's always appealing and, importantly, pretty much always free of any technical hiccups.
There are loads of outfits and customization options, it's so much fun trying out new clothes and hairstyles for Eve, and the game is constantly giving you new ones as you progress and explore.
The game's biggest flaw is probably the English localization, with a lot of awkward conversations, especially in incidental dialogue with minor NPCS. Important cutscenes fare better, but still fall short compared to even decent efforts in other localized media. The music is also somewhat hit or miss; some tracks are very good, others are just ok.
All together it's just a fantastic time and super enjoyable to play. Very glad I got to experience it.
Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda. Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda. Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda. Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda. Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda. Bate nos monstros, pega cartão, abre porta, bunda.
Old school action game in it's global structure (that's a positive), modern et sleek combat gameplay that don't rely on realistic movements or clunky hits.
Far from perfect overall, plot is fine but writing is cringe af, level design is meh, plateform sections are hard for nothing at times and the first 80% of the game are a bit too easy on the first run.
But combat is close to perfection, and the problems the game has are not enough to overshadow the main qualities and focus of it.
Far from perfect overall, plot is fine but writing is cringe af, level design is meh, plateform sections are hard for nothing at times and the first 80% of the game are a bit too easy on the first run.
But combat is close to perfection, and the problems the game has are not enough to overshadow the main qualities and focus of it.
Great :)
This game is awesome. Combat is great and EVE is hot as hell. The story is dumb as shit and the characters suck, that's what holds this back. Honestly if the story was just deleted I'd probably bump this to 4.5 stars, super super fun action game.
Great combat and music, pretty bad story