Stellar Blade’s combat and soundtrack shine, but its narrative and world lack substance. The main story is largely forgettable and marred by poor voice acting, while the side content is repetitive and unrewarding. There are many visually appealing action sequences brought about by challenging-but-fun souls-like enemies and boss encounters. However, the ‘fauxpen’ world surrounding the linear progression looks straight out of an Unreal Engine starter-pack. The character designs are cyberpunk-esque and genuinely cool, but the protagonist’s design made me embarrassed to call video-games art. Fans of over-the-top action and anime will enjoy, but those wanting a meaningful story should avoid.