When the first big trailer for Stellar Blade aired on a State of Play, it was impossible not to automatically think of NieR: Automata. The Shift Up game’s inspiration from Yoko Taro’s masterpiece was clear: protagonist, combat, setting and soundtrack screamed NieR, but fortunately, amidst a sea of other not-so-subtle references, Stellar Blade manages to find its own identity .
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The game is the first project for consoles from the Shift Up studio, which until then focused on mobile games. Its execution had a lot of help from Sony, which saw potential in the game and sponsored it, taking over its publication internationally and placing it as one of the few PlayStation 5 exclusives that will come out in 2024.
For players, the potential became clearer with the demo, which already gave a taste of the frenetic combat that the game would bring. Not only that, an extremely interesting character design, especially with regard to the villains, was also present — and this single aspect would be enough to make the game stand out. Throughout the entire campaign, the terrifying appearance of each boss surprises you.
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For those who haven’t played the preview yet, or haven’t followed the trailers that much, Stellar Blade is set on an Earth destroyed by the horrendous Naytibas, evil beings who were responsible for the near extinction of humans. The player’s mission is to retake the planet by defeating Elder Naytiba, controlling the protagonist EVE.
Speaking of EVE, we can now get the elephant in the room out of the way: yes, the protagonist is quite sexualized and, in one of the first scenes of the game I already had the thought of “What am I getting myself into?”, but during the more After 20 hours of gameplay, this controversy is much less present than I imagined.
Of course, EVE has several clothing options, including some very short ones and even the option of being practically naked, but there are less explicit outfits. I even dare to say that, in cutscenes, the emphasis on the protagonist’s private parts is perhaps less than in games that haven’t received as much attention in this regard — hello, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Returning to the game, EVE is helped by two companions in the mission to find Elder Naytiba: Adam and Lily. The first, a human survivor, and the second, a war engineer. The voices of both will be your company throughout the campaign, which alternates very linear phases with sequences that flirt with the open world.
The pair of friends counterbalance EVE’s almost negative charisma, which is not at all expressive and brings her best moments with her lack of knowledge of Earthly customs, as she was raised in space.
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Before reaching the Ancient One, EVE still needs to defeat the powerful Alpha Naytibas. Fortunately, the arsenal to accomplish this mission is quite vast, and that’s where the game shines.
In addition to the sword, we also have a machine gun, four skills activated with L1, four more on R1, and the classic enhanced form — like the Spartan Fury from God of War. This is all dictated by several skill trees, which unlock combos each time more creative and complex, as well as modifications to EVE’s body, which improve her attributes.
It’s a lot, but mastering the more difficult combinations is greatly rewarded, as the damage compared to the basic sequence of pressing square several times is much greater.
If you played the demo, what is available there, even in the battle against the second boss, at a more advanced point in the game, is just a fraction of everything the protagonist can perform. The game introduces you to new skills until, practically, the beginning of its last act, and you can be sure that you will need to master a good number of them to be able to beat the most powerful bosses.
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Knowing all this, the beginning of Stellar Blade may seem a little slow. The action in fights towards the end of the campaign is incredible, but the first stages drag on a little. Still, the escalation of action in the last hours of the game rewards the wait, and a New Game+, which is already confirmed to arrive in the future, will go down very well.
The action even scales along with the difficulty. The game ends with a very difficult boss rush, which uses pyrotechnics in battles that are close to soulslike: the last four bosses are very complicated and the player will need to use all the skills they have unlocked so far. The parry system, which eventually allows for more powerful attacks, is also a great ally in this challenge.
Responsive controls and extremely well-made animations go a long way toward easing the weight of these battles. After all, the game draws from the same source as NieR, which has one of the most enjoyable combats in recent years; Stellar Blade is a little more complicated and requires more precision, but the satisfaction of combos and parries is still very present.
Leaving the battlefield, Stellar Blade also satisfies in the details: there are several types of puzzles to unlock chests and new items; It’s worth exploring every corner of the scenarios to find hidden elements — whether it’s a new outfit for EVE or crafting items to improve your arsenal.
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Even in the calm of the supply fields, where the protagonist rests, it is easy to see the care taken in trivial animations, such as inserting a coin into a soda machine.
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In short, the Shift Up game is very competent as an action game. The story paths are very predictable and full of foreshadowings that are not at all hidden, but the post-apocalyptic vibe in combination with a great soundtrack and very unique character designs make you forget about these problems for a bit.
Good side quests also complement the campaign well, giving more life to the post-apocalypse. It is also worth highlighting the collectible soda cans, which in addition to releasing new resources for the player, have a fun story behind them.
My biggest criticism is perhaps a technical aspect. Not in terms of performance, because the game ran well on the PS5, both in the graphics-focused mode and in the FPS-focused mode, but the lack of a manual save mode is a problem that needs to be resolved. It’s best to avoid explanations to avoid giving spoilers, but be aware that this caused some frustrations during gameplay.
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Still among the criticisms, even if the game finds its own identity, it only does so through several easily identifiable references: NieR is the main one, but you will also see elements from Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, Death Stranding and Horizon: Zero Dawn.
Either way, Stellar Blade is a great debut for Shift Up on consoles. In addition to the almost empty controversies that surround the game before its release, it could end 2024 as one of the best action games of the year.
- Launch
26.04.2024
- Publisher
Sony
- Developer
Shift Up
- Censorship
16 years
- Gender
Action
- Tested on
PlayStation 5
- Platforms
PlayStation 5