Developer: Shift Up
Platform: PS5
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Stellar Blade is an action-adventure RPG game set in a dystopian world of a future earth. You play Eve, part of an airborne squad sent to Earth to save humankind. This is the first console release from Shift Up, who made this fantastic game.
First impressions are excellent. I like that almost immediately, you are thrown into the action and get your hands on Eve as you try to figure out how to play the game with minimal instructions. Visually, the game is stunning, and the characters, NPCs, and creature designs are all fantastic and are befitting of a new-generation game. The sound, voice acting, and environments fit together well; the experience is immersive and joyous. In the first couple of hours, the game reminded me of Souls / Seikro; the gameplay is reminiscent of both, and the minimal / lack of tutorials gives off a Souls vibe. However, tutorials are available in the menu options that will help guide you through the game and as you unlock new abilities.
The gameplay, especially the combat, reminded me of a Souls game; it really emphasises understanding your enemy and how to defend and attack them. Even early on, I found myself dying fairly often because spamming the light and stiff attacks while looking amazing didn’t kill the enemies. Eve has light and heavy attacks that can be chained into combos and a beta attack, powered up by killing, dodging, or parrying enemies. Perfect parries and dodges unlock more beta energy, which can be used to unleash a more significant attack. You have a health bar, a shield bar, and a beta bar. The shield bar, when depleted, will not allow you to block enemy attacks, and you will incur damage. While this seems all simple, getting the dodges and parries on time is more challenging than it initially looks! Eve can carry various power-ups and potions and will have heals, too, which you will use. Eve also has a helper drone that can scan the area for loot, power-ups, and enemies; the drone is required for some enemies. The drone is your faithful partner as you go through the game.
The boss fights are epic and so much fun; they test your skills and whether you understand the game mechanics and combat features, both offensive and defensive. The bosses are huge and gruesome, and I highly recommend them just for the boss fighting alone.
If you find the game too challenging, there are two difficulty options: Story mode, a more easy play-through, and the challenging normal mode.
One difference between Souls and Stellar Blade is that they are skills that can be unlearned and locked as opposed to just levelling one individual trait. A deep and rich upgrading system allows you to use skills and beta powers to build Eve into a character you want to play and match your gameplay style. There are tons of skills and upgrades to unlock as you go through the game, adding massive variety to the gameplay from the start of the game. The game is stacked with many combat features you will unlock throughout. The game also integrates platforming elements and puzzles seamlessly throughout each stage; the puzzles will test your wits.
The voice acting and character voicing are superb; certain NPCs are one-dimensional, but that adds to the idea of being in this dystopian world. I didn’t like or care for many NPCs, but this didn’t detract from the experience. The characters drive the story, and I found this futuristic dystopian story interesting. The numerous side missions add longevity to the game and allow you to build up those skills and learn more about the world. Side missions and items you pick up will help outline the world and what is going on.
The game supports three graphical modes: Performance, Balance, and Resolution.
Performance targets 1440p visual resolution and aims to keep to 60 FPS.
Balance, which is the mode I used the most, looked stunning, aimed for 4K upscaling, and targeted 60FPS.
The resolution aims for 4K, then 30FPS.
Stellar Blade is a superb action adventure RPG gripping game from start to end. You are thrown into the deep end from the beginning. The visuals, voice acting, and audio are fantastic throughout. An engaging story with intrigue and mystery helps drive you through the game. There is much to discover and plenty of side missions to keep you busy. There is a sense of adventure and exploration throughout each environment. The shift from varying worlds helps to introduce new landscapes from the dark and dead to bright and green fauna environments. Each area has a distinct feel. I loved the combat. It’s challenging and will make you try to understand enemies’ movements. The bosses are stunning, and I loved the encounters where you had to display your combat prowess and strategic nous to avoid them. The story, NPCs, and gameplay elements all make for a thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience, which surprised me. It was hard to put down the game, and I lost myself in the game for hours on end.
Overall: 9/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
