Stellar Blade review: A stellar first effort

Stellar Blade was one of the few titles I had my eye out for this year. Developed by Shift Up, best known for Nikke: Goddess of Victory, this is the studio's foray into the world of AAA gaming.

Although Shift Up's character design elements seep through, the game maintains its unique identity, crafting an exquisite post-apocalyptic game world full of dangers and secrets. For the most part, Stellar Blade delivers splendidly and even draws parallels to a masterpiece like Nier: Automata.

The game is nothing short of amazing, and despite the (rather minor) flaws, it delivers a cohesive, blood-pumping experience like no other. It definitely was worth the long wait.

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Stellar Blade review

A post-apocalyptic world full of secrets and intriguing lore

Stellar Blade's environments are detailed and beautiful to look at (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Stellar Blade's world is set in the distant future where humanity has been driven close to extinction by the Naytibas. The post-apocalyptic wasteland is a sight to behold, full of rich environments and peculiar NPCs, which work together to augment the narrative. Much of the game's lore is explained through the various messages scattered around corpses you will encounter in the desolate remains of humanity's greatest cities.

Exploring underwater sections in Stellar Blade (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Stellar Blade also possesses decent variations in its environments, which are progressively unlocked throughout the campaign. These sections have their unique look and feel and never overstay their welcome.

Parts of the game remind me of Dead Space (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

A healthy dose of horror is also thrown in, sharply contrasting the rest of the game, and was quite interesting to see. These parts did remind me of the Dead Space remake, which was pleasantly surprising.

But Stellar Blade isn't all doom and gloom, and one of the central pillars of the game's plot is the nature of humanity itself. The conclusion (and debate) that follows at the end is beautiful and thought provoking.

The one complaint I have with the game world is that much of the lore is left to exposition instead of actual dialogue. This is however a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.

The visuals never cease to impress

The game is visually impressive (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Stellar Blade's world is beautifully depicted in the aging but admittedly still capable Unreal Engine 4. Lush, vibrant environments of a post-apocalyptic Earth are rendered with complex geometry, shadows, and lighting.

Performance is rock-solid too, and I barely noticed any dips in frame rate throughout my 22-hour-long playthrough. I used the Balanced preset, which offered a 1440p output at 60 frames per second. The image quality was crisp, vibrant, and with no noticeable artifacts usually seen with modern upscaling methods.

Some characters fall into the uncanny valley territory (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

I do have a bit of a critique of character design, though. While Stellar Blade's characters are rendered beautifully, they fall into the uncanny valley territory, especially concerning faces. This also extends into facial animations, and many of them appear lifeless, making for an awkward presentation at times. However, characters do appear to be more "expressive" during pivotal story moments, which is nice to see. I do wish the game was a bit more consistent in this regard.

The usual Unreal Engine 4 hiccups manifest from time to time, with strange artifacting around Eve's hair being a notable example. However, the issues are minor overall and are unlikely to be noticed during the busier combat sections that comprise the bulk of the game.

Combat is satisfying and delightfully difficult

The first boss fight from the demo section (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Stellar Blade's combat is ridiculously fun, something I ascertained right from the release of the demo. The full version doesn't disappoint either, offering upgraded functionalities and additional perks otherwise absent in the demo.

Combat can be simplified into your basic attacks, parries/blocks/dodges, and skills. Executing moves requires a simple combination of button presses, with satisfying effects.

Unlocking skills to augment your abilities (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The game encourages you to experiment and spend Skill Points for these abilities, enhancing them in the process.

Some in-game items feel wasted, though, especially concerning ranged weaponry and grenades, which are situational at best. Certain sections do exist where you are forced to use these options instead of the usual melee attack, which can result in a mixed bag. Overall, melee attacks remain superior in terms of DPS and engagement.

The combat is brutal at times, allowing little room for error. One wrong move and you can lose all your HP in a few seconds, prompting you to restart the encounter. The game focuses a lot on parrying and dodging attacks, which I did appreciate. The boss battles in the game's second half are especially punishing, so prepare to die more than a few times.

Stellar Blade has an Easy Mode, but it has a ton of unnecessary defaults (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Stellar Blade does come with the usual accessibility options outside of the Easy difficulty though, which should make the game a lot more forgiving for other players. I really would recommend turning off some of these settings though.

While there is no right or wrong way to play Stellar Blade, its combat is best appreciated in the harder difficulties, as the game encourages experimentation and quick reflexes.

Customizing EVE's outfits and frames is surprisingly fun

Stellar Blade has a ton of outfits to equip (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

An interesting addition to Stellar Blade is its outfits. You can unlock (and purchase) several outfits for EVE throughout the game's campaign. This includes both practical frames and casual outfits, along with accessories like glasses and earrings. While none of the mentioned items carry stat bonuses, I did enjoy playing dress-up with EVE, placing a decent chunk of my resources into crafting these suits.

Customizing the Exospine to unlock new bonuses (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Much like the demo, EVE's loadout could be customized, using specific modules to enhance certain functions. These alter your playstyle significantly, and I preferred the Beta-type enhancers a fair bit to cheese through certain moves. While mixing-and-matching helps get an ideal build, the system could use some depth, and the ability to store these loadouts would be appreciated; maybe in a future update.

The story is nier-ly perfect

Parallels will be drawn to Nier: Automata (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Nier comparisons keep on coming, and with good reason; Stellar Blade features many similar elements. Humanity struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland while being overwhelmed by monstrous foes driving them to extinction is a common theme for both games.

Stellar Blade builds its own, unique identity (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The twists and turns in Stellar Blade's story separate it from Yoko Taro's masterpiece, crafting a unique identity. The story isn't as long-winded as Nier though, being far more linear and simplified. This is not entirely a bad thing, and Shift Up has executed a well-narrated (albeit linear) and concise plot that should intrigue and engage players right up to the bombastic finale.

Stellar Blade's side quests also impress, offering a look into the world and its inhabitants. Progressing through these quests can be engaging and rewarding, dropping both rare loot and intriguing lore bits in the process.

I do have one major gripe with the story: it ends on a cliffhanger. While it's nice to see that Shift Up has plans for additional content, I wish we had a proper conclusion.

Certain characters could use a bit more screen time (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The story is also a tad bit "short," clocking in at 18 to 20 hours for just the campaign. While the world and its characters were interesting enough to keep me wanting more, there was scope for improvement regarding the main cast and side characters, with the shorter campaign seeming like a missed opportunity. However, the game does have multiple endings, which should compensate to an extent.

The game's soundtrack deserves a special mention

The game has a soundtrack that is simply amazing (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The OST for Stellar Blade is nothing short of amazing. This shouldn't really come as a surprise, given Keiichi Okabe's involvement. It feels Nier-esque, which goes surprisingly well with the game.

Some sections feel vastly different in their sound design, though, and I was thoroughly impressed with the sound staging as well as appropriate usage of themes for these alternative sections.

The OST is dynamic and has a lot of variety (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The game's spookier sections feature minimal, ambient noise, while the more action-packed sections feature metal/rock tracks—something I wish games would bring back—which is a testament to the sound team's talent. Overworld themes are also worth mentioning, possessing beautiful vocals and a mesmerizing tune.

These are some of the best video game tunes I've heard in a while, and I look forward to the full OST release.

Some of the sections can be frustrating and lack polish

Difficulty scaling needs to be addressed (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

While the combat is nothing short of excellent, certain sections feel slightly frustrating, especially in the second half. The difficulty scaling on these bosses is quite abrupt, spiking to high levels. It took me some time to get used to these bosses, and I shamefully admit to using the Easy mode to rush through a few of them.

Combat demands a certain degree of mastery, and you shouldn't expect to breeze through content. I only wish the scaling was more natural.

Navigating through some parts of the game is cumbersome (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

This extends into the platforming sections and level design. The game's first hub was quite exasperating to navigate, amplified by the fact that the game didn't offer a traditional mini-map. The drone scanner is woefully inadequate, especially without any upgrades (something you'd expect in the early game). I spent an hour or so navigating through endless terrain until I finally reached the destination.

As it stands, the game could use some polish in these areas, which are a minor detraction from the overall experience.

In conclusion

Stellar Blade is simply stellar (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Overall, Stellar Blade is an impressive showcase. The game delivers on both its story and combat, offering a unique post-apocalyptic world full of intrigue and danger.

While the game falters a bit in certain areas, these issues can be considered somewhat minor in the grand scheme of things.

While I do wish the characters and story were fleshed out a bit more; there's always room for improvement via DLC. Until then, I shall begin my second playthrough and try to uncover as many secrets as possible.

Stellar Blade will be regarded as a hidden gem, and I wouldn't be surprised if it grows to be a cult classic a few years down the road.