Stellar Blade it is a project that grew with PS5: announced for the first time in 2019, even before the latest Sony console was launched, it immediately represented a huge challenge for its creator Hyung Tae Kim. Shift Up, the Korean company behind the game, promised a triple-A debut on consoles after years of success for smartphones. Since Project EVE has changed its skin several times, up to the change of name in the title we know now and above all up to the exclusivity on PlayStation 5, after in 2022 Sony secured the publishing rights to Kim’s ambitious action adventure. The result is a work that, despite some limitations, represents the best surprise of 2024 so far and does not disappoint from the point of view of playability and innovation.
Bayonetta’s heir
With a k-pop star look of the future and an exuberant sensuality, Eve is a character with a charisma that recalls the golden times of action video games, between Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. But compared to those historical titles, Shift Up opted for challenging and heavily strategy-based combat, winking at the Souls-like genre. Challenging enemies, huge bosses and difficult fights are present, but here Shift Up has succeeded in the difficult task of make the game accessible to everyone, thanks to both the selectable difficulty level and the excellently designed learning curve. What initially appears impossible becomes simple as you train and upgrade Eve and her tools, taking great care to collect materials and accumulate experience points to unlock an impressive number of skills.
Luckily, Kim and her team haven’t forgotten about the kick-ass aspect and pure fun. Stellar Blade does a great job of balancing fast-paced combat with deep combat strategy: the focus is on parrying enemy attacks and creating openings to respond with devastating counterattacksa mechanic that recalls the tactical complexity of Sekiro. Burst and Beta Skills, special attacks that require careful energy management, add another layer of tactical depth, rewarding players for perfectly timed defensive maneuvers. Added to the melee attacks are those with projectiles, again of a different type and with varied and satisfying gameplay.
Stars sons
From an artistic point of view, Stellar Blade it is a rich and vibrant work, full of sources of inspiration. Abandoned cities, vast deserts and futuristic constructions paint a picture of a utopian society plunged into the apocalypse. Humanity is now on the brink of extinction, and is fighting to survive against the Naytiba creatures: the protagonist, Eve, the only survivor of an elite team, joins Adam to fight this threat in a mission that goes beyond simple survival: it is a struggle to regain one’s world.
The city of Xion, in particular, is a hub of desperation and hope, a place where every corner and every NPC contributes to building a vivid and credible image of a collapsing society. Despite not being an open world, the game presents some very large areas and a certain freedom of exploration, with good attention to detail and objects to collect scattered everywhere. The soundtrack, partly curated by the famous Keiichi Okabe (who worked on Nier it’s at Tekkenamong others), offers melodies that perfectly capture the dreamlike atmosphere and tension of the clashes.
Incredible care has gone into the design of the game’s enemies and characters. Eve’s, in particular, is notable not only for her charming aesthetic but also for her ability to stand out. Shift Up has certainly snubbed the trend that wants video game characters, especially female ones, to be more realistic and less based on physicality. The tight-fitting costume is a true principle of Stellar Blade, which results not only in scenes that leave little to the imagination, but also in spasmodic customization. There are 30 different outfits to unlock, and this is only for the protagonist.
The sky is the limit
Stellar Bladealthough it excels on several fronts, is not free from defects: from a technical point of view, the majesty of some scenarios and the excellent animations are contrasted with constant pop-up phenomena and textures that are sometimes in very low resolution. Furthermore, the pace of the game is not always flawless, and alternates emotional moments with long, more linear sequences. Some environmental puzzles break up the action too intrusively, and the platforming mechanics are often clunky compared to the combat. However, these are collateral sins compared to an experience that as a whole brings an important breath of fresh air to the panorama of exclusives for the Sony console.
Stellar Blade it’s a great example of how classic elements of the genre can be combined in innovative ways to create something fulfilling for a wider range of players. With an inspired and fascinating vision of the game world, and gameplay that challenges the conventions of modern action games, Hyung Tae Kim’s work provides an overall stellar experienceand although it takes inspiration from many illustrious predecessors, it manages to stand out as an unmissable title for lovers of the genre.
Format: PS5 publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Developer: Shift Up Second EVE Studio Vote: 9/10
