Every time there is an upcoming game, there are gamers who are excited about its release; however, I, with hundreds of backlogs, usually ignore them. One action-adventure title that piqued my interest was Stellar Blade. I thought it was just a hack-and-slash with an impression of Souls-style difficulty, but there’s more to it.
Many of my peers talk about this, and they are very excited. That’s the reason I downloaded Stellar Blade and tried its free demo on the PS5. The size of the demo was 16GB. I went outdoors, and when I returned, it was installed and ready to play.
Before we start, here’s some basic information about this wonderful game, Stellar Blade:
| Developer | Debut console release from Korean developer Shift Up. |
| Release Date | April 26th, 2024 (physical and digital) |
| Demo Availability | The game’s demo is free on PS5, and exclusive to PS5 owners |
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Game Modes | Story Mode and Normal Mode, Boss Battles |
Let’s get started!
Story
The Earth is set in a post-apocalyptic world. The aliens have conquered the planet Earth, and the planet is now in disarray. The story begins when a colony of female soldiers is from outer space and they are entering the Earth’s orbit. Eve is a member of the 7th airborne squad, and they forcefully landed on the planet because of the heavy resistance from their enemies. They are trying to win back and battle against the aliens.
Main Menu:
The main menu interface is straightforward. It has a female protagonist named Eve, and the menu is simple. I like it! Simple yet elegant!
- New Game
- Settings
- Purchase on the PlayStation Store
Additional Menu:
- Continue; this shows if you have already started the game.
- Boss Battle: This menu is shown after I beat the story offered in the demo game.
More will be shown in the actual game, for sure!
Intro
For me, the opening seems to lack punch. It simply displays the view of the Earth from space and a few Kirov airships (just joking), and it appears like there might be a war. I thought that these spaceships were the enemies, but they were the protagonists. After a series of attacks, their spaceships are damaged, and then everyone is forced to land using their pods.
After the pod crashed on the shore, Eve was unable to exit, so her companion, Tachy, opened the pod from the outside and pulled her hand so Eve could get out. That gave me a good impression since Tachy is gorgeous! 😍😆
And here goes the first stage. Eve is now recalling her training on how to fight. She can use light and strong attacks against enemies.
Environment
And there goes the quest, and I regained control of the character. This scene leaves more impact than earlier. It felt like I was really in the war zone. The details of the environment when they were going to the rendezvous point were just amazing and top-notch!
The Characters
My, oh my! They’re just too damn sexy to be soldiers. What kind of training do they get? And where’s their camp? I’d like to enlist! 😂
There’s a rumor that the characters are too “adult,” but let’s see what Shift Up will do about these impressions. I think the characters are just too damn sexy, and for me, the design is finely crafted!
These characters resemble Bayonetta, but I believe they’re better in terms of details.
The main protagonist, Eve
According to Game Director Hyung-Tae Kim, Eve’s character was based on the model Shin Jae-eun, but the facial model was built in-house. Let’s follow her on IG, lol!
I think Eve’s hair is so long (way too long) that it might get in the way when she’s fighting. Perhaps there’s a skin or an option to have it tied? Every time she attacks, I can’t help but notice her “shout,” which is a little out of sync with the actions.
I also love the character customization. You can change her attire, add eyeglasses, and even change earrings.
Tachy looks like Devon Aoki!
When Eve’s pod landed on Earth, it was opened. I was immediately struck by this gorgeous comrade of Eve, named Tachy! At first glance, she looks like the fashion model and retired actress, Devon Aoki, but I believe this is just a coincidence. Too bad, she got very little exposure in the game because, in the demo, she got stabbed by the Alpha Naytiba, I hope this is not the end of the line for her, and surely, the gaming community would love seeing more of her in the full game of the Stellar Blade.
Alpha Naytiba looks like Death Note’s Ryuk! 😂😂
When I first saw this fabled monster, this was the first impression that I got! I wonder how strong this boss could be that they are hunting it.
Again, this is just me. You can freely accept or reject my opinion on this, but this is the way I see the Alpha Naytiba, hehe!
The Enemies
After a couple of encounters with enemies in Stellar Blade, I remembered the enemies and bosses in Devil May Cry! These aliens look gruesome and tough, and you may want to slash them when you see them! Some of the enemies in Devil May Cry V resemble the enemies her, but there’s a big difference in their artwork, of course!
Battle and Parry System
After I played this game and started slashing the enemy, I got the resemblance in DMC when you are doing the hack-and-slash. But when the parry system was introduced, there’s no doubt that they got inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice!
Beta Attacks
Eve can use special attacks that do heavy damage to enemies. The beta attacks become available when Eve does the perfect parry and continues to attack the enemies.
Parrying and Perfect Dodge
When there are incoming attacks, you have a choice whether to do a perfect dodge or press the parry button at the right time. When you parry the attack, the stagger meter of the enemy will be reduced. And if it goes to zero, you will be able to perform a
No Dodge Roll?
I also noticed that when fighting with enemies, the famous dodge-roll feature in Souls games does not work here. Dodge roll is a very useful skill in Souls games because it gives you a few frames of invulnerability. Here in Stellar Blade, I tried dodging a couple of times, but I noticed that when the enemy hits you, even if you roll, you still get damaged from the attack. You really need to time it or stay away from the attack completely to avoid getting damaged. Is it just me who noticed this?
Boss Battles
The boss fight here is a bit tough and satisfying. The damage that Eve deals to the boss is also great! The boss’ HP and defense are just right! This is a bit easier compared to Sekiro and Elden Ring, but maybe when the full game is released, we might see some very difficult bosses!
Other observations and impressions
While spending a couple of hours in this game, there are some noticeable details of the game that I would like to share here, and I think you can relate to them!
The drone resembles Nier Automata and Metal Gear Mk. II
The drone is being controlled by Adam, the male character who saves Eve from the Alpha Naytiba and transports her to Earth. Adam is operating the drone and providing support to Eve remotely through the drone.
When I saw this, I immediately remembered Nier Automata, when 2B is being followed by a small drone and she commands it to do range attacks. I also remembered Otacon from Metal Gear Solid, because Adam communicates and supports Eve by providing light and sharing tactical information on certain locations.
Save Points and Rest Locations
Many gamers say that the vending machine resembles Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. But for me, this resembles FFXV’s campsite, where Noct and his friends set up tents, chairs, etc. Maybe because of the music? The vibe it gives is the same as the Final Fantasy XV? Or is it just me?
Text animation in titles
The text animation on the side bears a resemblance to the game Watch Dogs. The animations in both games are different. I think it is just me, but there is a resemblance in it!
I think this is just me, but seeing this kind of detail adds to my interest in making this my favorite game for 2024!
Final Thoughts
Stellar Blade is no doubt a great game with a very interesting story. The details are carefully planned and designed, and I can say that the developers have gone out of their way to create a masterpiece. No wonder this game has so many pre-orders and has become one of the most anticipated games of 2024! I hope they create more games like this in the future!
Should I pre-order Stellar Blade?
Definitely! If you have the budget, then go for it! But for me, a gamer with very limited time and a few hundred backlogs, I may step back a little and buy this after I slashed some of my backlogs, hahaha!
Click here to buy the game on the PS Store!
But then again, the experience with Stellar Blade’s demo is fantastic! I strongly encourage those who own a PS5 to download the demo while it’s there! And to those who pre-ordered the game, big congrats to you guys! For sure, you can’t wait when the full game releases! Enjoy the game!
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