Stellar Blade is one of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusive games for this year. The official release date is next April 26, but today a free demo arrives on the Sony console with which you can try out the beginning of the adventure. At La Vanguardia we have already had the opportunity to play Stellar Blade and, below, we leave you our first impressions.
The new thing from the Korean studio Shift Up is a mix between NieR Automata and From Software games: it is a soulslike with hints of Hack and Slash. The premise is simple: aliens known as Naytiba have invaded Earth and humans have been exiled to space. At this point, the human army wants to take back the planet and that's where the player comes in, controlling Eve, a soldier.
The first few minutes of Stellar Blade are quite spectacular. Everything explodes, buildings collapse and it is clear that humans have the loss. The Naytiba eliminate all your squadmates and Eve ends up alone and on the brink of death. Although this sense of spectacle contrasts with the technical section of the game and some artistic decisions, which seem more typical of previous generations.
As we said a few paragraphs above, Shift Up's debut film is a mix between a soulslike and a Hack and Slash. The main combat mechanics are based on a light attack, a strong attack, precise counterattacks and dodges that, at the right moment, activate a short bullet time. The most fans of these genres, reading this, may surely think of games like NieR Automata or Bayonetta.
But the level design and combat approach are more reminiscent of From Software. You cannot go crazy, it is important to think and anticipate how you are going to fight, in what order and against what enemies. Another element reminiscent of Dark Souls is the level design: large interconnected maps with shortcuts to discover.
Stellar Blade surprises little with its technical section. It's cool and it works, but Sony has spoiled us with its most recent exclusives. Stellar Blade is light years ahead of games like Horizon Forbidden West, let alone God of War: Ragnarok or the remastering of The Last of Us Part II.
The main problem with Stellar Blade has more to do with the animations, precision and fluidity than with the graphics per se. The game is beautiful, but in many cases it feels like a previous generation title.
Stellar Blade arrives with controversy. Eve, the protagonist, and most of the female characters in the game are extremely sexualized. They wear a tight-fitting uniform that reminds us of Ned Flandes' famous phrase – yes, the one from The Simpsons – when he said “it's like he's not wearing anything.”
Furthermore, Eve's body is clearly disproportionate and the developers give too much importance to her butt, which is practically always on screen and even has its own physics. This is also one of the reasons that makes Stellar Blade feel older than it should. While playing, she had the feeling that this is something that could be considered normal 10 or 15 years ago, but it is unnecessary and in bad taste.
That said, the best way to decide what you think of Stellar Blade is to try it. Today the free demo of the game arrives on PlayStation 5, so you can download it now. Additionally, all progress from the demo will carry over to the final game if you purchase it. Stellar Blade will arrive exclusively on PlayStation 5 on April 26.
