Originally known asProject Evein 2019,Stellar Bladeis the debut game from the South Korean studio Shift Up, and what a way to begin with a banger PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Check out theStellar Bladetrailer below!
Advert
Advert
The animations and textures of all characters in the game are created to a great level of detail and despite it being natively Korean in terms of language, the English dub does not look out of place too much, but you can choose the native tongue if you prefer. The locations ofStellar Bladeare as varied as they are beautiful and derelict, varying from barren wastelands to abandoned cities and subway stations. The same can be said about the enemy variety. The developers at Skill Up have gone to town to ensure thatStellar Bladeremains fresh throughout making each location and enemy encounter more interesting than the last.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Speaking of customisation, not only can you upgrade Eve’s skills and abilities, but you can craft new costumes too. There are tons of costumes that you can unlock and craft via gameplay progression, some certainly more saucy than others. The developers knew exactly what they were doing with Eve’s design (based on the real-life model Shin Jae-eun). You can even customise the look of Eve’s companions. There’s Adam, who controls the drone, and tech expert side-kick Lily. Whatever you may think of some of Eve’s designs, it’s refreshing that so much of the content can be unlocked in-game without having to spend a penny.
Advert
Advert
Fans of FromSoftware titles will also be pleased to know thatStellar Bladehas plenty of challenging boss fights to keep you on your toes. Most of these bosses will be encountered during story progression and some are optional. Another inspiration of FromSoftware is enemies respawning whenever Eve rests and restores her energy at a camp. Yet, unlike the likes of Dark Souls, you won’t have to worry about losing XP each time you die becauseStellar Bladelets you restart the last save and speaking of which, it also features a generous auto-save system.Stellar Bladehas two difficulty settings available during your first playthrough, Story (easy) and Normal. Even in Story mode, it offers quite the challenge and if you find that a difficulty setting isn’t for you, just change it mid-game.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Advert
Advert
Stellar Bladewasn’t initially a game on my radar but it’s ended up being one of my favourite games of 2024 so far. Aside from all of the potentially-polarising outfits, this is an epic action adventure from start to finish that kept me engaged and wanting to come back for more. It doesn’t do a great deal to reinvent the wheel but it doesn’t need to. This gorgeous and fun game knows exactly what it is.Stellar Bladeis an absolute blast and I’ve not had this much fun in the genre sinceDevil May Cry 5. If for whatever reasonStellar Bladeflew under your radar, it needs to be added to your 2024 to-play list right now.
Pros:High energy gameplay, gorgeous visuals, in-depth skill tree to suit various styles
Cons:Background soundtrack can get tedious
For fans of:Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, NieR: Automata
Topics:Nier,PlayStation,PlayStation 5,Sony
