Stellar Blade is a double-edge sword of delight and frustration. The visuals of this game weave together angelic beauty, evolutionary carnage, and dystopian futurism in its graphical aesthetics. Meanwhile, the tactile gameplay loop constructs dynamic combat sequences that require you to master rhythmic patterns. Each encounter requires strategic plans and fluid improvisational movements. While also giving you room to explore a vast array of combo sequences with the main character Eve. The music enhances both the visuals and gameplay with enchanting ethereal melodies, ranging from thunderous guitars to delicate piano keys, creating a mesmerizing auditory experience. Where this game truly falters is in its story. The presentation of the narrative combined with the lack luster dialogue creates one dimensional story telling that drags. This dragging does not end until you reach the latter part of act two of this story, but by then it’s too late to undo the damage. Despite its narrative shortcomings, the game offers an enjoyable gameplay experience. I purchased the game at full MSRP of $69.99 excluding tax. If you're into Soulsborne, Sekiro and Nier Automata, it’s an instant purchase. If you dislike those genres, any price under $49.99 would be worth it for the spectacle and gameplay.
Stellar Blade :A New Staple
Lightning Review
Written by Sage Sythe
Page One
Mother Sphere’s Plot
The plot of Stellar Blade is about a squadron sent to earth by their leader called “Mother Sphere” Their primary goal is to stop a species of uncontrollable abominations that have taken over earth. This takeover of earth happened after several brutal wars that were documented by buried beneath degraded ruins of previous settlements. Relentless aggression is exhibited by the Naytiba species towards anything except themselves. The Naytiba instill fear in the “humans” residing on earth. The Naytiba’s brutal and on sight culling of the humans, cause them to hide underground and in harsh climates to avoid being found. We pilot a character named Eve who is the 7th squadron to be sent to earth to resolve this problem and secure the planet.
Our adventures on the planet’s surface reveal the twist of the story, where we learn that Eve, our main protagonist, is an android and not a human. They refer to androids as “Andro-Eidos”. Mother Sphere creates them in the original formation of humans, but constructs them using parts that can withstand any environmental catastrophe or pollution state. While we learn this, we also learn that original humans are the Naytiba. Mother Sphere wanting to purge all humans as they were cancer like to the earth were problematic. Humans believed if that forced evolution could help them defeat the androids, it caused a stalemate. It forced the androids to escape into a space colony but also killed off any original form of their species.
Following this information, we learn that Adam our companion for most of the main-scenario, is the last living human who has kept consciousness, despite being a fully turned Naytiba. We also find out that he was the creator of Mother Sphere and holds responsibility for events leading up to this encounter between us and them. Game’s end reveals his desire to halt Mother Sphere by merging to birth a new being, capable of facilitating peaceful coexistence between races. This game has multiple endings based on a choice, but if you pick the proper choice. Eve and Adam fuse into a new species. This frustrates Mother Sphere, and she deploys hundreds more squadron androids to get rid of you. The game concludes as Xion city is activated and Eve watches over the people she must protect.
The plot’s weaknesses lie in the mundane parts of act one until the end of act two. The end of act two clues you in about Mother Sphere towards a section where you're exploring a destroyed facility that leads into a space elevator. Everything before that section is not trending new ground in plot writing, nor does it bring any interesting elements to this sci-fi space genre. The game’s ending holds the plot and sparks hope for the studio’s future ideas
Written by Sage Sythe
Humanity’s Narrative
The narrative takes a large hit on scoring because of the sequence of events alongside the empty husky of dialogue. There also are weird, jarring scene transitions that occur during the main scenario that make it feel like they cut content randomly. When the player enters Xion, the game’s central city. The player will face the oracle’s first scene. The scene revolves around forming a core to enter the nest’s deepest part, where destroying it eliminates the Naytiba. This scene includes a brief appearance by a guard who protects the oracle, delivering a single piece of dialogue that is never used again until someone murders them at the end of act two.
The developers placed all the core ideas in documents or a small cutscene with a recurring character named Raven. When she appears, she provides the most important details. Conversations between Adam, Eve and Lily are all meaningless until the end of act two and don’t build towards any form of comradery between the characters. They have nothing to say but obvious observations that amount to nothing.
The ending, although enjoyable, has poor narrative sequencing. Having two choices means nothing in the grand scheme of the plot design. One choice allows you to become a new species and then Lily dies. Second choice pits you against Adam in full power and Mother Sphere gets what she wants and you have truly doomed humanity. However, neither scenario holds true, as one must replay an entirely new file to validate the first option and witness Lily’s resurrection, teasing a subsequent confrontation with Mother Sphere. Incorporating both boss battles into the narrative with minimal additional dialogue would have effortlessly circumvented this.
Let Eve choose to take Adam’s option of fusing together. When they fuse, Eve gets transported into that liminal space where the optional boss fight with Adam takes place. Once there, Adam states that they must defeat him in order to absorb him. Now the optional boss fight becomes a battle within yourself to receive true humanity. A constant battle with the monster inside. After the player wins the fight and they gain the new suit that comes with fusion. Then the player must now defeat Providence, the Mecha Suit that has Lily trapped inside. Keep the fight exactly the same but increase all the character stats a little. Something akin to 20% attack speed, additional HP blocks, maybe around three. Increase the amount of burst charge and beta charges you can hold just for this fight.
Dull Characters
Page Two
The characters of this world are one dimensional robots. Their mannerisms and dialogue leave so much to be desired. No real takeaways until game’s end, as I keep mentioning. When these characters speak, they lack any soul within them. I argue that is the point, as they’re androids, not humans. But that’s what’s strange about this game. Eve can appear a caring individual when you do the side missions, as she’s trying to help the people of Xion with their very simple objectives. Every time we collect or discover a new body littered across the open landscape areas, she becomes visually upset. She criticizes the limited capacity of book lines in the opening levels, which can only store one megabyte of data. She calls it “Silly / Useless”. That line stands out as humorous. It shows more than just “Kill all Naytibas” in her personality, which is shown throughout the game. As an extended point, she likes to collect cans. She’s a complete odd ball in the main scenario and outside of it. They should have leaned on that. Make her the weird hot girl.
Written by Sage Sythe
Themes of Humanity
What is it to be human? Where do we draw the line? Can something made by a human keep its creator’s essence? Stellar blade asks these questions at a slow pace but still is a major highlight of the game for me. The real focus of the themes is primarily through Adam once you understand his role in the plot. Adam was using the hyper cell and the alpha cores to test the androids that were sent from Mother Sphere. After testing Raven, the previous squadron leader, Adam rejected Raven as the one to fuse with himself. She doesn’t comprehend the reason, but in act three, the story hints at why she got rejected. When you end your second duel with her, Eve chooses to not kill Raven but remove her arms and let her watch what happens. This is key because Raven wanted war, revenge, and a warped sense of justice. She did not differ from Adam who created Mother Sphere, nor was she different from Mother Sphere, who sent her to kill Adam to begin with. Adam seeks someone empathetic, aware of when a fight ends. Which is the whole point of the last several wars between the actual humans and the androids of Mother Sphere. There is enough blood sullied on the battlefield. We, as conscious beings, have limitless potential, but we opt for conflict. Instead of seeking positive solutions, we choose to view each other as a blight. The oxymoron of humanity: destroying ourselves despite simple answers to avoid our own rue.
Desolate Setting
Page Three
A desolate world thriving off forgotten energy and shows a world that is buried in sand and life that can only exist through careful and methodical nature of scavenging. The information at the story’s start indicates that the earth’s current state is a product of countless wars with themselves and the Naytiba’s. You don’t have to question it. Monsters, relentless and unbeatable, even for “Humans”. Eventually, we discover why the world is as it is. Yet, when you see the landscape anew, it becomes more impressive. Even with how advance the world had become, it still destroyed it. The setting shows a disturbing stillness, devoid of organic life forms. It is a rare encounter for living creatures outside of Naytibas. The feeling is hollow and silent. It plays well off the elements of where life begins and ends.
Written by Sage Sythe
Triadic Aesthetic
The game’s aesthetic was inspired by Nier: Automata, a beloved game among the masses. Stellar Blade approaches its aesthetics by combining three core elements: angelic beauty, evolutionary carnage, and dystopian futurism. Our main character Eve, embodies angelic beauty. Her jaw-dropping radiance can leave you fumbling for words in her presence. She resembles an angel descending from the sky, casting away sorrow like a biblical figure. The Naytiba and their ruthless body horror, which infests anything they touch, creating organic and inorganic species’ body horror, represent the carnage that is associated with evolution. Fused with old-world aesthetics and technological advancements, the dystopian futuristic aesthetic showcases earthlings who have accomplished outer space travel at the cost of the global warming and destruction of their original habit. Shift UP’s art team maintains the integrity of all three elements seamlessly while incorporating several unique ideas from themselves. However, the graphical aesthetics don’t push any unseen boundary within the current gaming landscape.
Evolving Character Designs
There are three categories that we can break down character designs into for this game. Main playable character Eve, NPCs, Boss monsters and their minions. The designers clearly created Eve’s character design to be gorgeous, sexy, and radiant. I come away with a neutral take on her base skin, as I don’t believe it’s her coolest look available. The features I most enjoyed of Eve’s character design are how many outfits she could have and they all looked relatively amazing on her. The amount of options given to the player is absolutely something the team should be proud of. It allows them to cater to several audiences that may engage with this game. Another attribute I enjoyed was the hair changing system and additional accessories you could add to your specific Eve. Giving you an emotional attachment to the character. All her different outfits allow her to become whatever you think she should be in this game. The suits I used the most were Cyber Magician, Daily Denim. My favorites were Raven Suit and Daily Knitted Dress.
The NPC’s designs were decent at best, very few jumped out to me that caught my attention during the twenty-seven hour play through. My favorite designs came from Enya, a squadron member sent by Mother Sphere who had her body destroyed in combat. She is located at a local bar in Xion. She instantly grabs your attention. This is because her torso is missing and she’s just a beautiful face with an exposed rib cage. Hardly a character you can forget. Two other NPCS grabbed my attention even though they are basically the same model. Shael and Rael. Two guardians that look over the underground laboratories that you will explore during the main scenario.
The bosses of this game are the perfect example of the highest capabilities of the SHIFT UP TEAM. The bosses become more increasingly disturbing and reflective of the story being told. As the threat gets larger, so do the bosses in either physicality or thematically. One of my favorite boss battles in the game occurs in the last three to four hours of the game called the Democrawler. Which depicts a Naytiba that has formed itself onto a tripedal robot. Its body is the culmination of ten to twenty humans and its organic material bleeds an oil grease midnight on itself and across the infected space elevator. When you first enter the section, it seems as it is the source of the infection. It’s not until you defeat Democrawler you see it’s nothing but a pawn to something far more sinister and terrifying. Something that the infinite space of our solar system can only illustrate.
Page Four
Written by Sage Sythe
Squared UI & UX
The user interface of the game is similar in some aspects and different in others. Its most obvious difference is how it displays its core UI that you will use during the experience. The team opted to use square boxes to represent the resource bars for both enemies and players. I love the details of four square boxes create a formation of a larger square box that extends across the screen. This imagery reminds me of memory blocks found when you are defraging a PC hard drive. It leans heavily into the digital / robotic nature the game’s theme story is setting up. It is also vastly different from any type of user element in this game’s genre. Another detail I enjoyed is the use of bright yellow diamonds shapes to identify a core element of gameplay without directly stating it.
Outside of combat, user interface for main menus and shop menus is simple and easy to comprehend. This allows the familiar aspect of other game designs to come in. Which is useful, you cannot make the menus to weird or you might alienate your audience. You want players to get lost in the world, not the menus if that’s not the game’s primary goal. One thing I noticed I appreciate is that the default menu options is the equipment tab because that tab is the one you will utilize the most during the play through. This minor detail saved time scrolling through tabs which most likely reduced overall time for players.
Apocalyptic Environments
Slick Battle Animations
Eve gets so many slick animations. Whether it be her flips when performing double jumps. Sliding down a ladder with unbelievable swagger. Or even flipping a coin to activate a rest point. This game has animations that stick out and ooze attention to detail on the craft. The battle animations are the most dominate aspect of the animations put into this game. Eve has so a vast array of combo attacks that link differently. She has three categories of special moves that all feature four unique moves per category. She has special dodge animations for bosses and minion enemies. When examining the combat flow, the animations are crucial to the stylish nature of the game. The moves never get boring to watch. The animators also did a good job of animating the bosses. They had unique attack strings and animations that caught me off guard because of how stunning they were.
Page Five
The environmental design of this game is amazing. Large open vistas that make you pause and gaze into the lifeless world that once was. The film grain adds visual texture to the abandoned cities and towns you visit. The biomes that we the player visit have enough difference to break up potential monotony. Few places distracted me with the reuse of similar assets outside of the existing level I was navigating through, which really let me focus on soaking in the story the environment was trying to tell. One of the impressive things that SHIFT up executes is fitting the environment design to the level design. When the level design calls for an underground passage through a destroyed laboratory. The design team did a fantastic job creating a dark dim lighting that turned an action game into a horror close quarters shooter with jump scares and harrowing ambience. Each level tells the story of a dystopian future very well but doesn’t transcend other apocalyptic environments. I think if the game gets a sequel it might push that boundary.
Written by Sage Sythe
Familiar Gameplay Systems
Page Six
Stellar Blade has several core systems for the player to take advantage. Battle System, Equipment System, Ranged Weapons System, Skill System, Traversal System, Quest System, Shop Relationship System. There is a multitude of mechanics within each system naming them all would be cumbersome, but there’s a lot to gnaw at during a play through. These seven systems make up the bulk of what the player will upgrade and use to beat the game. All the systems are engaging because of the feedback and progression is nearly perfect. Four of the Seven systems lack one aspect that stops it from being a perfect score, so let me go through them one by one.
Upgrading Eve through powerful sockets and spines is how you make the base power of your eve stronger. More sockets and spines become available as you progress, which is standard and makes you look forward to expansion. My biggest problem with the equipment system is the lack of upgrading the weapon outside of damage and the aesthetics of the blade, not being able to change. A game that focuses on customization of the players’ core weapon cannot evolve more than just raw damage upgrade. It’s boring when the developers are talented.
The ranged system allows Eve to use multiple different ammo types that have powerful functions and actions. There are only three main scenarios in which the gun is useful during combat. That would be the underground labs you enter where you lose the ability to use your sword. The last scenario involves stopping one shot abilities from final selection of bosses in act three. Outside of those scenarios, it becomes counterintuitive to use guns in combat, especially when all monsters are melee brawlers by nature. You could use them before engaging with enemies to clear out sections. This use of the guns feels underwhelming.
The traversal system is simple: you have a jump, double jump and a small air dash you can execute at any point of your jumps. This simplicity breeds a great loop when used, but I wish I could have longer air dashes I could use. The reason being is when you unlock double jump, you can use air combos to stack up your burst attacks or dodge incoming attacks. This could create a more interesting combat scenarios forcing you to jump rather than perfect parry, perfect dodge, blink or repulse. If a player would have to add a layer of combat tricks, the game could ascend into a different stratosphere of systems.
Finally, the shop system is one of the largest flaws. You can bypass earning a relationship with the shop keepers through simple purchases. Then my rewards don’t feel impactful at all. I would just purchase the additional outfits and clothes because I could not because I wanted to. Overall, the gameplay systems are not ground breaking but have a mix of different systems, so it makes it familiar enough to engage and slow enough to master.
Stagnant & Simple Loops
Stellar blade focuses on using several of its systems to construct a gameplay loop.
Cut scene → Navigation of an open area → Defeat monsters that hide and spawn → Traversal Puzzle → Repeat step two and three → Spawn a resting area → Spawn a powerful boss.
If swords are active, there will be two bosses in the dungeon loop.
If swords are inactive, there will be one singular boss in the dungeon loop.
The loops pacing is quick and does not make you waste time with an obnoxious amount of repeats of the loop. Between some loops, they will add a small gameplay puzzle to break up the use of traversal puzzles. The side quest loops are the weakest part of the gameplay loops. They are the definition of boring and abysmal from a gameplay stand point.
Acquired side quest → Conduct a search for person → Discovered person deceased → Engage in combat scenario with a monster type.
These structures bother me in the loop because the main scenario uses puzzle themes to break up the monotony. Also, the hook to help people is repeatedly used to engage the quest scenario. One quest that falls for this subpar quest trap involves the character I mentioned earlier, named Enya. It’s a multi tier quest which becomes a fetch quest of the loop above. But the story within the quest is so interesting because it builds on the characters, purpose and wants for the future. The quest formatting and gameplay within sets a high level of disdain towards the overall result, which could have been so much more if the gameplay loop wasn’t the one above.
Written by Sage Sythe
Blitzing Progression
Progression blitzes you with constant experience points and resources to keep you engaged. Which is an interesting choice when compared to other games in this genre. The genre being Soulsborne and Sekiro. Players understand that this game genre comes with a difficulty fused with brutality and fewer handicaps that modern games offer. During my normal play through, the game does an excellent job of demonstrating basic combat elements and not excessively punishing you for the first few bosses. Allowing you to get accustomed to its gameplay systems and loops. Once you unlock combat tricks like blink, repulse and beta skills, the bosses and their minions have an immediate spike in power level across the landscape. This then forced me to define how I wanted to progress my skill trees to optimize my personal gameplay. Thankfully, if you interact with the quest systems, you gain a considerable amount of experience points, which translates to an abundance of skill points. The battle feedback is intense in the sense when you screw up. You feel it. It’s part of the process. The feedback is teaching you its unique timings, which will translate to a sense of achievement when you beat the bosses. Circling back to feelings of its gameplay loop, the pacing of this game is great as the progression feels right on time regarding how strong you should be when facing a new foe. There was no point in this game where I felt I was behind in resources, tools, and skill.
Refined Controls
The controls of Stellar Blade are tight and refined. One noticeable clunkiness that exists in the system of Stellar Blade. When attempting to access your gun wheel, which stores the ammo types. You have to hold down the aim button (L2) and then press (↓) on the D pad its chunkiness and clunkiness. Sometimes the game wouldn’t register the input and I would get stuck trying to access the wheel. The only saving grace of these controls is if you open the ammo wheel, time stops allowing you to catch your breath for a moment. In the future, maybe to open the wheel instead of having to move your thumb from the left analog stick it can to the D-Pad. They make it so when holding aim, you can press L3 to access the gun wheel. This will reduce the time players spend extending their fingers from one place to another, and it will allow them to build a newer type of muscle memory since they don’t frequently use L3. Focusing on the positives, combat controls feel incredible once you realize it’s about rhythmic parrying and squeezing Eve’s combo chains into attack windows. The fun is trying to execute higher tier combos that have slower attack speeds and animations for maximum damage. For traversal, the running and acrobatics are standard and easy to pick up. There is a dungeon near the end of act two of the game that involves several platforming rooms to test if you understand how to use the platform controls. My biggest hope is if SHIFT UP pushes a sequel, they expand on traversal because they clearly can design platforming rooms in fun ways that make the experience feel cinematic.
Page Seven
Narrow Hallways
Open Zones and Narrow Hallways with secret rooms is the best way to describe the level design of Stellar Blade. My biggest issue of the level design is how middling it can be for a game that talented people clearly develop. The open zones are empty and have nothing but enemies and some secrets to discover. The game has an incredible ability to pique your interest, then do nothing with it afterwards. Let me give you an example. On your way to Xion, you are traveling through a rainstorm and eventually reach a city that has been submerged under water. This place is called Eidos 7. You don’t have any motivation to go into the water as your main focus is to reach Xion and defeat the first major boss of the game. Eventually, during the play through a quest brings me back to this area. You activate a drainage system that empties the water and lets you descend into this commercial sector. I got excited to explore the unearthed section. It resulted in nothing but enemies and a singular room in which the quest story takes place. The reason this bothers me is that discovering elements in level design is a powerful tool that motivates players to continue exploring the world built. Imagine a world in which an underground section contained an optional dungeon; players would strive to uncover even more about the game. I mention this to highlight the narrow hallways with secret rooms. SHIFT UP does a great job because they designed their main scenario dungeons that way. I think they could have placed two additional dungeon formats within the open zone sections to enhance the level design.
Written by Sage Sythe
Celestial Siren Music
Page Eight
The ethereal melodies that envelop the player in a mesmerizing embrace, akin to the enchanting call of a celestial siren, define the musical essence of this game. Each note carries with it a haunting allure, a poignant beauty, and an irresistible intensity. From the thunderous resonance of heavy guitars commanding attention to the delicate melancholy of solitary piano keys, the soundtrack spans a spectrum of emotions, delivering an immersive auditory experience that resonates deeply with every player.
Within this symphony of sounds, every track finds its perfect place, woven into the fabric of the game to enhance the atmosphere and elevate the gameplay. The developers exhibit a masterful understanding of when and where to deploy each composition, ensuring that the music serves not only as a backdrop but as a catalyst for heightened emotions and anticipation.
Among the musical gems, several stand out as personal favorites:
“Eidos 7 Overworld / Combat” - A dynamic composition featuring the enchanting vocals of a celestial songstress, infusing the gameplay with an uplifting energy.
“Ambushed” - A pulsating electric synths and frenetic drumbeats that propel the player into the heart of action-packed encounters with sheer intensity.
“Star Descent” - Evoking imagery of epic battles reminiscent of a Final Fantasy XVI, this track transports players into a realm where celestial choirs mingle with an upbeat tempo, setting the stage for heroic confrontations.
“The Song of Siren” - A tender lullaby adorned with twinkling musical notes, its simple yet captivating melody etches itself into the mind, soothing and haunting in equal measure.
“Providence Theme” - A seamless blend of electronic beats and orchestral flourishes, this composition ebbs and flows with a captivating rhythm, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the game’s futuristic world while hinting at hidden depths waiting to be explored.
Average Voice Acting
One of the primary issues I encountered was that the voices of the characters failed to leave a lasting impression on me. They lacked that distinct quality that makes a character’s voice instantly recognizable, even when divorced from their visual representation. If presented with audio files devoid of faces, I doubt I could accurately identify which character was speaking solely based on their voice alone.
In reflecting on this, I believe that the root of the problem lies in the dialogue itself. The lines spoken by the characters often felt uninspired, lacking the depth and complexity needed to truly bring them to life. Without compelling dialogue to work with, even the most talented voice actors may struggle to imbue their performances with the authenticity and personality that would elevate them from average to exceptional.
Looking ahead to potential sequels or future projects, I hope the creators will give the characters more opportunities to express their personalities in ways that feel organic and authentic. I hope that the characters will have more opportunities in potential sequels or future projects to express their personalities in ways that feel organic and authentic. Nuanced dialogue that reveals deeper layers of their character or additional means of expression beyond just spoken words, such as body language or facial expressions, could achieve this. There are many avenues that we could explore to breathe new life into the characters and their performances.
Written by Sage Sythe
Punchy Sound Effects
Page Nine
The game’s battle sound effects are nothing short of powerful and crunchy. Delivering a punchy and visceral experience that immerses players in the action's heart. The attention to detail extends even to the most mundane of actions, such as inputting passcodes. The digital clicks that accompany these sequences evoke a sense of high-tech security, transporting players into a world where every keystroke holds the potential to unlock secrets or trigger alarms.
Similarly, the gratifying sound of splintering wood or crumbling metal amplifies the satisfaction of breaking open crates, as if each fracture is a minor victory in itself. And when the contents reveal themselves, the delicate chime notes that accompany the collection of minor items add a layer of charm and addictiveness to the experience, encouraging players to seek every hidden treasure and savor the accompanying auditory reward.Whether it’s the hum of machinery, the rustle of foliage, or the crackle of energy. These ambient noises enrich the game world, bringing it to life in subtle ways.
Elusive Ambience
The ambient noise is an elusive. Overshadowed by the commanding presence of music that permeates every corner of the soundscape. Yet, paradoxically, amidst the barren expanse of this desolate world, one would expect silence to reign supreme, interrupted only by the whispers of nature. It’s a contradiction that perplexes the senses, challenging the very fabric of perception.
Immersive Noise
SHIFT UPs’ attention to detail extends to the diverse sounds emanating from various material constructions. For instance, as you navigate a train level, the sound of your footsteps varies depending on the surface you run on. Running on concrete produces typical footstep sounds, while traversing an open vent grate elicits noticeable clanks. Similarly, when swimming through different sections, the water splashes dynamically as you cleave through the still waters, enhancing the immersive experience of the game.