Stellar Blade

Despite not vibing too well with the demo, we were utterly in love with Stellar Blade by the time the credits rolled. Shift Up has done a tremendous job with their first triple A project and sets a high bar for modern action role playing games. There are some pacing issues, and the narrative's delivery stumbles, but the game as a whole is near perfect: the themes, the visuals, the music, the combat, the exploration, the world, and the technical performance. A modern masterpiece.

Stellar Blade is a pretty enjoyable game to swing your hairband sword at, so long as you don't mind the obvious sexualisation. There's a few rough areas, but nothing to spoil things overall and there’s plenty of interesting story to uncover as you fight your way through giant monsters with circular saws for heads and weird tentacles for legs.

Narrative nitpicks and shortfalls aside, Stellar Blade is an action RPG that excels where it matters most: Looking gorgeous and facilitating supremely satisfying combat interactions. Bolstered by the capable fusion of its inspirations, its weaknesses keep it from transcending them. But those willing to make their peace with those disappointments will find a nearly stellar experience.

There is a nagging question, though, that sticks in the back of my mind: Does this game rise to the heights its inspirers achieved? The conclusion I came to is no, but that it attempts so without falling on its face is remarkable enough. That it manages to be a great game in that pursuit is a true testament to the power of being galvanized by those that came before.

As a first-time console and genre effort from a developer best known for making the self-proclaimed, “one handed shooting game”, Stellar Blade is an extraordinary effort that impressed from beginning to end with an expert mix of story, combat and exploration. Despite the few shortcomings that prevent it from allowing it to stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants of the genre, it’s one that has painted Shift Up in a completely new light, and I’ll be sure to keep a close eye on what they have in store next.

Even when certain devastating bosses made me curse, it was always because I made a mistake and was left eager to dive back in for another shot. I loved the gradual mastery I developed as I explored its many interlocking systems of combos and special moves. Stellar Blade is unabashed in its titillating approach to sex and violence, but unlike so many games that use those appeals as a crutch, it’s also a top-notch action experience that can easily stand with the big girls.