Stellar Blade

It's about time we had another hack-and-slash game. Stellar Blade is getting straight to the point in bringing immersive, high-octane action back to your console, where big production in the genre has felt like it's been missing for a long time. Or at least it feels that way. It's been a while since we've had a title that's ticked all the right boxes in terms of gameplay.

Here, we have a game set shortly, where aliens have invaded Earth, and humans have lost the war. The player's role is to take up arms and reclaim their homeland for their distraught civilization—the perfect set-up for some hack-and-slash action. Let's see how this major production fairs up in a genre that can become stale quickly.

Thy Blade as a Witness

Let's give a bit of background to Stellar Blade. Our protagonist, Eve, and her courageous squad emerge from the Colony, determined to reclaim Earth from the clutches of the relentless NA:tives. The plot takes an intriguing turn when Eve encounters a resilient survivor named Adam, who becomes a crucial ally in her quest. Together, they uncover Xion, the last bastion of humanity on Earth.

There, we have our setting, so how does gameplay weigh up? The combat aspect of Stellar Blade revolves around strategic engagement, requiring players to counter enemy attacks adeptly. Success in battle unlocks combo skills and items essential to overcoming adversaries. The acquisition of these skills is tied to the clever utilization of the Beta Gauge (BG), earned through skillful parrying and evading maneuvers.

The dynamic combat mechanics make the game more interesting, paired with a half-decent narrative that ropes players in. However, there's still that feeling of something missing to make the game complete. The expansive world doesn't feel full enough when exploring a fallen Earth. The narrative may not feel compelling enough to tell a convincing tale.

Take your pick. Behind the layers of fantastic, fluid production, there's a lackluster feeling. Unfortunately, Stellar Blade falls into the same pit as most hack-and-slash games, where combat becomes repetitive. Eventually, everything about the game feels like a grind. It's a noble effort in relative terms, but it isn't enough to overcome the genre challenges many similar titles face.

Far From Stellar

The core question about Stellar Blade is whether it's worth investing in. The game is decent enough to entertain combat-driven players for a few hours, but it can learn much in polishing. Titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice come to mind as a point of reference in what you should be doing to deliver an engaging modern hack-and-slash title.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Dynamic hack-and-slash mechanics
• Lovely visuals with fluid animations
• A decent-sized world to explore

Cons:

• Combat ultimately gets repetitive
• The game will eventually feel like a grind
• The narrative spark dies out after a while

Let me start by saying that Stellar Blade is one of the best games I have played in 2024! This game is awesome and it sucks that people could not get over the fact that the game had you playing as a hot character in a tight bodysuit! Seriously, what is wrong with playing as a character who is easy on the eyes? I honestly do not get it. What sucks about that though is that many people focused on that instead of the fact that this is a fantastic action game and up there as one of the best exclusive titles of the year.

Eve of Destruction

I love sci-fi and I feel like the plot of Stellar Blade was made for me! We play as a hot and brave warrior called Eve who is part of a small group of humanity trying to take the fight to these invading and nightmarish alien creatures. There is also a lot of stuff about AI and also making you question what being human really is. I will say that to get the best out of this world they have created, you will need to find as many of the journals and other bits of information as you can find. However, if you do this, you will realize that this is a massive and fully realized world that they have created here and if you are into sci-fi, you will really like it.

Super Slick Style

The combat in Stellar Blade is so much fun. It feels like you have the speed and agility of Dante from Devil May Cry V, but at the same time you also have the weight and hefty attacks of someone like Kratos from God of War: Ragnarök! It makes for some super exciting fights and the parry mechanic adds an element of skill so that you are not just hacking and slashing your way through each enemy encounter. Certain enemies will require a different approach to the way you go about disposing of them. I legit loved the combat in this game and would probably have to say it is the most action-packed and exciting combat in a game I have played so far in 2024.

Keeping You Interested

I will admit, I do not think I would have gotten bored of Stellar Blade if combat was all that the game had to offer. However, the developer made sure that this game would not get boring in a few different ways. First of all, it is not just one fight after another. There will be many different puzzles that you are tasked with solving as well as some platforming sections as well. If I had to pinpoint a weakness that the game has, it would be the platforming could sometimes be a tad on the frustrating side, but it was never so bad, that I wanted to stop playing. There is also an insane skill tree system in this game which ties into what I was saying before about the combat. The game is always giving you new moves that you can use which keeps combat fresh, but it also makes you feel like you are progressing and being rewarded for doing so.

The Sexy Elephant In The Room!

Look, so much was said about the fact that having a hot protagonist like Eve was not “progressive” or cool in 2024, but I disagree. Eve is a fantastic character and she is hot and that is that! Stellar Blade is a gorgeous looking game and I am not just talking about how hot Eve is! This alien decimated world we are on looks fantastic, like something in between Mad Max and Alita Battle Angel. The creature designs are some of the best I have seen in years, looking like a messed up cross between Lovecraft and something you would find in Bayonetta. The only thing that I am not super into is the English voice dub which can actually make the story lose a bit of its impact if I am being super harsh.

Pros:

• I thought that Eve was more than just eye-candy!
• The combat feels fantastic, it is fun and challenging
• You always feel like you are close to unlocking something new via the skill tree
• The story was great, especially if you take the time to find the extra pieces of lore

Cons:

• Some people cannot get past the way that Eve looks
• Some of the platforming sections could verge on being frustrating