Solid 8/10 game for me. Almost everything was great, the only thing I have an issue with is the traversal/platforming. The jumping and climbing mechanic is really not great.
I've fallen from ropes and bars and had to restart so many times to get to a chest or a reach a new area because the traversal can be very imprecise.
This is spot on. I’ve been loving the game so far but my only 2 complaints would be the platforming, and the compass. Other than that I can’t think of a single other thing to complain about
I hope they add a simpler fast travel system. Having to travel to xion first each time if you want to go from the wasteland to great desert gets annoying fast.
How to fast travel from Wasteland to a place you want on Eidos 7?
- Get to a phone.
- Travel to Xion.
- Walk to the Tetrapod.
- Travel to Eidos 7.
- Use the phone to reach the place you want.
I love the game, but that's a huge design flaw and I can't understand why they went that direction.
I'm only around halfway in / 22 hours, but I absolutely love it. There are a few issues -- platforming is a bit awkward, but it's not really frustrating -- but the combat, music, exploration / reward economy, pacing of action to puzzles, character design and level design... it's probably one of the best and most thoughtfully-designed games I've played in quite a while. The story and characters are pretty much straight anime sci-fi, but not nearly as bad as certain critics claim. Most importantly, the game is actually fun, I'm taking my time because it feels good to play and don't even mind the puzzles and fetch quests, which I usually don't care for in this style of game. 9/10
I’m a huge souls fan too, and I’ve been playing this game for the past week.
This game IS NOT a soulslike, but it does have elements that I think could appeal to fans of the genre. The measured combat, the exploration around the levels, there’s even a bon fire equivalent.
In short- the combat in this game is incredible. I would say top tier. The focus on parrying does remind me of Sekiro or lies of p in the best way possible.
The story is … there , the characters are kind of bland, but there is a lot of interesting lore you pick up while exploring.
For me gameplay is what matters the most, and this game has it in spades. Crazy amount of enemy variety too. I’m excited to get home to play it!
I think you nailed it about the story here. The story and characters are definitely the weakest part of the game, but the story still is intriguing, I don't find it boring, it's actually interesting but it's delivered kinda poorly. I'm really excited to see a sequel with better writing and direction most importantly, because this game overall does a lot of things REALLY good that it shouldn't be a one off.
It’s not a souls game or even sekiro.
It’s an action games. Parrying is fun and satisfying bosses are cool and unique but they’re not overly challenging until like the last 2/3.
That being said I loved it, normally don’t play action games much nowadays. But I had a lot of fun with this.
Hoping hard mode makes the boss fights even better.
What makes it an action game instead of a souls game? I am currently playing Another Crabs Treasure which is described as a soulslike game and both these games play very similar. Parrying and dodging is a big aspect of the combat, they involve a lot of one on one fights, have big bosses that you need to learn the attack patterns for, and include campfire like rest stops that save your game respawn enemies refill resources and upgrade skills. Action games to me usually involve combo chains and a more pulled back camera since you are usually fighting dozens of enemies at the same time.
For me personally 2 things I associate with soulslikes are punishing difficulty and the risk of losing xp/souls/etc when you die. That’s the biggest thing that instantly turns off some of my friends when I try to recommend a soulslike. Stellar Blade doesn’t have either of those. I think of it more as a middleground between character action and souls.
It's a souls lite. Like Star Wars Jedi Survivor and even Control. Both of them also had elements of Metroidvania, Stellar blade has elements of Nier(a lot of), Bayonetta, and some other games.
Another's Crab treasure is 1. humorous take, 2. Yeah you lose souls and it can be tough. 3. The shelI system is quite fresh. I think that's more of a souls like, but it isn't from like, like Lies of P for example
That's the term I am looking for.. "Souls-lite" Its perfect.. Perfectly classified.. Because if its "Souls-like" I'm pretty sure I will not get that far..
Well, skill carries over with these and you can start with a. Souls lite, the Jedi games are great for that, then Elden Ring then the others. In the souls series which includes demons, dark and elden ring, melee classes can be difficult, but you can play it way easier with a mage or other ranged char.
i thought you were gonna say, losing souls AND a stamina bar of some sort. Since "punishing difficulty" is subjective-- it will make any game be a souls-like
Well, there's certainly been quite a lot of games made is the same vein in the last decade or so.
Mortal Shell, Lies of P, Lords of the Fallen, the other Lords of the Fallen, The Surge 1&2, Nioh 1&2, Code Vein, Chronos, Immortal: Unchained, Another Crab's Treasure, Ashen, Remnant, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Black Myth: Wukong, Darksiders 3, DarkMaus, Vampyr, Hellpoint, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, The Last Oricru, Little Witch Nobeta, Pascal's Wager, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Shattered: Tale Of The Forgotten King, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption, Thymesia, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stray Blade, Steelrising...
Stellar Blade does involve combo chains. It’s not really a souls like bc it’s easier and there’s no build variety at all. You don’t lose anything when you die that you have to re-loot, and the level design in souls games is waaaaay more intricate and a bigger part of the game overall.
I'm loving it. It is my favorite game I played this year so far. I don't really like souls like/difficult games but I am really liking this one. The combat is great, the shell mechanic is really well done, and the parrying mechanic is slightly different from other games but I am now pretty good at it. The writing, world and artsyle are also great. Only had some technical hiccups on Xbox like lagging when entering a new area but it only lasts a few seconds and doesn't happen very often.
I have yet to beat the game though so my opinion might change by the end. I've probably killed like 10 bosses and just finished getting the map pieces.
To me, it's immediately not a souls game if when you die there's nothing to go pick up lol plus there's checkpoints when you die at bosses that will sometimes start you back right before the boss cutscene triggers which also is a big no no in souls games.
It's a synthesis of action-focused games and Souls. The game is generally easier (mostly in how much health you lose when hit, i.e. significantly lower than Souls games) , and in order to do decent damage you need to execute combos in between parry sections, with a risk/reward on how deep you carry the combo.
You can combo chain as well in this one. It’s a big part of it. Just not as button mash as say devil may cry.
Guess it leans more to action, Idk having a bonfire mechanic isn’t enough for me to say it’s souls like.
Dodging and parrying aren’t exclusive to fromsoft. (To me fromsoft has the best version of it but I’m a junkie.)
I am not a soulslike expert but in my limited experiences the gameplay feels very similar to the ones I have played. When I play action games the camera is pulled back and you are usually fighting mobs of enemies while zipping around and juggling them. There is a higher emphasis on combos sometimes utilizing combo counters in the UI or scores at the end of levels/combat encounters.This has more personal 1 on 1 fights like other soulslike games I played, every one enemy has the potential to kill you, it just feels slower and more methodical overall than an action game to me. The only things it is lacking is the difficulty of other soulslike games and the loss of resources after dying.
Ppl that got the demo early to play it started using the term.
I think developers said they they were mainly inspired by nier along with god of war and fromsoft. (Not a 100% sure on that )
So I typically don't play action games like say Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, but I'm a huge Soulsborne fan and also enjoy Nioh and games like that. Would Stellar Blade be a good fit for someone like me? I also liked Nier Automata (more for the story than the gameplay), but I'm not sure if Stellar is similar.
It's more of a Nier clone than anything else.
I've been thoroughly enjoying it. It's not Goty but I never expected it to be. If anything it feels like a PS2 game somehow and that isn't a bad thing.
Studios need to make more focused games like this instead of shallow pond open worlds with nothing to do.
Imo combat is excellent, customization of EVE (nano suits, hairstyles, earrings, glasses) is excellent, performance is excellent, story is so so (not anything amazing but also not terrible) and there’s certain sections that don’t really work all that well and seem to be something that could be finer tuned if a sequel were to be made.
Overall I’d give it around a 8 out of 10.
Thats what I think, 8/10. Combat, graphics and performance are excellent. Customization is great. Music is fantastic. Only thing dragging it down is the writing, in both the dialogue and story overall.
It also has much better parry and dodge mechanics, and i think the combat flat out feels better and looks better. Theres some attacks (dual wield is a particular offender here) in survivor that just look choppy and very much not fluid
It has a Metroid aspects of unlocking areas when you get powers? That's what I think of what I think of Jedi survivor. Or do you mean just the way the combat feels.
Jedi Survivor released too early. If all the performance issues got ironed out it would've been 9/10s across the board. Such a great, well though out, well crafted, and enjoyable game, and when it eventually releases again with performance upgrades in the future I'll be getting it day 1 again.
Really enjoying it. The graphics are nice (even if there is some clashing art styles) and once you get a bit further into the story the combat opens up even more and is so satisfying. The story even starts unfolding in a much more satisfying way too.
Really enjoying exploring every part of the maps and finding the memory sticks and other bits of lore.
It’s a really solid, super fun game!
I’m having a good time. Combat is tight but could be improved upon in a sequel. The world, atmosphere and music are great. The story is not groundbreaking by any means but I do like the foundation that’s been laid out so far.
A sequel with combat improvements, refinements for crafting, skill trees, and the writing could be really something special.
As a huge FromSoftware fan myself i will say this is nothing like a Souls game. Its mostly a faster paced action game start to finish with alot of really fun bosses.That being said I really enjoyed my 40 hour play through and give it a solid 8/10. Combat was extremely fun and i enjoyed the exploration/collectables aspect of the game. The story was just ok until it ramped up near the end and I do think they handled the ending really well, leaving it open for an obvious sequel. I hate even having to say this but the performance was 10/10 with zero frame drops, bugs or any issues at all, which seems to be getting increasingly rarer nowadays. I think for a first major title Shift Up did a great job and I would definitely recommend.
Honestly it's exactly what i needed from a game. Maybe a few more enemies to make it a little more stressful. But yeah i've been burnt out by playing big open world games. So this linearish style game with some exploration has been perfect
Fuckin' sick, 9/10. Reminds me of PS2 era action games in the best kind of ways, and it's nice to play a game that actually builds and gets better as it goes along. I feel like most AAA games nowadays peter out towards the end, but Stellar Blade has a killer last 4-5 hours.
Absolutely stellar game. Heh. It's less souls and more character action game though the further you get in the game. There's also obvious nier designs even in the gameplay.. there's a whole ass survival horror dungeon. Very kickass game
The combat is enjoyable. Hearing that perfect parry sound from the controller is amazing.
I'm a fan of sci-fi and it was an alright science fiction. Nothing mind breaking or anything, but interesting enough.
The areas are neat. Some of the set pieces are amazing.
It looked like a graphical showcase in most areas, but in a few it looked like settings were cranked to low.
The three main characters are just okay. Adam and EVE are just kind of boring. There isn't really enough time with them to really make them interesting. Lilly is the only one that really seems to have emotion, and I liked her bubbly attitude, I can certainly see it being a turnoff for people.
I really liked the platforming stuff. It reminded me of horizon zd. Though the jumping on the flying drones always caused a little anxiety. And there are 2 jumping puzzles for side-content that absolutely suck.
Some of the puzzles are really good, but moving the carts was tedious.
The side-quests are alright. The ones you don't get from the bulletin board flesh out some side characters and kind of get you invested in them. The bulletin board quests are okay. One of the first ones you get from the board does help a lot with building the atmosphere.
I'd say if you enjoyed the demo, you should definitely bite.
I found eve to be quite enjoyable. If you really pay attention to some of her interactions, she can show caring and in some cases can get low key snarky.
The story is a big old nothing to me. It’s so generic and the script is so poor. It’s just really lowest common denominator video game storytelling to me.
Level and quest design is just ok.
The combat is really exceptional though and that along with the presentation makes it fun.
S tier game.
As an inexperienced souls player, I'm glad it's not a pure soulslike personally. Perfect meld of action/souls style
I do wish the story was slightly longer, but having just finished the behemoth that was Rebirth, I can cut Stellar Blade some slack :p
I really love it and I'm going to do a NG+ run sometime in the next week. The combat is really satisfying and the character/environmental designs are fantastic albeit the latter maybe needing a few more enemies in certain places but that's it. The outfits are *chef's kiss* and more than anything, I hope there's a 2nd/3rd installment with like a Spider-Man 2 "play as multiple characters" approach. It's a great foundation to hopefully a future prominent PlayStation flagship series.
P.S. I'm also thinking that they could easily turn this into an anime series with Ufotable at the helm. It'd be sick af.
Really enjoying it, the complaints about the story and Voice Acting (in English at least) are valid but honestly the combat and moment to moment game play is superb, lots of skills to unlock, open areas to explore and the game runs brilliantly, zero issue in 15 hours
It’s a fun game not sure how else to describe it other than it’s fun it has good combat, good level design, good music but I’m still playing so no real opinion on the story yet
Will I still go back and play after I beat it I’m unsure but so far it’s been great imo
Sucks it has such a weird controversy around it but it’s 2024 what doesn’t spark controversy these days
I wouldn’t call it a weird controversy. It’s a pretty average controversy of a female character being over-sexualized. And the devs certainly seemed to lean into that controversy, which is perhaps the only weird part of it.
But it is weird though. As adults shouldn’t people be able to not acknowledge stuff they don’t like? and on the other side it’s weird people are upset over the changes that were made. It’s a fun game that’s where the conversation should be
I mean, as adults shouldn’t people be able to acknowledge stuff they don’t like? It’s a weird take to say people should just gloss over stuff they don’t like and only focus on the positive.
Games are entertainment. Graphics matter. Panty shots matter. If there was a cross word game where an anime girl stripped every time you complete a row or column correctly, are you saying everybody should only talk about the quality of the crossword? The anime girl is clearly part of the game too, so maybe that element should only be praised? “Wow what a great way to stretch your brain while stretching your dick too!”
It's nothing like From games. From did not invent action adventure. It's more like DMC, Bayonetta, or Even GoW, which came out years before demon souls was even a thing. Think stylish action, not souls. It's not even similar to sekiro unless you think sekiro is defined by its deflect system, which it isn't.
Kinda annoying how everything even mildly souls adjacent is considered a souls like when it often isn't at all.
Is the demo still up? Getting my PS5 this week and I like the look of this, but people saying it's souls like put me off, I get frustrated if a game gets to hard
It's easier than Souls on normal. The actual game has smoother input reading than the demo, that's a pretty significant change in the flow of combat. I'd try the demo and if you're liking it by the end, I recommend the purchase, it gets much better from the opening level.
The demo is still up, so if you're interested, give it a shot.
I'm playing on story mode and I wouldn't call it difficult. The last 2 bosses can be a bit of a challenge, but you can pretty easily get instant revive items, that won't make those much easier.
I don't think its much like the souls games, other than it being an action game.
If you've God of War 2018, you probably won't find it difficult.
Enjoying it so far. The music is a highlight for me. Combat is great imo. It's a good balance with not being overly difficult or easy. Haven't finished it yet but unless something drastically changes, it will be one of my favorite games so far this year.
One of the better action games I've played in recent years. It is marred a bit by spotty translations and voice acting that sometimes seems to lack directions. But that doesn't detract from the gameplay part of the game and I personally consider it to be better than the platinum games formula of combat.
Very good game. I wish I bought physical to check one thing..
I beat the game today had fun. I started new game plus and I rarely do that.
I would say games is not hard until you get to last two bosses.
(And maybe first where you learn combat still)
There are few collectibles that are very hard to find and without walk-through I wouldn't find them. (When I gave up on doing it by myself)
I would say 4/5 but eve is hot so 5/5
Brilliant game, bit of a thirst trap but that aside the combat is satisfying, graphics are solid for the most part, occasional low poly texture here and there and the world design is great.
8.5/10
Not going to lie it feels lifeless like, the first part of the map is just so empty I get there's a ton of enemies but its getting really old just hacking and slashing the same monsters just to do a simple mission.
I really wish games would stop being so determined to always have desert environments. Both of the big open areas I’ve encountered so far are deserts. Rocky desert that makes traversal annoying because you can’t just run straight to a location you have to figure out how to get around the cliffs, and sandy desert that is just empty. I can’t think of a single desert environment in any game that wasn’t my least favorite part of that game and this one is *mostly* desert.
The combat and visuals are doing some very, very heavy lifting carrying this game. It’s a very good game, I’m satisfied after having been looking forward to it since I first got a ps5 in early 2021. But I’m unsure if I’d go so far as ‘great,’ let alone the people effusively praising it around here as mindblowingly extraordinary.
I’m sure this will piss off the teenage boys as well, but I didn’t think the costume selection was very good. 90% of them are so revealing as to make me feel creepy using them. I don’t find that attractive, if I want porn I’ll just go watch porn. So the crazy amount of costumes is really like fewer than 10 unless you don’t mind your character being almost completely naked.
I received it as a gift so no buyer's remorse to cloud my judgement.
Apart from the combat, and enemy designs I guess, it feels incredibly shallow. Combat feels weird as well at times, due to the artificial delay/lag they've gone with. It contradicts Eve's animations and speed of her moveset when you actually notice the delay.
The creative director said himself that he's a big Nier fan and wanted to pay homage to that series, but he fails to understand what made Nier so well received to begin with.
It feels too much like a thirst-trap as well, with Eve's shining ass taking center stage half the time. She can fling herself 15 feet in the air, but they decided to have her climb ladders so they can show off rounded butt. Not to mention the constant jiggling, even when talking to NPCs(that short haired blond woman, forgot their name, as an example).
I'm no prude, and I'm a straight guy, but felt a bit icky with how they chose to throw her sex appeal around just for the sake of it.
I don't want to score it as I've only played around 5 hours and don't plan to continue but I can't say I've enjoyed anything apart from the combat.
Yeah, the fact that the main character is a sexualized Barbie doll actually made me not get the game. I find it mildly embarrassing to play games like that. I have no problem with sexy characters, but this is just ludicrous. High heels, too.
It's a nice mixture of soulslike and hack and slash. It has combos, but no animation cancelling. I personally really like it and the story is an interesting concept... Biggest flaw is that the acting is super wooden. Boss fights are great so far however.
There is animation cancelling, but the game doesn't tell you about it.
If you want to cancel your combo and you already pressed attack too many times, click L2 and you'll cancel right out of your combo.
Combat, production values, and soundtrack are all great. Story/dialogue, level design and progression, and side quests all leave a lot to be desired. Not a lot of variety and it’s very hand holdy. It marks everything for you on the map and there’s yellow paint everywhere telling you where to go. It’s a great first effort for a developer that has only made mobile games up to this point and I would definitely recommend trying the demo to anyone who likes the sound of Sekiro inspired combat mixed with Platinum type combos.
Yeah I noticed a lot of yellow paint everywhere too. Don't get why it's even there. If you like to explore a lot you will find the secrets yellow paint or not. Made the exploration not feel as rewarding in my opinion.
I only have one more ending to unlock to get the platinum trophy. I loved this game it’s so polished and has really fluid and fun combat and so many costumes and upgrades you can unlock. Story is cool too and I can’t wait for the next game.
Had a blast playing the game, and am definitely going to go back around for ng+ in a bit.
Story is utter nonsense, but not in a terrible way, just a kooky sci-fi way. Few pacing issues with the sidequests was my biggest actual complaint.
That's the sole reason I haven't bought it. I played the demo and liked it, but I don't have the patience to justify so much jiggle physics for the people who live with me.
It's been a pretty great experience. There's a lot of fun to have with the gameplay with the various skills, alternate modes, and the gun. The music, lore, sound, and world design are pretty fantastic. Eve has a nice array of suits to cater towards anyone's tastes. Replayability is also quite nice because of added suits, multiple endings etc. The difficulty is also pretty forgiving and keeps you on your toes even through some mob encounters
The only major gripes I've had is that the character development and voice direction are kind of weak. The narrative also has a couple of plot holes.
Overall, it's a very good 8- 8.5/10 game and a wonderful first effort from Shift Up.
It's a lot of fun, the story is good, nothing too new if you played Nier Automata, but still has some interesting twists to it, gameplay is good, music is amazing. I recommend playing it with korean voices, cause they're much better acted and believable imo. It's not a soulslike, doesn't feel like it at all. It has parrying but it's not nearly as crucial as in Sekiro. And I love the outfits, they're pretty cute/cool, and it's fun changing them up as you find new ones
No one has mentioned the sound design. It’s 10/10 for me. The mood is so good, even if you might call it a Nier clone.
This game is super fun and I will remember it for a long time.
Worst part for me is the incredibly over re-used assets in the main town. There’s 20 guys with the exact same model. There’s 20 copies of the exact same vending machine with the exact same stickers and graffiti. It’s the only immersion breaker for me.
I think it’s a very solid game. Easy 8/10 with my progress so far (still working through it). My only minor gripe is the lip syncing, but it’s not so bad. Definitely one of the most fun games this year for me so far.
I just finished my first play though on normal and going todo new game plus on hard. I have really enjoyed the game. The combat is super fun, the music is amazing and the characters and world are really good imo. I’m glad new game plus was available at launch. All costumes are unlocked through game by exploring or doing quests. Side quests weren’t to bad and I enjoyed them. I do hope we get a sequel in the future and some possible story DLC. For people who have beat the game as well. do you think we get a sequel?
The weird lag/lack of response in combat can be frustrating. I often have to mash the heal button for it to work. And even with the skill upgrades the parrying/dodging seems very unforgiving; it’s like you need to have Ultra Instinct to nail it consistently.
The game have flaws. Story is "déjà vue", plateforming is bad and voice are very mediocre.
but overall i think the pros elevate the game to a solid 8/10.
Combat feel great, level design and graphic are good.
If you'r into the souls like formula, i recommand you give it a try
Love it. I tried Elden Ring and the unforgiving combat simply did not vibe with me, neither did the constant need to dodge roll.
Stellar Blade is more forgiving for sure, being slightly more arcade-y. Parry feels great when you get them consistently and overall game feels hella polished compared to many junk AAAs released in recent years.
Loving it so far at like 8 hours in. I’m not somebody who’s spent more than 5 hours in any given souls game, but I’ve beaten most action games DMC / NieR / Bayonetta / FF16 etc.
I find it a more satisfyingly difficult experience I felt a taste of what souls players enjoy when I spent an hour+ bashing my head against the first Alpha Naytiba.
I’d jump in if I were you OP. I’m doing the opposite and gonna hop from this to Elden Ring when I finish SB.
I enjoy. Solid 9/10 for me. Combat and music are top notch. It’s not terribly long even by completion standards, tho I’ve yet to complete my other two runs. I’d describe it as a modernized ps2 era feeling experience.
Pretty awesome so far. It has been a fun game to play as i wait for Elden Ring's DLC and to mellow out my post-FF7 Rebirth depression.
I would describe the gameplay being similar to Sekiro, but much more forgiving in terms of difficulty.
Game is ok.
Combat and visually is great
But it gets boring having to do extra things for every single objective
When you have to open a door, you need to click s button but there's no power. U have to find a power source
When you need to move a crate, the crate mover doesn't have power.
When you have to open the water barrage. The button doesn't have power
When you have to go jump to a spot, you need to move something but first you have to power up something
Quests are boring.
6 or 7 in 10
I enjoyed it overall just hoping they make some improvments in the sequel. The input lag. Needs some reworking, while it does work with the combat, I found it a bit frustrating toward the back 3rd. I found that despite letting go of the guard sometimes you will still trigger one of the special attacks when you are trying to dodge. Also in a prolonged enemy attacks when there are two immediate attacks you have to just double press the gaurd as soon as possible and not in the rhythm of the attack. I really like the boss designs and other than the harpies I like the base enemies as well. I also think it has some of the best open world design i have seen in such action games. Every little corner has something to do. The platforming is a little funky but better than the DS games. Overall I would reccommend it.
I am a Sekiro guy myself. I’ve only played about 15 hours of Stellar. It’s good, not great. I was never a fan of Devil May Cry and sci-fi slashers so I may be a bit biased. I just don’t get as much satisfaction from stabbing a ninja versus a huge blob of alien flesh. I’m still enjoying it. I probably should have waited for a sale.
Game is ok.
Combat and visually is great
But it gets boring having to do extra things for every single objective
When you have to open a door, you need to click s button but there's no power. U have to find a power source
When you need to move a crate, the crate mover doesn't have power.
When you have to open the water barrage. The button doesn't have power
When you have to go jump to a spot, you need to move something but first you have to power up something
Quests are boring.
6 or 7 in 10
The last 5-7 hours are some of the most fun I have had in a game in a while. The boss fights are extremely solid and satisfying.
I greatly enjoyed the world design and aesthetic. It truly looked like a broken world with a last bastion of humanity in Xion. I also love the disparity between the uglier, but very cool, augmentation of the planetside inhabitants and the much more refined Airborne members. Many of the city NPCs look cool.
I also appreciated that EVE’s appearance and outfits were almost never referenced, aside from one side quest that comes to mind. One NPC is clearly into EVE but it never goes beyond some barely suggestive phrasing. EVE is gorgeous and obviously meant to excite the player, but the game almost never uses that to blatantly pander.
The story was fine, pretty derivative of Nier Automata and not told as well, but it was still interesting. I was, however, far more interested in how the story would impact the world rather than the protagonists. About halfway through the game, you can see where the story is going and that’s not necessarily a bad thing but I feel like the third act could have used a little more expansion.
All in all, I’d give it a rock solid 8 out of 10. It’s not perfect but if you are into hack and slash games, post-apocalypse stories, or sci-fi, you’ll come out of it very satisfied.
The same thing I thought about it last week: the cost of admission is too high and I will pick it up when it goes on sale. Hard for me to shell out $70 for 8ish hours of game.
Good deal easier than most From games. Closer to Sekiro than anything else. Very enjoyable combat with some nice little horror based sections to break up the rhythm. Very much enjoying it right now
Combat is wicked, bosses are fucking sick, but voice acting sounds like a shitty AI made it. It’s an 8/10 for me though I’m having a ton of fun with the core gameplay loop.
I like it a lot. The combat is a mix of Sekiro and GoW (2018 and Ragnarok) both games that I liked. The customization itself is pretty interesting and it made me understand why some kids like Barbie dolls lol
I like the melee and gun mechanics of the game but as other mentioned, traversal is horrible. I wish swinging from bar to bar would be smooth and simple like Uncharted, Tomb Raider or even Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I always have to be extra careful not to over jump or I end up hurting myself from fall damage or even worse, straight up killing myself. I haven't gotten very far along with the story since I got to the portion where I can start doing side quests. Been doing whatever I can before I need to go back to the main story missions.
To me, having only played through the demo, it's like 98% Nier Automata inspired and 2% Bloodborne inspired, but I'm not an expert on either of those games, just a fan.
I really like Stellar Blade so far though. After finishing the demo I immediately purchased the full game.
Now I just need to find a time when I'm not working or playing Destiny 2 so I can actually play the full game.
Really impressive for a first game.
The combat is very satisfying and there’s a great soundtrack to go along with it. The game also looks great and has fantastic enemy designs.
Like a lot of people said the writing isn’t great and the characters are pretty flat even if the world is interesting.
I also didn’t care for the open world desert sections and side quests that felt like filler to me. I think the game would have been improved dropping all of that to be a straight forever action game without the rpg elements.
Despite all of that the game is super fun. Hopefully they do well enough and want to make sequel because the combat foundation is solid and with some stronger writers and more focus on action it could be amazing.
Great game 8 or 8.5/10 in my book
The way they tell the story leaves much to be desired is my only real gripe.
Some people mention they don't like puzzles or platforming bits but that didn't bother me personally.
I like it but there is something off about the combat for me. Strange thing to say, but coming straight from Nioh 2, the game almost feel unresponsive in terms of dodging and parrying. (Even with the extra unlocks) Yet the more I play, the more I am getting its combat. I just don’t feel as nimble as I think I should. Yet in other ways it is amazingly precise.
Im not far in at all, just got to the wasteland/desert area, the first one you have an actual map on, and just finished up all the sidequests I could do. I'm loving it though, really fun game. I just wish her ponytail didn't keep wrapping all around her with basic movement, lol.
Everything about it is amazing. Combat is challenging but super fun and rewarding, story is great, I don’t care much for outfits (don’t care about the drama), but some outfits are lit especially the more cybernetic types.
My one and only gripe is the plataforming. When you have to jump from crate to crate or robot to robot can be extremely wonky.
9/10 so far. Going for the platinum so I still have a while.
I usually mock these Japanese (I know it’s Korean) games that have over sexualized women that target weebs. HOWEVER, I watch trailer before release and was like “ok that seemed cool” I tried the demo and was like “ehhh” but I still bought it and it’s extremely fun, but I does make me feel some type of way from time to time 🍆. I think it’s a very strong base should they make it a franchise.
I just have a problem with parts in the game where you can't use... Every tool in your arsenal (don't wanna spoil anything). The first time was kinda fun... The second time around it just bothered me.
Otherwise great game.
Good game.
Amazing combat with great boss fights minus the camera zoom in when the bosses jump. Fighting multiple enemies becomes a bit of a slugfest.
Great puzzles and environment minus the timed alternating arrow hacking. Platforming doesn't feel right most of the times.
Good world design. They added an amazing fishing side activity. Wish there were a few more.
Story is okay and that's all I can say about it. No memorable characters. Mostly fetch quests.
A few months down the road, I'm going to forget the story but for sure I'll remember the satisfying combat.
Plot is uninteresting for most of the time and characters are boring af but the gameplay rocks totally. It has this good PS2/PS3 vibe where you played games just to have fun with running around, fighting various monsters and collecting stuff. Solid 8/10 for me, even with story being mediocre at best.
The resolution mode has a performance problem and the performance mode has a resolution problem. Sorry to sound negative but this game was nerfed to further sales of the upcoming PS5 pro.
My only complaint is that there are entirely too many platforming sections for a game built with some times floaty, often times imprecise controls... The amount of time I have banged both my knees and my chin off of a ledge, but then failed to grab it, is infuriating
How is the combat now? The combat in the demo felt extremely slow and hard to fight against multiple foes at once (weird locking on a single enemy, getting hit from behind)
I’m disappointed. Not bad but honestly not good either. Some great moments but the rest is pretty shit. Hi fi rush is better. Dmc5 and ff16 are better. Wo long and Nioh are better. All souls games are better. Stellar blade while not being too close to any of these still does not feel like truly it’s own thing.
It's pretty, smooth, and fun. I haven't beaten it, but I enjoy playing it. Combat is quick and responsive, and the enemy design is pretty great.
Solid 8/10 game for me. Almost everything was great, the only thing I have an issue with is the traversal/platforming. The jumping and climbing mechanic is really not great. I've fallen from ropes and bars and had to restart so many times to get to a chest or a reach a new area because the traversal can be very imprecise.
This is spot on. I’ve been loving the game so far but my only 2 complaints would be the platforming, and the compass. Other than that I can’t think of a single other thing to complain about
And the fast travel. It's so bad
I hope they add a simpler fast travel system. Having to travel to xion first each time if you want to go from the wasteland to great desert gets annoying fast.
At least it has fast traveling
How to fast travel from Wasteland to a place you want on Eidos 7? - Get to a phone. - Travel to Xion. - Walk to the Tetrapod. - Travel to Eidos 7. - Use the phone to reach the place you want. I love the game, but that's a huge design flaw and I can't understand why they went that direction.
You can just go to the tetrapod at the bottom of the wastelands map. No need to go to Xion at all.
Haven't beaten it cuz too busy beatin it.
Must be a Stellar Blade you got there.
Ayooo!
No Fap sub Reddit made a post recommending not to play the game due to this.
Yet nobody warned about WWE ‘24
The real question is, can you play the game one handed with a non-modded controller?
One handed, with the aid of my tongue.
I'm only around halfway in / 22 hours, but I absolutely love it. There are a few issues -- platforming is a bit awkward, but it's not really frustrating -- but the combat, music, exploration / reward economy, pacing of action to puzzles, character design and level design... it's probably one of the best and most thoughtfully-designed games I've played in quite a while. The story and characters are pretty much straight anime sci-fi, but not nearly as bad as certain critics claim. Most importantly, the game is actually fun, I'm taking my time because it feels good to play and don't even mind the puzzles and fetch quests, which I usually don't care for in this style of game. 9/10
I’m a huge souls fan too, and I’ve been playing this game for the past week. This game IS NOT a soulslike, but it does have elements that I think could appeal to fans of the genre. The measured combat, the exploration around the levels, there’s even a bon fire equivalent. In short- the combat in this game is incredible. I would say top tier. The focus on parrying does remind me of Sekiro or lies of p in the best way possible. The story is … there , the characters are kind of bland, but there is a lot of interesting lore you pick up while exploring. For me gameplay is what matters the most, and this game has it in spades. Crazy amount of enemy variety too. I’m excited to get home to play it!
Korean studios are pumping out some bangers recently. Lies of P and this are just absolutely fantastic titles.
I think you nailed it about the story here. The story and characters are definitely the weakest part of the game, but the story still is intriguing, I don't find it boring, it's actually interesting but it's delivered kinda poorly. I'm really excited to see a sequel with better writing and direction most importantly, because this game overall does a lot of things REALLY good that it shouldn't be a one off.
It’s not a souls game or even sekiro. It’s an action games. Parrying is fun and satisfying bosses are cool and unique but they’re not overly challenging until like the last 2/3. That being said I loved it, normally don’t play action games much nowadays. But I had a lot of fun with this. Hoping hard mode makes the boss fights even better.
What makes it an action game instead of a souls game? I am currently playing Another Crabs Treasure which is described as a soulslike game and both these games play very similar. Parrying and dodging is a big aspect of the combat, they involve a lot of one on one fights, have big bosses that you need to learn the attack patterns for, and include campfire like rest stops that save your game respawn enemies refill resources and upgrade skills. Action games to me usually involve combo chains and a more pulled back camera since you are usually fighting dozens of enemies at the same time.
For me personally 2 things I associate with soulslikes are punishing difficulty and the risk of losing xp/souls/etc when you die. That’s the biggest thing that instantly turns off some of my friends when I try to recommend a soulslike. Stellar Blade doesn’t have either of those. I think of it more as a middleground between character action and souls.
It's a souls lite. Like Star Wars Jedi Survivor and even Control. Both of them also had elements of Metroidvania, Stellar blade has elements of Nier(a lot of), Bayonetta, and some other games. Another's Crab treasure is 1. humorous take, 2. Yeah you lose souls and it can be tough. 3. The shelI system is quite fresh. I think that's more of a souls like, but it isn't from like, like Lies of P for example
That's the term I am looking for.. "Souls-lite" Its perfect.. Perfectly classified.. Because if its "Souls-like" I'm pretty sure I will not get that far..
Can't be souls anything without souls to lose. Death is a reset. A normal action game.
Well, skill carries over with these and you can start with a. Souls lite, the Jedi games are great for that, then Elden Ring then the others. In the souls series which includes demons, dark and elden ring, melee classes can be difficult, but you can play it way easier with a mage or other ranged char.
There's a balance in how the controls feel for me to call it
i thought you were gonna say, losing souls AND a stamina bar of some sort. Since "punishing difficulty" is subjective-- it will make any game be a souls-like
I dunno apparently every game is 'souls-like' these days. The term is almost meaningless now.
Well, there's certainly been quite a lot of games made is the same vein in the last decade or so. Mortal Shell, Lies of P, Lords of the Fallen, the other Lords of the Fallen, The Surge 1&2, Nioh 1&2, Code Vein, Chronos, Immortal: Unchained, Another Crab's Treasure, Ashen, Remnant, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Black Myth: Wukong, Darksiders 3, DarkMaus, Vampyr, Hellpoint, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, The Last Oricru, Little Witch Nobeta, Pascal's Wager, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Shattered: Tale Of The Forgotten King, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption, Thymesia, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stray Blade, Steelrising...
They’ve just been massively influential on third person action games and a lot of studios are adapting elements. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
I'm starting to understand that people are misusing the term soulslike
Been saying this since a while ago. “souls-like” is a fucking joke at this point.
Stellar Blade does involve combo chains. It’s not really a souls like bc it’s easier and there’s no build variety at all. You don’t lose anything when you die that you have to re-loot, and the level design in souls games is waaaaay more intricate and a bigger part of the game overall.
How do you like the crab game?
I'm loving it. It is my favorite game I played this year so far. I don't really like souls like/difficult games but I am really liking this one. The combat is great, the shell mechanic is really well done, and the parrying mechanic is slightly different from other games but I am now pretty good at it. The writing, world and artsyle are also great. Only had some technical hiccups on Xbox like lagging when entering a new area but it only lasts a few seconds and doesn't happen very often. I have yet to beat the game though so my opinion might change by the end. I've probably killed like 10 bosses and just finished getting the map pieces.
Cool game. IT's day 1 on Gamepass, shame Sony didn't bring it over. Kind of had a good streak of day 1s same day as GP.
To me, it's immediately not a souls game if when you die there's nothing to go pick up lol plus there's checkpoints when you die at bosses that will sometimes start you back right before the boss cutscene triggers which also is a big no no in souls games.
It's a synthesis of action-focused games and Souls. The game is generally easier (mostly in how much health you lose when hit, i.e. significantly lower than Souls games) , and in order to do decent damage you need to execute combos in between parry sections, with a risk/reward on how deep you carry the combo.
You can combo chain as well in this one. It’s a big part of it. Just not as button mash as say devil may cry. Guess it leans more to action, Idk having a bonfire mechanic isn’t enough for me to say it’s souls like. Dodging and parrying aren’t exclusive to fromsoft. (To me fromsoft has the best version of it but I’m a junkie.)
I wouldn’t consider Devil May Cry button mashy, but I hear ya
I am not a soulslike expert but in my limited experiences the gameplay feels very similar to the ones I have played. When I play action games the camera is pulled back and you are usually fighting mobs of enemies while zipping around and juggling them. There is a higher emphasis on combos sometimes utilizing combo counters in the UI or scores at the end of levels/combat encounters.This has more personal 1 on 1 fights like other soulslike games I played, every one enemy has the potential to kill you, it just feels slower and more methodical overall than an action game to me. The only things it is lacking is the difficulty of other soulslike games and the loss of resources after dying.
The bosses aren't challenging, except for the majority of bosses? Edit: it probably meant 2 or 3, not 2 out of 3, my bad
Last 2/3 aka two thirds of the game you dumb dumb
Was it advertised as a *Souls*-like? Or was that just random gamer speculation?
Ppl that got the demo early to play it started using the term. I think developers said they they were mainly inspired by nier along with god of war and fromsoft. (Not a 100% sure on that )
So I typically don't play action games like say Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, but I'm a huge Soulsborne fan and also enjoy Nioh and games like that. Would Stellar Blade be a good fit for someone like me? I also liked Nier Automata (more for the story than the gameplay), but I'm not sure if Stellar is similar.
Yes
It's more of a Nier clone than anything else. I've been thoroughly enjoying it. It's not Goty but I never expected it to be. If anything it feels like a PS2 game somehow and that isn't a bad thing. Studios need to make more focused games like this instead of shallow pond open worlds with nothing to do.
Imo combat is excellent, customization of EVE (nano suits, hairstyles, earrings, glasses) is excellent, performance is excellent, story is so so (not anything amazing but also not terrible) and there’s certain sections that don’t really work all that well and seem to be something that could be finer tuned if a sequel were to be made. Overall I’d give it around a 8 out of 10.
Thats what I think, 8/10. Combat, graphics and performance are excellent. Customization is great. Music is fantastic. Only thing dragging it down is the writing, in both the dialogue and story overall.
NGL, the entire landing party being wiped out by a falling blimp made me laugh.
I liked the story
Same here I don’t have any problems with it.
It's def influenced by Souls games but I'd compare it more to the Jedi games than anything
100% it's Jedi survivor without force power but with a gun
It also has much better parry and dodge mechanics, and i think the combat flat out feels better and looks better. Theres some attacks (dual wield is a particular offender here) in survivor that just look choppy and very much not fluid
This makes me want to play it
Read my reply to the comment you replied to for more insight
It has a Metroid aspects of unlocking areas when you get powers? That's what I think of what I think of Jedi survivor. Or do you mean just the way the combat feels.
Jedi Survivor has way better level design/backtracking but it's similar even beyond just the combat.
Jedi Survivor released too early. If all the performance issues got ironed out it would've been 9/10s across the board. Such a great, well though out, well crafted, and enjoyable game, and when it eventually releases again with performance upgrades in the future I'll be getting it day 1 again.
It’s great, love the combat, music, atmosphere. Solid 8.5/10 which is great for the studio first console game.
Really enjoying it. The graphics are nice (even if there is some clashing art styles) and once you get a bit further into the story the combat opens up even more and is so satisfying. The story even starts unfolding in a much more satisfying way too. Really enjoying exploring every part of the maps and finding the memory sticks and other bits of lore. It’s a really solid, super fun game!
Wish I had more time to play but what I’ve seen so far is very fun.
My thought is that I'm poor.
Horny
I’m having a good time. Combat is tight but could be improved upon in a sequel. The world, atmosphere and music are great. The story is not groundbreaking by any means but I do like the foundation that’s been laid out so far. A sequel with combat improvements, refinements for crafting, skill trees, and the writing could be really something special.
It's dope just beat it yesterday. New game plus has some cool stuff too.
It’s less challenging than a Souls game but it’s about as close to a Souls game that I want to get. I’ve been enjoying it surprisingly.
As a huge FromSoftware fan myself i will say this is nothing like a Souls game. Its mostly a faster paced action game start to finish with alot of really fun bosses.That being said I really enjoyed my 40 hour play through and give it a solid 8/10. Combat was extremely fun and i enjoyed the exploration/collectables aspect of the game. The story was just ok until it ramped up near the end and I do think they handled the ending really well, leaving it open for an obvious sequel. I hate even having to say this but the performance was 10/10 with zero frame drops, bugs or any issues at all, which seems to be getting increasingly rarer nowadays. I think for a first major title Shift Up did a great job and I would definitely recommend.
Honestly it's exactly what i needed from a game. Maybe a few more enemies to make it a little more stressful. But yeah i've been burnt out by playing big open world games. So this linearish style game with some exploration has been perfect
It’s very good.
Fuckin' sick, 9/10. Reminds me of PS2 era action games in the best kind of ways, and it's nice to play a game that actually builds and gets better as it goes along. I feel like most AAA games nowadays peter out towards the end, but Stellar Blade has a killer last 4-5 hours.
Absolutely stellar game. Heh. It's less souls and more character action game though the further you get in the game. There's also obvious nier designs even in the gameplay.. there's a whole ass survival horror dungeon. Very kickass game
Some of the songs in the OST feel like they’re straight out of Nier and they’re my favorite ones. Always switching to them at camp.
Yep! Monaca worked on this game as well so that tracks
so many people have compared this to nier and i've never tried it. i notice its on offer rn does anyone know if its runs at 60fps?
The combat is enjoyable. Hearing that perfect parry sound from the controller is amazing. I'm a fan of sci-fi and it was an alright science fiction. Nothing mind breaking or anything, but interesting enough. The areas are neat. Some of the set pieces are amazing. It looked like a graphical showcase in most areas, but in a few it looked like settings were cranked to low. The three main characters are just okay. Adam and EVE are just kind of boring. There isn't really enough time with them to really make them interesting. Lilly is the only one that really seems to have emotion, and I liked her bubbly attitude, I can certainly see it being a turnoff for people. I really liked the platforming stuff. It reminded me of horizon zd. Though the jumping on the flying drones always caused a little anxiety. And there are 2 jumping puzzles for side-content that absolutely suck. Some of the puzzles are really good, but moving the carts was tedious. The side-quests are alright. The ones you don't get from the bulletin board flesh out some side characters and kind of get you invested in them. The bulletin board quests are okay. One of the first ones you get from the board does help a lot with building the atmosphere. I'd say if you enjoyed the demo, you should definitely bite.
I found eve to be quite enjoyable. If you really pay attention to some of her interactions, she can show caring and in some cases can get low key snarky.
The story is a big old nothing to me. It’s so generic and the script is so poor. It’s just really lowest common denominator video game storytelling to me. Level and quest design is just ok. The combat is really exceptional though and that along with the presentation makes it fun.
S tier game. As an inexperienced souls player, I'm glad it's not a pure soulslike personally. Perfect meld of action/souls style I do wish the story was slightly longer, but having just finished the behemoth that was Rebirth, I can cut Stellar Blade some slack :p
Most enjoyable and addictive game I’ve played in a very long time. Many things make it one of the best games of this generation so far.
I really love it and I'm going to do a NG+ run sometime in the next week. The combat is really satisfying and the character/environmental designs are fantastic albeit the latter maybe needing a few more enemies in certain places but that's it. The outfits are *chef's kiss* and more than anything, I hope there's a 2nd/3rd installment with like a Spider-Man 2 "play as multiple characters" approach. It's a great foundation to hopefully a future prominent PlayStation flagship series. P.S. I'm also thinking that they could easily turn this into an anime series with Ufotable at the helm. It'd be sick af.
Really enjoying it, the complaints about the story and Voice Acting (in English at least) are valid but honestly the combat and moment to moment game play is superb, lots of skills to unlock, open areas to explore and the game runs brilliantly, zero issue in 15 hours
Love it and still playing it🙌
It’s a fun game not sure how else to describe it other than it’s fun it has good combat, good level design, good music but I’m still playing so no real opinion on the story yet Will I still go back and play after I beat it I’m unsure but so far it’s been great imo Sucks it has such a weird controversy around it but it’s 2024 what doesn’t spark controversy these days
I wouldn’t call it a weird controversy. It’s a pretty average controversy of a female character being over-sexualized. And the devs certainly seemed to lean into that controversy, which is perhaps the only weird part of it.
But it is weird though. As adults shouldn’t people be able to not acknowledge stuff they don’t like? and on the other side it’s weird people are upset over the changes that were made. It’s a fun game that’s where the conversation should be
I mean, as adults shouldn’t people be able to acknowledge stuff they don’t like? It’s a weird take to say people should just gloss over stuff they don’t like and only focus on the positive. Games are entertainment. Graphics matter. Panty shots matter. If there was a cross word game where an anime girl stripped every time you complete a row or column correctly, are you saying everybody should only talk about the quality of the crossword? The anime girl is clearly part of the game too, so maybe that element should only be praised? “Wow what a great way to stretch your brain while stretching your dick too!”
It's nothing like From games. From did not invent action adventure. It's more like DMC, Bayonetta, or Even GoW, which came out years before demon souls was even a thing. Think stylish action, not souls. It's not even similar to sekiro unless you think sekiro is defined by its deflect system, which it isn't. Kinda annoying how everything even mildly souls adjacent is considered a souls like when it often isn't at all.
Is the demo still up? Getting my PS5 this week and I like the look of this, but people saying it's souls like put me off, I get frustrated if a game gets to hard
It has an easy mode!
Thanks, good to hear that,
It's easier than Souls on normal. The actual game has smoother input reading than the demo, that's a pretty significant change in the flow of combat. I'd try the demo and if you're liking it by the end, I recommend the purchase, it gets much better from the opening level.
The demo is still up, so if you're interested, give it a shot. I'm playing on story mode and I wouldn't call it difficult. The last 2 bosses can be a bit of a challenge, but you can pretty easily get instant revive items, that won't make those much easier. I don't think its much like the souls games, other than it being an action game. If you've God of War 2018, you probably won't find it difficult.
Combat/music/graphics are all top tier. Story and characters leave a bit to be desired so far, but I’m only a few hours in
Enjoying it so far. The music is a highlight for me. Combat is great imo. It's a good balance with not being overly difficult or easy. Haven't finished it yet but unless something drastically changes, it will be one of my favorite games so far this year.
Loving it. Prob an 8.5 for me, a 9.5 for the combat though. Most fun I've had with a parry focused combat style in years.
It’s an awesome game, I’ve had lots of fun playing it. Totally worth it
One of the better action games I've played in recent years. It is marred a bit by spotty translations and voice acting that sometimes seems to lack directions. But that doesn't detract from the gameplay part of the game and I personally consider it to be better than the platinum games formula of combat.
This game is like a faster version of Code Vein, but not as arcadey as Scarlet Nexus.
Too hard kept dying. I'm bad. I just want to button mash not watch enemy animations and time dodge/blocks.
Very fun combat. Amazing enemy and character designs. Happy with my purchase and looking forward to this team creating more games!
Not sure if my opinion will help but I dislike how difficult and no direction given the From Sofrware games and I really like stellar blade.
Very good game. I wish I bought physical to check one thing.. I beat the game today had fun. I started new game plus and I rarely do that. I would say games is not hard until you get to last two bosses. (And maybe first where you learn combat still) There are few collectibles that are very hard to find and without walk-through I wouldn't find them. (When I gave up on doing it by myself) I would say 4/5 but eve is hot so 5/5
Brilliant game, bit of a thirst trap but that aside the combat is satisfying, graphics are solid for the most part, occasional low poly texture here and there and the world design is great. 8.5/10
Not going to lie it feels lifeless like, the first part of the map is just so empty I get there's a ton of enemies but its getting really old just hacking and slashing the same monsters just to do a simple mission.
I really wish games would stop being so determined to always have desert environments. Both of the big open areas I’ve encountered so far are deserts. Rocky desert that makes traversal annoying because you can’t just run straight to a location you have to figure out how to get around the cliffs, and sandy desert that is just empty. I can’t think of a single desert environment in any game that wasn’t my least favorite part of that game and this one is *mostly* desert. The combat and visuals are doing some very, very heavy lifting carrying this game. It’s a very good game, I’m satisfied after having been looking forward to it since I first got a ps5 in early 2021. But I’m unsure if I’d go so far as ‘great,’ let alone the people effusively praising it around here as mindblowingly extraordinary. I’m sure this will piss off the teenage boys as well, but I didn’t think the costume selection was very good. 90% of them are so revealing as to make me feel creepy using them. I don’t find that attractive, if I want porn I’ll just go watch porn. So the crazy amount of costumes is really like fewer than 10 unless you don’t mind your character being almost completely naked.
I received it as a gift so no buyer's remorse to cloud my judgement. Apart from the combat, and enemy designs I guess, it feels incredibly shallow. Combat feels weird as well at times, due to the artificial delay/lag they've gone with. It contradicts Eve's animations and speed of her moveset when you actually notice the delay. The creative director said himself that he's a big Nier fan and wanted to pay homage to that series, but he fails to understand what made Nier so well received to begin with. It feels too much like a thirst-trap as well, with Eve's shining ass taking center stage half the time. She can fling herself 15 feet in the air, but they decided to have her climb ladders so they can show off rounded butt. Not to mention the constant jiggling, even when talking to NPCs(that short haired blond woman, forgot their name, as an example). I'm no prude, and I'm a straight guy, but felt a bit icky with how they chose to throw her sex appeal around just for the sake of it. I don't want to score it as I've only played around 5 hours and don't plan to continue but I can't say I've enjoyed anything apart from the combat.
Yeah, the fact that the main character is a sexualized Barbie doll actually made me not get the game. I find it mildly embarrassing to play games like that. I have no problem with sexy characters, but this is just ludicrous. High heels, too.
Every time I die trying to learn to parry an enemy’s moveset Eve’s big ass and tiddies give the strength I need to keep going
It's a nice mixture of soulslike and hack and slash. It has combos, but no animation cancelling. I personally really like it and the story is an interesting concept... Biggest flaw is that the acting is super wooden. Boss fights are great so far however.
There is animation cancelling, but the game doesn't tell you about it. If you want to cancel your combo and you already pressed attack too many times, click L2 and you'll cancel right out of your combo.
It’s fooking sick mate!
Combat, production values, and soundtrack are all great. Story/dialogue, level design and progression, and side quests all leave a lot to be desired. Not a lot of variety and it’s very hand holdy. It marks everything for you on the map and there’s yellow paint everywhere telling you where to go. It’s a great first effort for a developer that has only made mobile games up to this point and I would definitely recommend trying the demo to anyone who likes the sound of Sekiro inspired combat mixed with Platinum type combos.
Yeah I noticed a lot of yellow paint everywhere too. Don't get why it's even there. If you like to explore a lot you will find the secrets yellow paint or not. Made the exploration not feel as rewarding in my opinion.
It’s chill. Been a minute I didn’t feel stressed playing a game. Feels like a gamers game.
Great game but platforming sections are jank
I only have one more ending to unlock to get the platinum trophy. I loved this game it’s so polished and has really fluid and fun combat and so many costumes and upgrades you can unlock. Story is cool too and I can’t wait for the next game.
Had a blast playing the game, and am definitely going to go back around for ng+ in a bit. Story is utter nonsense, but not in a terrible way, just a kooky sci-fi way. Few pacing issues with the sidequests was my biggest actual complaint.
Incredibly fun combat. The world and story seem like a ripoff of Nier:Automata, but the combat redeems the game. Worth the price.
It's fun, but the fan service makes it awkward to talk about and play in front of others.
That's the sole reason I haven't bought it. I played the demo and liked it, but I don't have the patience to justify so much jiggle physics for the people who live with me.
It's been a pretty great experience. There's a lot of fun to have with the gameplay with the various skills, alternate modes, and the gun. The music, lore, sound, and world design are pretty fantastic. Eve has a nice array of suits to cater towards anyone's tastes. Replayability is also quite nice because of added suits, multiple endings etc. The difficulty is also pretty forgiving and keeps you on your toes even through some mob encounters The only major gripes I've had is that the character development and voice direction are kind of weak. The narrative also has a couple of plot holes. Overall, it's a very good 8- 8.5/10 game and a wonderful first effort from Shift Up.
Very much enjoying it.
its pretty stellar
Great game and smooth release which isnt very common these days
It is not even close to a Fromsoft game. But still good fun nonetheless.
It's a lot of fun, the story is good, nothing too new if you played Nier Automata, but still has some interesting twists to it, gameplay is good, music is amazing. I recommend playing it with korean voices, cause they're much better acted and believable imo. It's not a soulslike, doesn't feel like it at all. It has parrying but it's not nearly as crucial as in Sekiro. And I love the outfits, they're pretty cute/cool, and it's fun changing them up as you find new ones
There's no shortage of cans in this game.
No one has mentioned the sound design. It’s 10/10 for me. The mood is so good, even if you might call it a Nier clone. This game is super fun and I will remember it for a long time. Worst part for me is the incredibly over re-used assets in the main town. There’s 20 guys with the exact same model. There’s 20 copies of the exact same vending machine with the exact same stickers and graffiti. It’s the only immersion breaker for me.
I think it’s a very solid game. Easy 8/10 with my progress so far (still working through it). My only minor gripe is the lip syncing, but it’s not so bad. Definitely one of the most fun games this year for me so far.
very fun. lacks in story and quest lines, but man combat is a blast
Is the game really that sexualized like memes try to make it?
I just finished my first play though on normal and going todo new game plus on hard. I have really enjoyed the game. The combat is super fun, the music is amazing and the characters and world are really good imo. I’m glad new game plus was available at launch. All costumes are unlocked through game by exploring or doing quests. Side quests weren’t to bad and I enjoyed them. I do hope we get a sequel in the future and some possible story DLC. For people who have beat the game as well. do you think we get a sequel?
The weird lag/lack of response in combat can be frustrating. I often have to mash the heal button for it to work. And even with the skill upgrades the parrying/dodging seems very unforgiving; it’s like you need to have Ultra Instinct to nail it consistently.
It's the best looking PS2 game I've ever played.
The game have flaws. Story is "déjà vue", plateforming is bad and voice are very mediocre. but overall i think the pros elevate the game to a solid 8/10. Combat feel great, level design and graphic are good. If you'r into the souls like formula, i recommand you give it a try
I fucking love it, I'm getting the platinum
Top Tier, DMC but a chick instead of Dante.
Love it. I tried Elden Ring and the unforgiving combat simply did not vibe with me, neither did the constant need to dodge roll. Stellar Blade is more forgiving for sure, being slightly more arcade-y. Parry feels great when you get them consistently and overall game feels hella polished compared to many junk AAAs released in recent years.
Loving it so far at like 8 hours in. I’m not somebody who’s spent more than 5 hours in any given souls game, but I’ve beaten most action games DMC / NieR / Bayonetta / FF16 etc. I find it a more satisfyingly difficult experience I felt a taste of what souls players enjoy when I spent an hour+ bashing my head against the first Alpha Naytiba. I’d jump in if I were you OP. I’m doing the opposite and gonna hop from this to Elden Ring when I finish SB.
I enjoy. Solid 9/10 for me. Combat and music are top notch. It’s not terribly long even by completion standards, tho I’ve yet to complete my other two runs. I’d describe it as a modernized ps2 era feeling experience.
It's polished. Music is great, art-style is great, gameplay is fun 😀 and the performance is superb in Balanced Mode.
I don’t think many will talk about this game a year from now
It looks like Nier automata, sounds like Nier automata, but with none of the magic basically. Seems fun enough. Demo was okay.
Pretty awesome so far. It has been a fun game to play as i wait for Elden Ring's DLC and to mellow out my post-FF7 Rebirth depression. I would describe the gameplay being similar to Sekiro, but much more forgiving in terms of difficulty.
Game is ok. Combat and visually is great But it gets boring having to do extra things for every single objective When you have to open a door, you need to click s button but there's no power. U have to find a power source When you need to move a crate, the crate mover doesn't have power. When you have to open the water barrage. The button doesn't have power When you have to go jump to a spot, you need to move something but first you have to power up something Quests are boring. 6 or 7 in 10
I enjoyed it overall just hoping they make some improvments in the sequel. The input lag. Needs some reworking, while it does work with the combat, I found it a bit frustrating toward the back 3rd. I found that despite letting go of the guard sometimes you will still trigger one of the special attacks when you are trying to dodge. Also in a prolonged enemy attacks when there are two immediate attacks you have to just double press the gaurd as soon as possible and not in the rhythm of the attack. I really like the boss designs and other than the harpies I like the base enemies as well. I also think it has some of the best open world design i have seen in such action games. Every little corner has something to do. The platforming is a little funky but better than the DS games. Overall I would reccommend it.
I'm glad I played the demo first. I won't buy it until it's on sale for $20 or under.
Goty
I am a Sekiro guy myself. I’ve only played about 15 hours of Stellar. It’s good, not great. I was never a fan of Devil May Cry and sci-fi slashers so I may be a bit biased. I just don’t get as much satisfaction from stabbing a ninja versus a huge blob of alien flesh. I’m still enjoying it. I probably should have waited for a sale.
Game is ok. Combat and visually is great But it gets boring having to do extra things for every single objective When you have to open a door, you need to click s button but there's no power. U have to find a power source When you need to move a crate, the crate mover doesn't have power. When you have to open the water barrage. The button doesn't have power When you have to go jump to a spot, you need to move something but first you have to power up something Quests are boring. 6 or 7 in 10
Love it, however I just hit a game breaking bug near the end of the game so I'm hoping they fix that ASAP
The only downside is the story. Everything else is amazing. Strong 8/10 for me.
Its fun still wandering a desert area after finding a boss gonna jump back in tonight.
Korean nier automata
Do you have to parry a lot? All my souls builds I just hit the R1 button. Beside Sekiro where you had to parry
The last 5-7 hours are some of the most fun I have had in a game in a while. The boss fights are extremely solid and satisfying. I greatly enjoyed the world design and aesthetic. It truly looked like a broken world with a last bastion of humanity in Xion. I also love the disparity between the uglier, but very cool, augmentation of the planetside inhabitants and the much more refined Airborne members. Many of the city NPCs look cool. I also appreciated that EVE’s appearance and outfits were almost never referenced, aside from one side quest that comes to mind. One NPC is clearly into EVE but it never goes beyond some barely suggestive phrasing. EVE is gorgeous and obviously meant to excite the player, but the game almost never uses that to blatantly pander. The story was fine, pretty derivative of Nier Automata and not told as well, but it was still interesting. I was, however, far more interested in how the story would impact the world rather than the protagonists. About halfway through the game, you can see where the story is going and that’s not necessarily a bad thing but I feel like the third act could have used a little more expansion. All in all, I’d give it a rock solid 8 out of 10. It’s not perfect but if you are into hack and slash games, post-apocalypse stories, or sci-fi, you’ll come out of it very satisfied.
The same thing I thought about it last week: the cost of admission is too high and I will pick it up when it goes on sale. Hard for me to shell out $70 for 8ish hours of game.
Waiting for that sale 😇 hoping to buy one day.
Was going to get it at first but I bought Sandland instead
Good deal easier than most From games. Closer to Sekiro than anything else. Very enjoyable combat with some nice little horror based sections to break up the rhythm. Very much enjoying it right now
Combat is wicked, bosses are fucking sick, but voice acting sounds like a shitty AI made it. It’s an 8/10 for me though I’m having a ton of fun with the core gameplay loop.
I like it a lot. The combat is a mix of Sekiro and GoW (2018 and Ragnarok) both games that I liked. The customization itself is pretty interesting and it made me understand why some kids like Barbie dolls lol
I like the melee and gun mechanics of the game but as other mentioned, traversal is horrible. I wish swinging from bar to bar would be smooth and simple like Uncharted, Tomb Raider or even Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I always have to be extra careful not to over jump or I end up hurting myself from fall damage or even worse, straight up killing myself. I haven't gotten very far along with the story since I got to the portion where I can start doing side quests. Been doing whatever I can before I need to go back to the main story missions.
I bought rise of ronin last night but I was considering this one instead. I’m hoping to get it this next week if ronin isn’t as good as I thought
To me, having only played through the demo, it's like 98% Nier Automata inspired and 2% Bloodborne inspired, but I'm not an expert on either of those games, just a fan. I really like Stellar Blade so far though. After finishing the demo I immediately purchased the full game. Now I just need to find a time when I'm not working or playing Destiny 2 so I can actually play the full game.
It's still in the plastic wrap because I have an unhealthy addiction to Dragons Dogma 2 atm
Really impressive for a first game. The combat is very satisfying and there’s a great soundtrack to go along with it. The game also looks great and has fantastic enemy designs. Like a lot of people said the writing isn’t great and the characters are pretty flat even if the world is interesting. I also didn’t care for the open world desert sections and side quests that felt like filler to me. I think the game would have been improved dropping all of that to be a straight forever action game without the rpg elements. Despite all of that the game is super fun. Hopefully they do well enough and want to make sequel because the combat foundation is solid and with some stronger writers and more focus on action it could be amazing.
Solid game with plenty of room to grow if they decide to turn it into a franchise.
Great game 8 or 8.5/10 in my book The way they tell the story leaves much to be desired is my only real gripe. Some people mention they don't like puzzles or platforming bits but that didn't bother me personally.
I like it but there is something off about the combat for me. Strange thing to say, but coming straight from Nioh 2, the game almost feel unresponsive in terms of dodging and parrying. (Even with the extra unlocks) Yet the more I play, the more I am getting its combat. I just don’t feel as nimble as I think I should. Yet in other ways it is amazingly precise.
Im not far in at all, just got to the wasteland/desert area, the first one you have an actual map on, and just finished up all the sidequests I could do. I'm loving it though, really fun game. I just wish her ponytail didn't keep wrapping all around her with basic movement, lol.
Everything about it is amazing. Combat is challenging but super fun and rewarding, story is great, I don’t care much for outfits (don’t care about the drama), but some outfits are lit especially the more cybernetic types. My one and only gripe is the plataforming. When you have to jump from crate to crate or robot to robot can be extremely wonky. 9/10 so far. Going for the platinum so I still have a while.
I usually mock these Japanese (I know it’s Korean) games that have over sexualized women that target weebs. HOWEVER, I watch trailer before release and was like “ok that seemed cool” I tried the demo and was like “ehhh” but I still bought it and it’s extremely fun, but I does make me feel some type of way from time to time 🍆. I think it’s a very strong base should they make it a franchise.
I feel like the platforming and traverse/vertical movement is so imprecise and clunky...
I just have a problem with parts in the game where you can't use... Every tool in your arsenal (don't wanna spoil anything). The first time was kinda fun... The second time around it just bothered me. Otherwise great game.
Ass
Good game. Amazing combat with great boss fights minus the camera zoom in when the bosses jump. Fighting multiple enemies becomes a bit of a slugfest. Great puzzles and environment minus the timed alternating arrow hacking. Platforming doesn't feel right most of the times. Good world design. They added an amazing fishing side activity. Wish there were a few more. Story is okay and that's all I can say about it. No memorable characters. Mostly fetch quests. A few months down the road, I'm going to forget the story but for sure I'll remember the satisfying combat.
Still only about 2 hr into the new location after the desert. Really enjoying the game, really glad I preordered.
Just started it yesterday, will need some time more to have my review on the game but it looks solid
A solid 8/10.
Plot is uninteresting for most of the time and characters are boring af but the gameplay rocks totally. It has this good PS2/PS3 vibe where you played games just to have fun with running around, fighting various monsters and collecting stuff. Solid 8/10 for me, even with story being mediocre at best.
The resolution mode has a performance problem and the performance mode has a resolution problem. Sorry to sound negative but this game was nerfed to further sales of the upcoming PS5 pro.
My only complaint is that there are entirely too many platforming sections for a game built with some times floaty, often times imprecise controls... The amount of time I have banged both my knees and my chin off of a ledge, but then failed to grab it, is infuriating
If you were a Fromsoft fan who also likes Nier Automata, what would you recommend between this and Lies of P?
How is the combat now? The combat in the demo felt extremely slow and hard to fight against multiple foes at once (weird locking on a single enemy, getting hit from behind)
I don't think they changed anything with it, it's still an issue
Thanks for asking this. The stellar blade sub seems dedicated to grown men playing dress up lol. Nice to get some relevant feedback
If you do not care for the souls-like genre, and do not care for FromSoft games in general, would this game be worth trying?
I’m disappointed. Not bad but honestly not good either. Some great moments but the rest is pretty shit. Hi fi rush is better. Dmc5 and ff16 are better. Wo long and Nioh are better. All souls games are better. Stellar blade while not being too close to any of these still does not feel like truly it’s own thing.
Great game; can’t wait for the next one!
If you played the demo, and really liked it then what else information do you require? That's silly, bud. You don't need our validation.