Stellar Blade™

Developer: SHIFT UP Corporation | Publisher: PlayStation Publishing LLC | Release Date: 2025 | Genre: Souls-Like / Adventure / RPG | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Humanity has lost the war. Earth has fallen to grotesque creatures known as Naytibas, forcing the remnants of mankind to flee into space while their homeworld is left in ruins. Into this devastated landscape descends Eve, a soldier from the 7th Airborne Squad tasked with reclaiming Earth and eliminating the Elder Naytiba responsible for humanity’s downfall. Naturally, things are not quite as straightforward as they first appear, and Eve soon finds herself questioning everything she has been told.

At first glance, Stellar Blade looks like it was designed to grab attention through its stylish protagonist and flashy combat, but there is considerably more beneath the surface. Developed by Korean studio Shift Up, the game combines elements from titles such as NieR: Automata, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bayonetta, and even Dark Souls, yet still manages to establish an identity of its own. While comparisons to these games are inevitable, Stellar Blade succeeds because it understands what made them compelling and builds upon those foundations instead of merely imitating them.

The story follows Eve as she explores the ruins of Earth alongside allies such as Adam and Lily. What begins as a fairly straightforward mission gradually evolves into a much more nuanced tale involving artificial life, humanity’s legacy, identity, and the consequences of survival. Although some of the major twists can be predicted by genre veterans, the narrative remains engaging throughout, largely thanks to the mysteries surrounding the world and the excellent environmental storytelling.

The setting itself deserves special mention. Earth has become a hauntingly beautiful graveyard filled with the remnants of civilization. Crumbling cities stretch toward the horizon, deserts conceal forgotten structures beneath the sands, and abandoned facilities hide secrets about humanity’s final days. While Stellar Blade occasionally borrows familiar post-apocalyptic themes, it executes them with enough confidence and style that the world remains fascinating to explore.

Unlike purely linear action games, Stellar Blade offers a mixture of tightly designed story levels and larger open regions. Areas such as the Wasteland and Great Desert encourage exploration and reward players who stray from the critical path. Completing the game to 100% reveals just how much optional content is tucked away within these regions. Hidden camps, side quests, collectibles, upgrade materials, secret bosses, fishing activities, costumes, and lore entries can easily add dozens of hours to the experience.

The side content is somewhat inconsistent, however. Some quests provide meaningful character development or interesting world-building, while others feel more like traditional fetch quests. Fortunately, the excellent traversal and combat systems help keep even the weaker side activities entertaining.

Combat is where Stellar Blade truly shines. Rather than relying purely on spectacle, the game demands timing, precision, and situational awareness. Eve has access to a variety of attacks, counters, dodges, ranged options, and powerful Beta and Burst skills. Success depends on learning enemy patterns and reacting appropriately rather than simply button-mashing.

Players familiar with Sekiro will immediately recognize the importance of perfect parries and well-timed dodges. Successfully deflecting enemy attacks builds momentum and creates opportunities to unleash devastating counterattacks. Unlike many action RPGs where combat eventually devolves into stat checks, Stellar Blade consistently rewards player skill.

Enemy design is equally impressive. The Naytibas range from horrifying monstrosities to towering bosses that require entirely different strategies to overcome. Some encounters focus on aggression, while others test patience and pattern recognition. Boss fights, in particular, are a highlight. Many feature multiple phases, spectacular visual design, and enough challenge to feel rewarding without becoming frustrating.

As Eve progresses, she gains access to a substantial skill tree that allows players to tailor her abilities to their preferred playstyle. New combos, defensive maneuvers, and offensive abilities steadily expand the combat system throughout the game. Impressively, even after dozens of hours, the combat continues introducing new mechanics and enemy behaviors.

Visually, Stellar Blade is stunning. Built using Unreal Engine 4, the game consistently delivers detailed environments, impressive lighting, and excellent character models. The post-apocalyptic landscapes are diverse enough that exploration never feels repetitive. One moment Eve may be traversing a ruined metropolis bathed in neon lights, while the next she is descending into nightmarish industrial facilities or navigating vast deserts beneath a blazing sun.

Character animation is another area where the game excels. Combat animations are fluid and impactful, with every strike carrying a satisfying sense of weight. Enemy designs are equally memorable, ranging from grotesque organic horrors to enormous biomechanical abominations.

The PC version is also exceptionally well executed. Support for ultrawide monitors, uncapped frame rates, DLSS, FSR, XeSS, high-resolution textures, and extensive graphical customization ensures that the game scales beautifully across a wide range of hardware configurations. During our playthrough, performance remained consistently smooth, and the higher frame rates actually enhanced the responsiveness of combat.

Audio is another standout feature. The soundtrack combines orchestral arrangements, haunting vocals, electronic influences, and atmospheric pieces that perfectly complement the game’s tone. It is difficult not to think of NieR: Automata when listening to some of the more emotional tracks, which is certainly not a bad thing. Many locations are elevated considerably by their music, and several boss themes are genuinely memorable.

Voice acting is generally strong across the board, although some supporting characters fare better than others. Eve herself develops considerably throughout the story, and her interactions with Adam and Lily help prevent the narrative from becoming overly bleak. Sound effects are equally impressive, particularly during combat, where every parry, slash, and special attack feels impactful.

One area where Stellar Blade occasionally stumbles is pacing. The main story sometimes loses momentum when it funnels players into a string of side activities before advancing major plot points. The open regions, while enjoyable to explore, can occasionally feel slightly bloated when pursuing full completion. Some side quests also lack the polish of the main narrative.

There are also moments where the storytelling leans heavily on exposition, especially toward the latter half of the game. While the lore is fascinating, certain revelations could have been delivered more organically. These issues never derail the experience, but they do prevent the game from reaching the absolute heights of the genre’s very best.

Nevertheless, Stellar Blade is an impressive achievement. It combines satisfying action combat, rewarding exploration, beautiful visuals, and an intriguing world into a package that remains consistently enjoyable from start to finish. More importantly, it feels confident enough to establish its own identity despite the obvious inspirations.