Stellar Blade Reviews
In the end, it’s Stellar Blade’s shortcomings that make it a game that would be otherwise passable for me if it weren’t for producing content for the site. Its combat is surely enjoyable and I did have a great time with it for the hours that were played in order to come up with this article. It’s the rest of the package that makes it lacking though, and if I had at least a bit of interest in its story, world and characters, those would make for reason enough to keep at it for a while longer. Sadly, that’s not really the case here.
Even though there were some issues; those things weren't enough to detract from my liking of the game. I still believe that anyone who enjoys action RPGs will adore Stellar Blade. The story could use a bit of work in the end, but I nevertheless relished my experience with it since games like this usually never have a solid ending. SHIFT UP might have preserved some content for future DLCs, as the game felt a bit smaller than I had hoped for. Still, its action-packed gameplay makes up most of those areas, and the game's character designs are definitely outstanding.
Stellar Blade is an unremarkable thrill ride, one with a forgettable story marred by predictable twists and a lack of compelling character development. While it's a visually stunning experience, it's let down by its lackluster cutscene direction and inconsistencies in the character animation. Fortunately, its combat is stellar, offering a rich and varied set of systems that feel endlessly fun. Similarly, exploration is rewarding, albeit a little clunky. If you're looking for a combat-focused experience, then Stellar Blade's 20-25-hour runtime will surely suffice. However, don't expect to come away having had a memorable time.
Stellar Blade was an absolutely stellar, gorgeous experience that was filled to the brim with action while still balancing a somber vibe.
Stellar Blade is a journey through the depths of human resilience and the cost of redemption, and stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in gaming. As players embark on Eve’s quest for truth and justice, they’ll find themselves immersed in a world where every choice carries weight, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
Narrative flaws aside, Stellar Blade shines as a top-tier action title with unforgettable final boss fights, showcasing the best of the genre.
Stellar Blade is a great action title that offers plenty of content as well as incredibly motivating battles and evolving skills. It looks great, sounds like a cousin of the Nier soundtrack and is also a lot of fun thanks to the constant variety. The only thing you shouldn't expect is a well-developed story with good characters, and the many unlockable outfits are probably intended to distract from that.
Review in German | Read full review
Stellar Blade is a huge surprise that impressed me quite a bit. The game is a great hybrid of a slasher with light souls-like game elements, which offers brilliant world and level design, a phenomenal combat system and boss skirmishes. When you add to this a perfectly created soundtrack, then you have a recipe for success for now and for the future, as I hope this is not the last time we see the Stellar Blade.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Stellar Blade is another sublime PlayStation 5 exclusive that showcases the power of the console with its thrilling action and mesmerising visuals. I’ll admit, I wasn’t fully sold on the game before playing, but after spending twenty-plus hours partaking in Eve’s action-packed antics, I’ve been blown away. Sure, I wasn’t too keen on the storytelling, but when the gameplay packs such a punch, it’s hard to complain too much. With its, uh-hum, ‘stellar’ combat mechanics that feel like a blend of Dark Souls and Bayonetta, captivating set pieces and level design that really pull you into the world, and some of the best visuals seen on the console, Stellar Blade is one PlayStation 5 release that you’d be a fool to miss.
Stellar Blade is excellent in many aspects, it brings a new style of gameplay and some interesting new features. Also, think about less skilled players by including a story difficulty mode. Comparisons with other more established titles weigh on it
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Delivering everything it promised – and even more than that –, Stellar Blade is certainly one of the best titles of the year. With beautiful visuals and smooth performance, the combats and explorations of the beautiful Eve become incredible experiences. The game has a balanced level of difficulty, offering exciting and addictive fights, but without forgetting to offer puzzles and other interesting variations in gameplay. In short, a mandatory choice for the library of PlayStation 5 owners.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Stellar Blade may not be everything I wanted, but it's everything I needed, an action and style game that made me feel all the fun I felt when I played the best titles in the genre from PlatinumGames, to the point of making me think of much more than NieR: Automata or Bayonetta. It made me think of Vanish, Blade Runner, The Matrix, and Evangelion. The themes are hard and intense, approached in a slightly lighter tone than Yoko Taro did in her Japanese work, in a plot that sharpens curiosity and a gameplay that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Stellar Blade has earned its place among the games that inspired it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Stellar Blade offered the perfect mix between action games and soul-like elements. With an exciting and interesting story, an excellent challenging boss fights, a wonderful diversity of playing styles, and customizing your preferred play style in the game, this was enough to create its own identity and be distinguished by what it wanted to offer, to be establish as one of the best action games of this generation.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Stellar Blade is an excellent action RPG with stylish and challenging combat.
Stellar Blade combines slick and challenging action combat with an engrossing, albeit not wholly original, story wrapped together in a gorgeous package with plenty of optional eye-candy.
For a first console development effort, Shift Up knocked it out of the park with Stellar Blade. They crafted a fascinating world, combat system that felt so good to the point where I would seek it out encounters unless I was running low on health items.
By pulling on the strings of many a modern classic they’ve been able to deliver a fun, tough, playable title that’s addictive and enjoyable. But it can be improved on in both image style and gameplay if there is a sequel.
I liked Stellar Blade, which I finished in about 35 hours, and got involved in side quests as much as I could. For the first time, it was a game that was prepared by a team that prepared a AAA game, and it was a game that could be much more fun if some of its mechanical systems were overhauled. Even as it is, it's worth buying and playing, don't pass without trying a demo first. At least you can get a little more idea of what the battles are like. The progress you make there is also saved so that you can use it in the main game.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The explicit and self-confessed influence of NieR: Automata ends up having just enough importance in Stellar Blade—an enjoyable, solid action game, somewhat confusing and overloaded, and without much to say.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ultimately, Stellar Blade is a game that focuses on style over substance with aa developer being overly ambitious for their first AAA console title. Let's hope that SHIFT UP continues to improve with their future games because with further refinement and a more specific tight focus on sharpening and honing its good mechanics instead of mixing everything in a mess like throwing crap at the wall to see what sticks, Stellar Blade could have turned out to be a much better game.