Sky Hickory Stellar Blade Review

Storyline and Narrative – 6/10 The story’s backdrop is your classic “robots vs. humans (but are we really human, and are they really robots?)” scenario, clearly inspired by titles like NieR: Automata. The narrative foundations are solid, but the writing—especially for the main characters—feels somewhat stale and slow. It’s difficult to connect with their emotions and struggles, primarily because Eve’s identity crisis isn’t explored as deeply or compellingly as it could have been. It’s always surface level and she never goes beyond the 3 sentence dialogue with Adam. The attempt is clear, but the execution falls short of the heights reached by NieR, and that’s okay—not every game can achieve that level of narrative depth. Dialogue flow is also awkward, with noticeable pauses before characters speak, making conversations feel unnatural. Okay you guys are robot but c’mon, a bit more fluidity would have helped immersion. Despite these issues, Rebecca Hanssen delivers a WONDERFUL performance as Eve, with a soothing and engaging voice that elevates the narrative. I never got tired of hearling Eve talk (sorry Lily…) Lily’s and Adam’s voice actors also do a good job, though their performances don’t quite reach the same level as Eve’s. Gameplay – 9/10 Stellar Blade offers some of the most balanced and enjoyable action gameplay I’ve experienced in recent years. The difficulty is finely tuned—rarely too easy, never unfairly hard. While the souls-like genre is popular, not every developer can deliver the mechanical precision required for a truly satisfying experience. Shift Up, however, nails it: mechanics and animations are snappy, responsive, and well-balanced. When you fail, it’s clear that it’s due to your own lack of mastery, not faulty hitboxes or sluggish animations. The combat animations are beautiful and satisfying. Just as you start to master your current abilities, the game introduces new mechanics to keep things fresh and engaging, without ever feeling overwhelming. There are even some survival horror shooter sections that add welcome variety, but I won’t describe them more here as I don’t want to spoil the discovery for you. Exploration is always rewarded, whether with XP for skill upgrades, loot, or new suits—much like GodofWar did in 2018. You’re never left feeling like your curiosity was wasted. You don’t have to make a Souls-like to make a great action-RPG game, and Shift Up proves it here. And with their first-ever non-mobile game, let’s not forget that. Sound and Music – 10/10 The soundtrack is flawless and one of the main reasons I was compelled to finish the game. Music is ever-present—during exploration, dialogue, boss fights, and cinematics—and always perfectly timed to enhance the on-screen action. The Demogorgon boss fight, in particular, stands out as one of the most epic and memorable fight I’ve ever had. And it will stay engraved in my mind for a long time. What’s remarkable is how relaxing the music makes the experience. Despite the fast-paced action and apocalyptic setting, playing Stellar Blade is surprisingly chill—this is a game you can boot up after a long day to lay on the couch and just relax. I urge you to at least listen to the OST even if you don’t want the play the game. Innovation and Originality Stellar Blade doesn’t break much new ground in terms of innovation or originality. It’s a classic action RPG, but it’s exceptionally well-crafted and polished, both mechanically and artistically. I appreciated the biblical references and how Shift Up wove them into a unique take on a familiar story.