Stellar Blade is looking quite good. It’s being developed by a Korean studio and harkens back to the 3D hack’n’slash action games. The title was originally called Project Eve, which seemed to be a codename, but a few days ago, during Sony’s State of Play, the developers revealed its final name, Stellar Blade. It’s coming exclusively to the PS5, PS4, and PC sometime in 2023. I believe Stellar Blade is a necessary title to spice up our gaming appetite, so here are three reasons why you should be excited about it.
3 – A New Era of Action Games
It’s not very often that we get titles that play like Devil May Cry or the Onimusha series. Capcom was the king of action games in the glorious days of the PlayStation 2, but now they are more of a Resident Evil and Monster Hunter factory. Shift Up decided to take the reins and take a shot at creating a brand new action experience, and judging from the latest trailer, it’s looking pretty good.
The gameplay looks buttery smooth, slick, and fun. The game emphasizes deflecting enemy attacks and evading and mixing in combos while also utilizing special skills at the right time. Stellar Blade reminds me of the Ninja Gaiden games for the original Xbox mixed with a bit of Metal Gear Solid Rising, and that, in my book, is a good sign. Funny enough, the God of War franchise also used to fit into this category of action games, but obviously, with God of War 2018 and the upcoming sequel God of War: Ragnarok, the franchise has gone towards a much slower-paced, more cinematic, and story-driven direction than the original trilogy.
My point is that it’s nice to have a diversified range of action games to choose from. Feeling something a bit slower and more directed like a cinematic movie experience with good gameplay and a cliffhanging story? Then play the latest God of War games. Looking to hack and slash your way through a bunch of horrific-looking demons at supersonic speed while playing as a hot chick? Then Stellar Blade is your answer.
2 – A Cool Setting
The setting and theme of any video game are important aspects for pulling in the audience. A great example of this would be From Software. From Software always takes the cake when it comes to the art direction and the lore of their titles. Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and now Elden Ring have phenomenal artistic designs when it comes to the universe of each game and the adversaries you’ll face on your journey through hell.
Stellar Blade seems to be quite Sci-Fi heavy, but it has a ton of organic-looking monster designs. The story is most likely a lot less convoluted, which means it would be a lot easier to follow. Whether it’s going to be a fun story to go through is a question that won’t be answered until we play the game. In Stellar Blade, you play as Eve, and her objective is to save and reclaim earth from the monstrous NA:tive, it’s a super simple cliche plot, but the game focuses on much more action and fun gameplay instead of anything else. Overall, the look and feel of the universe in Stellar Blade is intriguing and different enough to where the game has its own identity and that is very important, especially when you want to establish a brand new IP published by Sony.
1 – An Attractive Female Lead
It’s super refreshing to see not only a brand new action game with an old-school feel but also a highly attractive and sexy female lead, something we don’t see in video games as often as we used to. I mean who doesn’t miss the original design of Lara Croft? The original Tomb Raider was a fantastic game, and, most importantly, it had an iconic character that was full of both personality and sexy looks.
I really like Eve’s overall design and aesthetic. Her skin-tight outfit and beautiful figure give her an instantly recognizable silhouette, especially with that massive blade she is carrying. Her super long hair is another important part of her identity. In the trailer, her hair is so long that it almost touches the ground, which I thought was dope. The slick animation and beautiful visuals also help a ton when it comes to showcasing the main character.
Kudos to Shift Up for taking the plunge and writing and creating a character they wanted to fit into their universe without anyone putting any kind of shackles or arbitrary rules. A creator should have the freedom to create what they want and what they deem is fitting for the universe and the story they are trying to tell. I am hoping that Stellar Blade will sell and do well, and if it does, I think it will be fair to say that Eve will become an icon thanks to her awesome design.
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