Stellar Blade game review: Another angelic exclusive from Sony!

If Sony will probably not be able to count on a Spiderman or one God Of War this year, it can still count on some very interesting exclusives. Indeed, after a Rise of the Roninthe Japanese firm offers us to save humanity with Stellar Bladean action role-playing game perfectly suited to those looking for a game with a touch of Devil May Cry Or Nier: Automata.

Available on: PlayStation 5
Price: $89.99 + tax

When technology and religion mix

Stellar Blade puts you in the shoes of EVE, an android landing on Earth in order to eradicate the Naytibas. Of unknown origin, they have invaded the blue planet to the point of having forced a large part of humanity to take refuge in space to ensure their survival. Plunging to Earth like an angel, EVE and her android companions will try to save what remains of humanity by hunting down the elite Naitybas. However, as in any good story, nothing will be as simple as it seems in EVE’s quest.

Despite some sluggish moments, the scenario of Stellar Blade is interesting. In addition, we find ourselves wanting to know more about the threat represented by the Naytibas while discovering what happened to the last humans left on Earth. In addition, the story will remind you of certain stories from the Catholic religion. In fact, the game is full of not-so-subtle nods to religion, whether we’re talking about EVE, whom humans call an angel who came down from heaven to save them, or Adam, our android’s main ally.

However, beyond the nods to the Catholic religion, there are certain twists and turns that will occur along the way that will destabilize you. Gradually, you will realize that the Naytibas are certainly the greatest threat humanity has faced, but that other issues are at the heart of EVE’s quest. In fact, at certain moments, the game will put forward reflections on the place of blind faith towards superior entities that we believe, wrongly, to be benevolent.

For this reason, Stellar Blade offers a very interesting universe which, despite some less gripping portions and certain caricatured characters, will raise unsuspected questions in you.

A new Souls ?

Seeing certain trailers and relying on certain comments from people who played the game demo, one might believe that Stellar Blade is a new Souls. Now, if you don’t like this genre because of its difficulty, don’t be afraid since Stellar Blade is not a new Souls arriving in the world of video games.

Certainly, certain elements of the game are inspired by Souls. Additionally, the combat is slightly more difficult than the average action game. For this purpose, bosses have particularly high vitality and some of them are rather tough. In addition, you will be able to unlock camps and rest areas throughout your adventure. When you rest there, the majority of enemies will resurrect, which is very reminiscent of the various Souls of this world.

However, that is where the comparisons between Stellar Blade and type games Souls. Indeed, Stellar Blade is much more accessible and easier than a Elden Ring, Lies of P, Sekiro, etc. For example, there is no stamina gauge emptying with each action and the fights are far from being as difficult as in the games from FromSoftware and company. What’s more, the game offers several difficulty modes, including an Easy mode which will slow down time and regularly show you what to leverage to effectively counterattack various types of attacks.

So, if you were repulsed by the idea that Stellar Blade is too difficult, don’t worry. This is a game with certainly more difficult portions, but remaining very accessible for any player, whether they are used to Souls or not.

An intense, but above all satisfying action game

The great strength of Stellar Blade lies in the execution of his fights. The latter, which are a clever mixture of what was offered in Devil May Cry 5 And Nier: Automataare easy to use while offering a great feeling of satisfaction from the first moments.

EVE is not a rigid android with square movements. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Her athletic movements are worthy of those of any gymnast. They will allow you to strike and avoid the blows of the Naytibas with surprising ease and elegance. Additionally, enemy attacks will be accompanied by colors to let you know which combination of buttons to press to avoid them. It’s simple, smooth and extremely entertaining.

On the other hand, what accentuates our pleasure in slaughtering Naytibas is the resonance of the blows. In fact, whether you attack with normal or powerful sword swings, you will feel the impact of your assaults. The opposite will also be true, with some Naytibas hitting particularly hard on EVE. Your android will also be able to unlock special techniques that can be performed at any time provided you have enough energy in the bank. Thus, you will be able to perform devastating combos made up of your basic moves and your special moves to decimate your opponents in a deluge of attacks that are very satisfying to execute.

Stellar Blade also offers some skill trees to unlock depending on the experience received. So, by accumulating experience by fighting as well as exploring, you will accumulate points to spend in the various skill categories of EVE. Although the skill trees are not as exhaustive as those in other games, the number of skills to unlock is sufficient and allows you to improve EVE’s abilities in interesting ways.

Note that in addition to a sword action game, Stellar Blade is also an effective shooter. Indeed, at a certain point in the adventure, you will unlock the ability to fire with various types of ammunition. From this point on, you can combine your melee and ranged attacks to slaughter your enemies. No matter which way you choose to attack, know that Stellar Blade is as effective as it is entertaining in its execution. It’s surprising how the game has such perfect execution as a melee action game or indeed as a third-person shooter.

Linear at times, open at others

When you start Stellar Blade, you will feel like you are playing a linear action game. Indeed, the first hours propel us into corridors suggesting a game progressing in a straight line. However, what follows is really not like the first few hours.

Indeed, as soon as you enter the city of Xion, the universe of Stellar Blade open to. From then on, you will be able to explore semi-open worlds filled with objects to find, materials to collect, information to unearth, etc. In addition, the game offers a good amount of side quests, whether by speaking with survivors or consulting a request table. These quests not only offer tempting rewards, but they also allow you to explore the game’s diverse environments in order to find all its secrets.

Speaking of exploration, Stellar Blade allows you to easily harvest items on the ground simply by pressing R2. It is therefore not necessary to select each object individually, which makes harvesting them easier. In addition, you will be accompanied by a robot that can scan your environment in order to identify nearby enemies as well as objects to find. This scan is particularly powerful and useful, especially when enhanced. I didn’t feel the same frustration as in other games where I had to activate the scan so often that it was ridiculous.

On the other hand, exploration in Stellar Blade is not always a nice ride. In addition, the absence of a compass or a mini-map means that we have to rely on our scan or go to the environment map to know where to go and where we are. . Additionally, by unlocking missions and abilities, EVE will be encouraged to return to previously explored environments to unlock new paths. However, certain segments of going back are confusing because, in the absence of adequate reference points, we do not always know where to go.

Furthermore, some of EVE’s movements lack precision. It is especially the jumps that create irritants since EVE sometimes floats or remains suspended in the air for no reason. Also expect to miss a lot of jumps simply because your character won’t be able to hang on to a ledge or because you’ll encounter a collision bug. This will surely be mitigated or even fixed through updates, but at the time of writing these issues are causing some irritants.

A heroine who is too sexy?

Finishing, Stellar Blade is the subject of several criticisms in terms of sexism. In fact, the game was denounced because it featured a very, even too sexy, heroine in the eyes of some.

It is true that you can improve EVE by unlocking skills and modules. However, you can also discover costumes by exploring the environments, completing quests and purchasing them in shops. Some of these costumes are revealing and actually showcase EVE’s generous proportions.

However, have the developers deliberately sexualized the image of women by offering a heroine with advantageous attributes? I’m not entirely convinced of this. Yes, EVE has some tantalizing shapes and yes, let’s say a certain part of her body bounces without regard to gravity. However, this did not bother me to the point of being offended and, above all, it does not detract from the overall quality of the product. It’s exaggerated, it’s very “Japanese” if you allow me the expression, but it seemed to me more like a parody of the virtual image of women from Japan than an affront to feminism.

Should you play it?

I wasn’t particularly expecting Stellar Blade. Now, how happy I am to have played it! Without being perfect, it is an excellent action and role-playing game in the same vein as Devil May Cry 5 or, even better, Nier: Automata. In the company of EVE in a campaign that can easily occupy you for at least 30 to 40 hours, you will not get bored through satisfying exploration as well as high-flying combat.