Sony Stellar Blade (Korean Bayonetta/NieR:Automata | PS5 | 26 April 2024) - reviews from OpenCritic and Digital Foundry posted

[Ghost_MH]

41 minutes ago, legend said:

 

Let me give an analogy. It would have looked dumb as shit if in the LOTR movies Arwen was running around in a bikini. Fantastical settings doesn't mean unserious in this way.

 

 

This Horizon doesn't have attractive women?

 

 

 

People who complain about Horizon Forbidden West not having enough attractive male and female characters are crazy to me. It's not good enough that most of the main cast is conventionally attractive, but we also need little miss peasant farmer over here to look like Jessica Rabbit while we kill off everyone over 40.

[legend]

13 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Are you responding to what I wrote or to someone else?

 

 

I'm responding to what you wrote, in two different places. Hence, why I quoted you in two places and responded to each separately  

[best3444]

Aloy, Zoe, and Seyka are all beautiful. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

45 minutes ago, legend said:

 

I'm responding to what you wrote, in two different places. Hence, why I quoted you in two places and responded to each separately  

Your response:

2 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I Something like Horizon: Forbidden West -- most of the characters are either overweight or beanpole thin.  No muscular dudes (except maybe the chief of the Tenakh).  No women with the exaggerated hourglass figure.

 

Your response:

1 hour ago, legend said:

This Horizon doesn't have attractive women?

 

Should I give you the benefit of the doubt that you weren't straw manning me?  I never used the words bikini, or attractive

This is what video games used to have for female characters.

 

Anita Sarkeesian laid out what video games used to be like 10 years ago:

A significant majority of the female characters were young (in their 20s or late teens), with large breasts (and revealing clothing.  That is for the most part no longer happening.

Characters like Alva, Beta, Tilda Van De Meer and Petra are the complete opposite.

Things have changed.

You can argue all you want about what you consider "attractive", but the "bombshell" that was the staple of action movies and video games is now largely gone from modern western video games.  You asked me to elaborate, and I have.

[legend]

 

28 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

A significant majority of the female characters were young (in their 20s or late teens), with large breasts (and revealing clothing.  That is for the most part no longer happening.

 

 

So then were you not disagreeing with my original point where I said just that then? If you agree, great! But then I'm not sure what contrasting point you were trying to make.

 

3 hours ago, legend said:

Fewer women with completely oversized boobs in tiny armor in an otherwise "serious" game? Less out of place fan service? Yes, I agree with that and yes I think that's a good thing. But no, I don't think the industry is otherwise lacking attractive female characters.

[AbsolutSurgen]

4 minutes ago, legend said:

 

 

So then were you not disagreeing with my original point where I said just that then? If so, great! But then I'm not sure what contrasting point you were trying to make.

 

I am disagreeing with the "serious game" point.  Aloy is a fucking mass murderer.  Very few games aspire to be on the level of a mediocre drama movie.

 

I think the industry has significantly changed the female characters (as well as male) in games.

3 hours ago, legend said:

IYou're going to have to qualify what you specifically mean

I noticed you cut this out.  You asked me to specify what I meant, then immediately strawmanned me.

[legend]

15 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I am disagreeing with the "serious game" point.  Aloy is a fucking mass murderer.  Very few games aspire to be on the level of a mediocre drama movie.

 

Okay. I answered that separately. Your points about Horizon character attractiveness doesn't seem like you responded to that though. Does the analogy I made to you not make sense to you?

 

15 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I think the industry has significantly changed the female characters (as well as male) in games.

I noticed you cut this out.  You asked me to specify what I meant, then immediately strawmanned me.

 

I cut it out to highlight for you that you were repeating exactly what I said. Here's the full quote which we can read in context:

 

 

4 hours ago, legend said:

You're going to have to qualify what you specifically mean. Fewer women with completely oversized boobs in tiny armor in an otherwise "serious" game? Less out of place fan service? Yes, I agree with that and yes I think that's a good thing. But no, I don't think the industry is otherwise lacking attractive female characters.

 

Notice how following my request to qualify what you meant I provided possible interpretations you could have meant? This is indicated by ending them with questions marks. I then state "Yes, I agree with that and yes I think that's a good thing." 

 

Following that I described what interpretation I wouldn't agree with. Specifically "But no, I don't think the industry is otherwise lacking attractive female characters."

 

If in fact, you actually meant the thing I said I agreed with, you could can just say "yes, that's what I meant." You also wouldn't need to tell me "but let's not pretend it hasn't happened" if in fact you agreed with my description, because clearly I wouldn't be pretending something was true that you disputed.

 

But you did say that, indicating you didn't agree with what I said.

 

And here we are.

[Ghost_MH]

12 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I think the industry has significantly changed the female characters (as well as male) in games.

 

I mean, yeah. With increased graphical fidelity, game characters look more realistic. Also, there's been a sort of acknowledgement within the industry that gaming isn't just a hobby enjoyed by 13yo boys, so there really isn't a need to pander to only little kids anymore. Things like bikini armor only ever existed to pander to kids. Horizon Forbidden West definitely targets an older audience. I mean, the primary antagonists are tech bros with unchecked greed. Capitalism is the enemy is not normally the subject for kids' games.

[TheLeon]

2 hours ago, legend said:

 

Let me give an analogy. It would have looked dumb as shit if in the LOTR movies Arwen was running around in a bikini. Fantastical settings doesn't mean unserious in this way.

It only would’ve looked dumb if she was the only one. But what if Middle Earth was a place where everyone wears bikinis? Then she would look normal! 
 

[Phaseknox]

5 hours ago, legend said:

I think this game is a victim of the fact that it's liked by people insisting that western devs are deliberately making female characters ugly and insisting that all women in games should look like super models.

I do feel that some western devs have been deliberately making female characters less attractive to thwart the so-called “male gaze” and to prevent the characters from being objectified and sexualized, but attractiveness and sexualization are not one and the same.

 

I almost exclusively like to play as female characters in games these days, and I admit that part of the reason why is because I personally find them to be more aesthetically appealing than male characters. And I’m talking about realistic looking athletic badass female characters, not overly sexualized ones. I prefer playing as acrobatic, agile, fast and quick female characters as opposed to big bulky muscly slow tank male characters. I also tend to prefer their attitudes, personalities and voice actors to their male counterparts as well. 

 

Some examples of female characters that I like from the past decade include: Aloy (Horizon series), Aveline de Grandpre (Assassin’s Creed Liberation), Evie Frye (Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), Kassandra (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey), Dani Rojas (Far Cry 6), Katharine (King’s Bounty II), Amicia de Rune (A Plague Tale series), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider survival trilogy) and Chloe Frazer (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy). They’re all realistic looking, naturally attractive (not super models) and not sexualized in any way.
 

With that said, I don’t have a problem with occasional sexy anime style female characters like Bayonetta, 2B and Eve because I like anime. Stellar Blade is an over the top AA Asian developed fantasy horror sci-fi action adventure game that’s not meant to be realistic in any way, so I don’t feel that the characters in it are out of place for what it is.

[legend]

11 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

I do feel that some western devs have been deliberately making female characters less attractive to thwart the so-called “male gaze” and to prevent the characters from being objectified and sexualized, but attractiveness and sexualization are not one and the same.

 

I almost exclusively like to play as female characters in games these days, and I admit that part of the reason why is because I personally find them to be more aesthetically appealing than male characters. And I’m talking about realistic looking athletic badass female characters, not overly sexualized ones. I prefer playing as acrobatic, agile, fast and quick female characters as opposed to big bulky muscly slow tank male characters. I also tend to prefer their attitudes, personalities and voice actors to their male counterparts as well. 

 

Some examples of female characters that I like from the past decade include: Aloy (Horizon series), Aveline de Grandpre (Assassin’s Creed Liberation), Evie Frye (Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), Kassandra (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey), Dani Rojas (Far Cry 6), Katharine (King’s Bounty II), Amicia de Rune (A Plague Tale series), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider survival trilogy) and Chloe Frazer (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy). They’re all realistic looking, naturally attractive (not super models) and not sexualized in any way.
 

With that said, I don’t have a problem with occasional sexy anime style female characters like Bayonetta, 2B and Eve because I like anime. Stellar Blade is an over the top AA Asian developed fantasy horror sci-fi action adventure game that’s not meant to be realistic in any way, so I don’t feel that the characters in it are out of place for what it is.

 

I do agree with sexualization deliberately being less overt. I do not agree that they're deliberately making the characters less attractive in any meaningful capacity. I mean, you just named a lot of attractive female characters! But the argument from a certain community that I'm referring to is much stronger than even that. These people are saying western developers are deliberately making their female characters *ugly* because the standard that they demand is oversexualized women like Eve.

 

Hence why I think  Stellar Blade is a victim of people associating their distaste for this community with the game. I think the game is perfectly fine (at least from what I've played and seen so far!) and it shouldn't be knocked just because a distasteful community likes it.

[Phaseknox]

10 hours ago, legend said:

I do agree with sexualization deliberately being less overt. I do not agree that they're deliberately making the characters less attractive in any meaningful capacity.

Some examples of western developed games with female characters in them that seem to have been deliberately made less attractive looking (IMO) include: Control, Deliver Us Mars, The Division series, Fable reboot, Ghost Recon Wildlands/Breakpoint, The Last of Us Part II, Mass Effect Andromeda, Outriders, PGA Tour 2K21/23, Rage 2, Returnal, Scars Above, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Outlaws and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. And look what they recently did to the preexisting female characters in Pokémon GO:

 

 

Perhaps it’s more noticeable to me since I primarily like playing as female characters in games, but as someone who does it seems to be more blatant and often from my perspective.

[Ghost_MH]

1 hour ago, Phaseknox said:

Some examples of western developed games with female characters in them that seem to have been deliberately made less attractive looking (IMO) include: Control

 

I just need to point out that it's really hard to go over the rest of your list and take it seriously when your very first choice looks exactly like her actress.

 

 

What are you even on about?

 

You need to back up off the ragebait YouTube. It's all brainrot. I notice these chuds always use the same two or three screenshots to prove their point about characters being ugly. Same crazies that argued Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West was ugly.

 

I won't even click on that video. It mentions Pokemon in the thumbnail and Pokemon most recently gave us the two hottest professors in the history of the franchise.

[Keyser_Soze]

Here are all the games released just this year  with female characters and let's see how more games have fewer attractive characters

 

Dragon's Dogma 2

Ulrika, Wilhelmina and Nadinia (somehow) all attractive 🤔

 

Spoiler

 

Final Fantasy Rebirth

Tifa, Yuffie, Aerith still attractive. Even add on Scarlet, probably forgetting someone...

 

Spoiler

 

Tekken 8, basically all of them

 

Azucena, Reina, Panda, etc.

 

Spoiler

 

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

 

Seonhee, Chitose

 

Spoiler

 

Goddess of Victory Nikke

 

Elegg, Bay, D Killer Wife

 

Spoiler

 

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League / Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman

 

Spoiler

 

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Spoiler

 

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

 

Spoiler

 

Tomb Raider I–III Remastered

 

Spoiler

 

Unicorn Overlord

 

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Alone in the Dark

 

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Princess Peach Showtime

 

Spoiler

 

 

Rise of the Rōnin

 

Spoiler

 

And if you want to go back to last year a tad bit, Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising

Disney Dreamlight Valley

 

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Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion

 

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Thirsty Suitors

 

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Alan Wake II

 

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Honkai Star Rail

 

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Assassin's Creed Mirage

 

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Baldur's Gate 3

 

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Mortal Kombat 1

 

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Eternights

 

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Starfield

 

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Final Fantasy XVI

 

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Diablo IV

 

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Street Fighter 6

 

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Marvel's Midnight Suns

 

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Dead Island 2

 

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DNF Duel

 

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Resident Evil 4 Remake

 

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Forspoken

 

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So the idea there are "no attractive" or "fewer attractive" characters in games is an asinine thing to say. There are attractive characters in almost every game and there are more games coming out than ten years ago so there are even more attractive characters in games. To say anything to the contrary is just falling into rage bait youtube shit posts.

[Ghost_MH]

3 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Here are all the games released just this year  with female characters and let's see how more games have fewer attractive characters

 

You missed Nintendo's games from last year. Because not even Nintendo is immune from giving us games with attractive characters. Those include...

 

Fire Emblem Engage

Spoiler

 

 

Fire Emblem Engage, I guess doesn't count because there's also a trans character in it. I seem to recall all of the Internet thirsting over...

 

Zelda TotK

Spoiler

 

What about Pokemon? There was the new Detective Pikachu last year...

Spoiler

 

Maybe the Advance Wars remake?

Spoiler

 

YouTube ragebait is a thing that people just fall for every day. Rage grifters just looking to make a buck.

[legend]

7 hours ago, Phaseknox said:

Some examples of western developed games with female characters in them that seem to have been deliberately made less attractive looking (IMO) include: Control, Deliver Us Mars, The Division series, Fable reboot, Ghost Recon Wildlands/Breakpoint, The Last of Us Part II, Mass Effect Andromeda, Outriders, PGA Tour 2K21/23, Rage 2, Returnal, Scars Above, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Outlaws and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. And look what they recently did to the preexisting female characters in Pokémon GO:

 

 

Perhaps it’s more noticeable to me since I primarily like playing as female characters in games, but as someone who does it seems to be more blatant and often from my perspective.

 

This is too long a list go down one by one, but let me give you a general response that covers a lot of it: these devs are not deliberately making characters ugly, but here are some things you may be conflating with that belief:

• The industry much more regularly uses scanning tech for characters for actual actors/models. Most real world people are not the hyper exaggerated female appearance like we agreed is less prolific. Furthermore, we both agreed they're not as sexualized as previously; they're not wearing night party making all the time nor wearing skimpy clothing. So you *do* get a difference there. But that doesn't make them *ugly* (I realize you've made the softer "less attractive" claim) and saying as much is pretty gross. 
• Coupled with the above, some of the issues you have may be due to immaturity of technology not translating well. It's more of a tech problem from games than a deliberate effort to make models ugly, especially if you cherry pick scenes since in games it's incredibly difficult to make sure every scene lights and renders well. If you know game developers or at least follow game developers on social media, you will find them commenting about these problems and challenges. Some studios are better at it than others or invest more time and money into it. Games are expensive and despite working insane hours, developers *still* don't have enough time and get readily laid off anyway. You need to give people some slack instead of forming a conspiracy that they're deliberately making characters less attractive.
• When you scan models, sometimes those models change in appearance while the developers still want to keep the same person. MJ in Spider-man 2, who you listed, is the same model as in Spider-man 1. But the gaming community yelling about studios "deliberately making female characters ugly" just assumed they got someone different because they're woke or something. They didn't. There's rumors that she did have some facial surgery from an accident, I don't really know and it doesn't really matter. The point is, the claim "deliberately making characters ugly" from this crowd was a completely false accusation (so is "less attractive" because although softer is still peddling the same negative conspiracy) and the result of that gross behavior is the model quit modeling and working for games because it became so toxic.

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

I laughed when he said PGA tour golfers weren't attractive.

[Keyser_Soze]

Heh, what a timely article 🤔

 

Are You Smarter Than a Gamergater

HARD-DRIVE.NET

 

[Phaseknox]

5 hours ago, Ghost_MH said:

I just need to point out that it's really hard to go over the rest of your list and take it seriously when your very first choice looks exactly like her actress.

 

 

What are you even on about?

The game character (Jesse Faden) looks similar to her actress (Courtney Hope), but not exact IMO. Jesse looks less attractive/pretty to me than Courtney.
 

4 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Here are all the games released just this year  with female characters and let's see how more games have fewer attractive characters

 

So the idea there are "no attractive" or "fewer attractive" characters in games is an asinine thing to say.

42 minutes ago, Ghost_MH said:

You missed Nintendo's games from last year. Because not even Nintendo is immune from giving us games with attractive characters.

This discussion is about female characters in western developed games looking less attractive, not Asian developed ones so I don’t know why you’re both listing female characters from Asian developed games. And no one said that there are no attractive or fewer attractive looking characters in games in general, just that it seems like female characters are sometimes being made less attractive looking in western developed games which does somewhat seem to be the case to me which I gave some examples of.

 

35 minutes ago, legend said:

This is too long a list go down one by one, but let me give you a general response that covers a lot of it: these devs are not deliberately making characters ugly, but here are some things you may be conflating with that belief:

• The industry much more regularly uses scanning tech for characters for actual actors/models. Most real world people are not the hyper exaggerated female appearance like we agreed is less prolific. Furthermore, we both agreed they're not as sexualized as previously; they're not wearing night party making all the time nor wearing skimpy clothing. So you *do* get a difference there. But that doesn't make them *ugly* and saying as much is pretty gross. 
• Coupled with the above, some of the issues you have may be due to immaturity of technology not translating well. It's more of a tech problem from games than a deliberate effort to make models ugly, especially if you cherry pick scenes since in games it's incredibly difficult to make sure every scene lights and renders well. If you know game developers or at least follow game developers on social media, you will find them commenting about these problems and challenges. Some studios are better at it than others or invest more time and money into it. Games are expensive and despite working insane hours, developers *still* don't have enough time and get readily laid off anyway. You need to give people some slack instead of forming a conspiracy that they're deliberately making characters ugly.
• When you scan models, sometimes those models change in appearance while the developers still want to keep the same person. MJ in Spider-man 2, who you listed, is the same model as in Spider-man 1. But the gaming community yelling about studios "deliberately making female characters ugly" just assumed they got someone different because their woke or something. They didn't. There's rumors that she did have some facial surgery from an accident, I don't really know and it doesn't really matter. The point is, this "deliberately making characters ugly" was a completely false accusation and the result of that gross behavior is the model quit modeling and working for games because it became so toxic.

First of all I never used the term ugly since I don’t think that most of the examples that I gave are ugly per se, just less attractive IMO. Secondly, I do think that in some cases what you’re saying may be correct but it didn’t seem to be a problem for the devs who made the attractive female characters that I mentioned. And it’s been proven that Mary Jane in Spider-Man 2 was partly modeled from a female employee working on the game:

 

 

13 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

I laughed when he said PGA tour golfers weren't attractive.

Why? I like playing as what I personally consider appealing and attractive looking characters in every game that I play including sports games.

[Ghost_MH]

16 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

The game character (Jesse Faden) looks similar to her actress (Courtney Hope), but not exact IMO. Jesse looks less attractive/pretty to me than Courtney.

 

I don't know what to tell you. I played through Control. She looks like a lower resolution Courtney Hope.

 

 

Again, what are you even on about? 

 

21 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

Why? I like playing as what I personally consider appealing and attractive looking characters in every game that I play including sports games.

 

I need you to understand that you're bothered that real life athletes aren't attractive enough for you. We aren't talking about make believe characters invented for a videogame, but like real people that exist in meat space.

[legend]

38 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

First of all I never used the term ugly since I don’t think that most of the examples that I gave are ugly per se, just less attractive IMO. Secondly, I do think that in some cases what you’re saying may be correct but it didn’t seem to be a problem for the devs who made the attractive female characters that I mentioned.

 

 

Yes, I did go back edit that in to acknowledge that you said "less attractive," but too late it seems! I realize that's softer, but it is still is a wrong claim for the exact same reasons.

 

38 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

 

And it’s been proven that Mary Jane in Spider-Man 2 was partly modeled from a female employee working on the game:

 

 

 

Holy crap man, that video *is not* proof! That is a person speculating, speculation that goes directly against the actual facts. This is conspiracy level nonsense. The developers have already come out and said it's the same model and that same model publicly stated that she *quit* because of the backlash She's not a make believe person.

[best3444]

wtf is going on in here. 

[Ghost_MH]

17 minutes ago, legend said:

Holy crap man, that video *is not* proof! That is a person speculating, speculation that goes directly against the actual facts. This is conspiracy level nonsense. The developers have already come out and said it's the same model and that same model publicly stated that she *quit* because of the backlash She's not a make believe person.

 

Saying backlash is being too nice here. It was targeted harassment and phones calls toxic stalkers. Like these are real people being targeted by these rage grifters looking to make a quick buck.

[Spork3245]

[best3444]

I love Phaseknox but his obsession with women protagonists and him criticizing female characters is cringe worthy.

 

I just don't see anything he is saying. 

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, Phaseknox said:

This discussion is about female characters in western developed games looking less attractive, not Asian developed ones so I don’t know why you’re both listing female characters from Asian developed games.

 

Why cherry pick? Have Asian developed games never had a less attractive looking female character? And I posted plenty of western devs in there.

 

1 hour ago, Phaseknox said:

Why? I like playing as what I personally consider appealing and attractive looking characters in every game that I play including sports games.

 

Because this feels very bottom of the barrel "I had nothing to fap to on a Saturday morning" energy. In fact wasn't there a Seinfeld episode where George Costanza did just that?

 

I think rather than "These studios are intentionally making less attractive characters" maybe it's a lot of different factors. Maybe they don't have the talent. Maybe they don't have the technology, and maybe they don't have the time to get it right. You mention a sports game but they can't even get the guys right half of the time and they gotta churn these things out. As for everyone else, like I said it's probably just a technology limitation among other things. For example in those Hellblade 2 videos they show that they certainly have the means to make the game and characters look amazing now and they showed the tech they had when they made the first one and there is a vast difference.

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Here are the reviews for this...whatever the hell it is.

 

Game Information

Game Title: Stellar Blade

 

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (Apr 26, 2024)
  

 

Developer: Shift Up

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 85 average - 97% recommended

Critic Reviews

Spoiler

COGconnected - Jaz Sagoo - 93 / 100

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Atarita - Eren Eroğlu - Turkish - 92 / 100

Stellar Blade has a unique way of always surprising you. Including uncovering the secrets of its well-crafted universe one by one. It offers an unforgettable adventure with deep gameplay that constantly evolves.

Enternity.gr - Giannis Archontidis - Greek - 9 / 10

Stellar Blade offers excellent gameplay, an engaging protagonist, plenty of bloody action, an immersive battle system, and an interesting story.

Gameffine - Subhasish Das - 90 / 100

Stellar Blade is not just a great hack-and-slash game, it's a culmination of a great fashion designer's wardrobe and a 'souls-like' veteran's wildest fantasies. Thanks to its satisfying combat, varied enemy designs, and stellar presentation, it really lives up to its name despite some occasional hiccups involving lackluster platforming and repetitive side requests.

Gamepressure - Sebastian Kasparek - 9 / 10

Stellar Blade is an above-average title. Well-developed, with a captivating story from the first moment, and most importantly engaging due to thoroughly well-planned and competently executed gameplay. The South Korean studio Shift Up performed exceptionally well, and despite my initial skepticism, I ultimately saw it as one of the top games of 2024.

GamingTrend - Henry Viola - 90 / 100

Despite not vibing too well with the demo, we were utterly in love with Stellar Blade by the time the credits rolled. Shift Up has done a tremendous job with their first triple A project and sets a high bar for modern action role playing games. There are some pacing issues, and the narrative's delivery stumbles, but the game as a whole is near perfect: the themes, the visuals, the music, the combat, the exploration, the world, and the technical performance. A modern masterpiece.

God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 9 / 10

There's a hell of a lot going on in Stellar Blade, but it remains a surprisingly elegant and exciting adventure throughout.

INVEN - Suhho Yoon - Korean - 9 / 10

A beautiful, yet deadly action game that combines fast-paced action with the tension of a Souls-like experience. the game also caters to various gaming tastes with beginner-friendly features and puzzles. While the lack of story buildup and the short length are disappointing, and the details of close-range to long-range combat swaps can be cumbersome, overall it's an impressive piece.

PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 90 / 100

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Press Start - Harry Kalogirou - 9 / 10

Stellar Blade recalls the classic era of character-action games in truly inspired fashion. It might struggle to deliver on its core narrative, and its platforming is often more frustrating than it isn't, but neither of those things are enough to bring down a thoroughly enjoyable action experience. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but manages to build on them in engaging fashion with a deliciously layered combat system and gorgeous presentation to boot.

TechRaptor - Austin Suther - 9 / 10

Stellar Blade stands toe-to-toe with some of the best games of the character action genre. This package offers a satisfying combat system with plenty of progression, beautiful visuals, and one of the best soundtracks in years.

Atomix - Sebastian Quiroz - Spanish - 85 / 100

Stellar Blade has great merit when we see it from a production point of view and as Shift Up's letter of introduction to the international market. As an exclusive to the PlayStation 5, it lets us see that the industry is willing to expand and show us the AAA proposals that other regions have for us. Despite its positive points, the title offers us a generic story and gameplay mechanics that lack depth, although the presentation and production levels are impressive.

But Why Tho? - Matt Sowinski - 8.5 / 10

Stellar Blade is a fantastic addition to the PlayStation-exclusive library. The combat is slick and fun, the story deep and interesting, and the set pieces all bigger than the last. It's obvious why Sony scooped this one up, fitting into its story-rich third-party pedigree of titles.

Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Stellar Blade bursts out of the gate looking stunning, full of jaw-dropping set pieces, intense action and gory violence, and maintains that pace throughout. Underneath this flashy action game are a lot of systems that we've seen before, but despite what can feel like a lack of innovation at times, it never feels stale or unenticing due to its overwhelming sense of style and polished, gratifying combat. For every familiar puzzle or annoying platforming section, there's a brutal boss battle or incredible over-the-top sequence that pulled me back in. Stellar Blade is a joy, a deliciously crafted adventure jam-packed with dramatic thrills.

GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 85%

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Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 8.5 / 10

From its incredible soundtrack to its brilliant world design and combat, Stellar Blade’s debut is a much-needed injection of fun across the PlayStation-exclusive library and likely the most refreshing new game on the platform to date.

IGN Italy - Alessandro Digioia - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Stellar Blade is a good game, plain and simple. It feels like so much love and passion has been poured into it, and even if the story doesn't quite reach the heights of NieR Automata and the like, Eve's tale kept me interested until the credits rolled, and made me eager for more. There are some minor issues, and I would have loved to see a little more environment variety, but snappy combat, terrific music and visuals, and a world almost as enchanting as her protagonist make Stellar Blade very easy to recommend.

One More Game - Chris Garcia - 8.5 / 10

Stellar Blade is an extremely impressive debut from Shift Up, serving up a combination of dynamic combat with visuals and animations that pay extreme attention to detail. Eve's adventure is dressed up with the wrappings of a masterful soundtrack that resonates long after the game is finished, and there's enough content to warrant a more thorough playthrough the second time around.

Stellar Blade's story is sadly predictable, and characters like Eve prove hard to form an emotional connection with due to their relatively flat personalities, but the world and lore are intriguing enough to create more properties should the developers choose to do so. It doesn't offer much in terms of groundbreaking innovation, but Stellar Blade is a competent and confident effort that will offer a good time worthy of your attention.

Spaziogames - Italian - 8.3 / 10

It's much easier than we expected, and it lacks really fresh ideas, but Stellar Blade is a very solid first effort from korean team Shift Up and a bold new IP for the Playstation Studios, thanks to a fast and furious combat system and solid performances. We're sincerely eager to see in which direction the devs will go from here in the future.

GamePro - Jonas Herrmann - German - 82 / 100

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ComicBook.com - Tanner Dedmon - 4 / 5

Beneath the fanservice and comparisons to NieR Automata and the Bayonetta games, Stellar Blade boasts some surprisingly involved combat systems and fantastic creature designs all in a relatively compact experience.

Destructoid - Steven Mills - 8 / 10

Overall, Stellar Blade is a journey worth experiencing. I feel like with some improvements in certain areas, Stellar Blade could be a legendary landmark experience like those it clearly draws inspiration from. But even in its current form, Stellar Blade offers a fast-paced action combat system in a unique world with a rewarding narrative. It's not quite stellar, but it's certainly solid. Solid Blade.

Dexerto - James Busby - 4 / 5

Stellar Blade has landed a critical hit, successfully slicing through the crowd of well-established action-adventure game giants. If you’re a fan of sleek and stylish combat, with sprinklings of Soulsborne and Nier Automata vibes, you’ll feel right at home when playing Shift Up’s triumphant console debut.

Digitec Magazine - Domagoj Belancic - German - 4 / 5

Stellar Blade is a brilliant PS5 exclusive with tons of over-the-top action. It mixes numerous elements from other games and genres to create a unique work of art. The aesthetics of the sci-fi world and the oversexualized protagonist are contrasted with ultra-ugly and superbly designed enemies. The dreamlike soundtrack perfectly underlines the melancholy atmosphere of the desolate sci-fi world. Graphically, the game looks excellent with a few exceptions and is one of the prettier games on the PS5.

The combat system is fast, fluid and intuitive. Aside from the spectacularly orchestrated battles, there is plenty to discover with excursions into other genres. The frustrating platformer passages, the moderately exciting side quests and the largely empty open game areas tarnish the otherwise fantastic overall impression a little.

Evilgamerz - Daan Nijboer - Dutch - 8 / 10

With Stellar Blade, Shift Up joins a solid list of exclusives from the Playstation 5, and does so properly. Their first console game manages to impress with challenging battles, where the boss fights in particular steal the show, and a fantastic world. And although the side missions lack quite a bit of creativity, the main mission manages to keep your attention enough. Stellar Blade has everything it takes to become a hit, but should not be mentioned in the same breath as the biggest Playstation exclusives. The South Korean developer has already hinted at a sequel and once they manage to address the weak points there, it will not be long until Stellar Blade will become one of the most important games for Playstation.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4 / 5

Stellar Blade is an exceptionally well-crafted game that has learned from its influences and honed their teachings to a highly polished standard that can only be commended.

Gameblog - French - [url="
        https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/jeux/tests/test-stellar-blade-554402"]8 / 10[/url]

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GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 8 / 10

Fluid and adrenaline-fueled combat, a compelling setting, and a stylish aesthetic make Stellar Blade an action game well worth experiencing.

Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 8 / 10

Stellar Blade absolutely delivers on its stylish, demanding action, impressive visuals and memorable music, even if the story execution and writing stumbles at times.

PowerUp! - Adam Mathew - 8 / 10

Stellar Blade is a provocative sword guard thumb-pop that ought to make every fan of the genre snap to attention.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 8 / 10

Stellar Blade is a slick console debut from a developer clearly on the rise. With an ever-evolving counter-attacking combat system, some superb art direction, and a sensational soundtrack, this is the kind of back-to-basics PS5 outing that fans have been pleading for. A dire English dub and some trite story beats mean the studio still has plenty of room to refine its craft, but Eve's inaugural outing is largely excellent across the board, and destined to become a firm favourite among PS5 enthusiasts.

VGC - Tom Regan - 4 / 5

For those who wished that God of War Ragnarok offered a bit more challenge or that Bayonetta had a bit more weight to its combat, this slick sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into the Souls-like genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-worn character action formula. It may lack the naval gazing intelligence of the excellent Nier Automata, but when you’re having this much fun, it’s hard to care.

The Beta Network - Samuel Incze - 7 / 10

Stellar Blade is a fun hack-and-slash that leaves a little to be desired. The story is decent, the combat is challenging, but traversal and some mechanics bring the experience down. There is a lot to enjoy here, and despite its flaws, it should keep you entertained for a while.

TheSixthAxis - Gareth Chadwick - 7 / 10

Stellar Blade is a pretty enjoyable game to swing your hairband sword at, so long as you don't mind the obvious sexualisation. There's a few rough areas, but nothing to spoil things overall and there's plenty of interesting story to uncover as you fight your way through giant monsters with circular saws for heads and weird tentacles for legs.

Too Much Gaming - Carlos Hernandez - 3 / 5

Stellar Blade’s potential was clear, but as its ambitions expanded into something greater, it lost focus. As soon as Stellar Blade tries to bring everything together, it merges into a single figure that looks deformed and uneven. The quality is unquestionable but it wasn’t the final product I was slowly building in my head as I went through the game’s first half.

Console Creatures - Luke Williams - Recommended

With Stellar Blade, Shift Up shifts gears into overdrive to create an excellent debut console experience. However, the entry fee comes at being able to get over the surface level characterization.

Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - No Recommendation

Stellar Blade is a game full of ambition and confidence, but it's too attached to its main inspirations, making it a somewhat unoriginal piece of entertainment.

 

[legend]

Wade beat me to the reviews! Looks good! Coupled with the demo which I enjoyed, I'll definitely be picking it up.

[legend]

23 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

 

I'm so glad to hear it's polished and performs well. Goes a long way for an action game like this.

[Greatoneshere]

Glad to hear the game is good! I'm definitely interested in it broadly. And no surprise PhaseKnox's regressive gender values spring up yet again with no self awareness that he's spouting soft sexism with poor, seemingly non-sexist arguments. Frankly the fact this is all going over their head isn't surprising.

[best3444]

Awesome. Great reviews so I'm buying this. I really enjoyed the demo. 

[Biggie]

4 hours ago, best3444 said:

wtf is going on in here. 

People arguing about females who don’t exist. 

[Biggie]

2 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Glad to hear the game is good! I'm definitely interested in it broadly. And no surprise PhaseKnox's regressive gender values spring up yet again with no self awareness that he's spouting soft sexism with poor, seemingly non-sexist arguments. Frankly the fact this is all going over their head isn't surprising.

Bros before hoes amirite?

[Biggie]

2 hours ago, best3444 said:

Awesome. Great reviews so I'm buying this. I really enjoyed the demo. 

Not my sort of game. The writing is all over the wall.