Stellar Blade is the definition of a third-person action-adventure game. Propelled into a post-apocalyptic Earth, you soon realise it's better to swing first and ask questions later.
You play as Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, a task force from an off-world Colony set to reclaim Earth. A monstrous race known as the Naytibas has taken over, and the native human population is in crisis.
When we think of an apocalypse, we tend to think of gas masks, diseases, and lots and lots of guns. A heroine like Eve seems both unlikely and impractical. With no real armour and a ponytail the length of a skipping rope, Eve’s signature look would have you fearing for her safety as much as your own.
And yet, within the opening level, you soon realise that Eve is precisely who Earth needs in a pinch. With gravity-defying athleticism and a trusty hairpin that transforms into an unbreakable sword, she is an entire army packed into just one body.
But Eve’s heroic return to free a desolate world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The native humans, who feel abandoned by the Colony, are in awe and fear of her. The monsters that have driven them to near extinction aren’t going down without a fight. And not everything she’s been told about Earth can be believed anymore.
Combat is the stellar element of this game
In Stellar Blade, combat is its own narrator, and Eve learns new abilities and combos at surprising speed to fill up an entire library. Controlling her feels electric, where even the simplest button bashes commands a gymnastic onslaught on-screen.
You’ll build up a unique attack pattern of your own design, mixing in light and strong sword strikes, gun attacks, gadgets and more. With several different kinds of Naytibas scattered worldwide, there is always an opportunity to experiment and fine-tune your swordsmanship.
When all is said and done, Stellar Blade is a pretty stellar adventure.
Early mobs are small, insect-like minions that can rush at you and be cut down rather easily, giving you a false sense of security that no enemy poses much danger to Eve. How wrong that is.
Some Naytibas are literal goliaths, evolving to grow shields, horns or weapon attachments. These horrifying creations can cut you down in just a few short attacks. Some have special abilities, like reviving fallen foes or blowing themselves up upon death. The worst kind will lie silently around corners to ambush you, keeping your heart rate and swear jar on high alert.
Upon discovering new Naytibas, you’ll spend the first few encounters simply committing attack patterns to memory. Attacks are colour-coded, giving you information in split seconds to dodge, parry or have a health potion ready.
Every successful dodge will feel like a victory in and of itself. As time slows down, Eve can blink behind foes and capitalise on their mistakes. All the while, you’ll charge up enough energy to unleash Beta and Burst moves, which can destroy enemies in a plethora of bloody ways.
And just when you find your footing in combat, the game has other plans. Specific levels see Eve lose the ability to call upon her sword or use her detection scanner. Walking in the dark with just a gun is one of the tensest and most horrifying experiences I've encountered in gaming.
While the game has only two difficulties to choose from, either one will prove a formidable challenge—as my many deaths can attest. No matter how confident you become, stepping into every room will feel like a gauntlet.
All the while, Eve’s 10-foot-long ponytail will flip-flop across your screen like a kite in the wind. Infectious K-pop tracks blares at a constant rate in the background. Equipped with multiple impractical outfits, Stellar Blade will remind you that no matter how serious, ferocious, or gory the game wants to become, it can also be pretty camp and playful in its own right.
A futuristic but familiar world
While Eve may not be the typical hero, the setting of Stellar Blade will be familiar. On this ruined Earth, your playground consists of deserts, forgotten cities, scavenging outposts, haunted laboratories and dormant bunkers filled with revolutionary technology.
Initially, it feels like a textbook story of space-age saviours arriving in cybernetic suits to save their primitive allies on Earth. But Stellar Blade has some nice approaches to this sci-fi staple.
A culture clash between old and new tech is well and truly alive. Even in the face of death, some humans cannot see past the abandonment of the Colony. Tensions around artificial intelligence and the Naytibas problem are also found worldwide, reflected in Eve’s travelling companions, especially Adam.
Adam is a survivor on Earth. He operates a drone that follows Eve’s every move and acts as a pseudo-guide, slowly educating her about life on the planet. However, Adam’s views on the Colony introduce new dilemmas for Eve to grapple with—freedom of thought.
At virtually any moment in the game, there’s some artefact or item Eve can discover to understand the problems of Earth, free of the hive mind. Bodies that litter the world can be examined and absorbed for their last memories. When pieced together, you can get a real sense of the game’s outline long before the main story even thinks of coming online.
This brings us to an essential part of Stellar Blade— exploration. This game is best enjoyed by completing everything you come across, including quests, searching nooks and crannies, and completing puzzles.
The desolate city of Xion is the main hub for a large portion of the game and has a bounty board and a near-constant flow of citizens in distress. My advice? Commit to them. Some of the storylines help flesh out the world of Stellar Blade and its people. You'll also earn rewards to help upgrade Eve’s suit, gadgets, weapons and drone. You’ll need them all at a high spec if you hope to survive the game’s challenging later parts.
An out-of-this-world experience
When all is said and done, Stellar Blade is a pretty stellar adventure. Stunning graphics blends beauty and horror effortlessly and will cause fright and delight in equal measure. A familiar setting is given a fresh coat of paint with interesting questions about technology, about duty, and about artificial intelligence.
The question of Eve will no doubt dominate the coming days. Given her signature look, can she be a credible heroine? Is she more style than substance? Can she carry an entire game on her own?
As the story progresses, Eve can (and will) exceed your expectations. She’s a slow-burner but grows more likeable the more you educate her. In time, you realise there’ll be no one else you’d rather have to defend Earth than her – swishing ponytail and all.
Stellar Blade is available to play from the 26th of April on PlayStation 5.
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