One of the most underrated titles of 2024 was Korean studio Shift UP’s character-action RPG, Stellar Blade. The title is a beautiful mix of character action and souls-like combat, and it deserves every bit of praise it has received in the past year since its release. However, it completely understated just how much greatness and potential is present in this title.
Many players wrote it off as another Souls-like title that will never be as good as a FromSoft original, or we have NieR: Automata at home. But with the PC release right around the corner, there is no better time to dive into the world of Stellar Blade.
A stellar combat system
Arguably, the best part
Stellar Blade was easy to miss if you aren’t an owner of a PS5 or you avoid Souls-like games and their communities like the plague, but it deserves your time and attention. Stellar Blade takes the most fun ideas from some of the most popular action games of the last decade and a half and serves them on a silver platter. The combat is straightforward but has a satisfying level of depth, giving the player something to sink their teeth into.
Style over complexity
The basics of Stellar Blade are intuitive: you have your light and heavy sword attacks that you can mix and match into a stylish, well animated combo. While the game borrows from FromSoftware’s soul series, it doesn’t borrow from its crushing difficulty. Players can get by through button mashing, with only the later bosses in the game genuinely demanding mastery from you.
As you play you unlock skills that open up plenty other combo routes for those who are fans of the style combo stacking of a game like Devil May Cry but if you’re a more casual action game fan than the game’s combat provides enough jingling keys to hold your attention throughout the 30 or so hours you’d spend stomping around the post apocalyptic earth.
There’s a ruined world to get lost in
Well, Kind Of
A Wide Shot Of Stellar Blade’s Environment
The level design of Stellar Blade is reminiscent of classic action games of the PS2 and PS3 era. Many areas are combat gauntlets where you must find a key or password to progress. The many combat options available to the player keep this from becoming repetitive. After the first few hours of gameplay, you have probably already figured out your playstyle. How much you enjoy the levels and exploration of Stellar Blade depends on how much you want the combat, but that isn’t to say the title doesn’t know how to switch it up.
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Stellar Blade’s vibe is unmatched
One moment, you might be battling the naytiba. These monsters roam Stellar Blade’s version of Earth. One moment, you might be surfing on your sword in a dilapidated construction tunnel, and then the next, you’ll find yourself trapped in a creepy lab without access to your sword, turning the game into something out of Dead Space or Resident Evil. The constant genre switching is reminiscent of one of Stellar Blade’s biggest inspirations, NieR: Automata. Now, these gameplay changes don’t always land flawlessly. Ironically, one prominent example of this is the game’s platforming sections. However, you can never say that the game has you doing the same thing non-stop, as you could argue with many other popular action game titles.
Something you cannot argue, though, is Stellar Blade’s greatest strength: its atmosphere. Every area meets you with great visuals and a breathtaking soundtrack. It makes sense for the music to be so good, though; it was composed by the same team that did the music for the NieR franchise. If you skip Stellar Blade, you’re missing out on these beautiful landscapes and the immersion they provide.
Not just a NieR clone
Its story isn’t as emotional, and that’s okay
A screenshot of Oracle from Stellar Blade.
Yes, Stellar Blade and NieR have a lot in common. They both explore a ruined Earth. They both have these haunting, almost lonely soundtracks that evoke intense feelings when exploring their levels. However, they differ in narrative tone and depth.
NieR Automata is a story about existentialism and philosophy. Each playthrough unlocks layers that leave you devastated yet hopeful by its end. Stellar Blade is just your run-of-the-mill action sci-fi adventure, which is okay.
The story of Stellar Blade is straightforward in comparison and is filled with tropes of the genre, but there are deeper themes for those willing to dig for them. The director of the title wanted to avoid long, hand-written scripts, and the story suffered for it; however, that doesn’t mean there is nothing to like in what is portrayed.
Predictable does not mean bad
While some players, especially NieR fans, will feel the similarities and be disappointed by the lack of emotional depth, Stellar Blade isn’t NieR, and for the most part, it doesn’t try to be. Stellar Blade focuses on its gameplay, almost directly contrasting to Nier: Automata. Now, this isn’t to mean Automata’s gameplay isn’t stellar. But it’s evident that its narrative comes first; many would agree that that is where it shines.
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On the other hand, Stellar Blade has more combat complexity and difficulty if you look for it. If you dismiss Stellar Blade because it can’t match NieR’s narrative, you’ll miss out on everything it does right. No matter how you slice it, the game is entertaining at the end of the story. Not every title needs to be a brain-bending tear-jerker. Some titles are just good dumb, fun.
Stellar Blade deserves a chance
New IPs are underappreciated
A dynamic shot of Eve facing off with the second major boss, Abaddon
Stellar Blade is a game that surprises in many ways, even though it stumbles in others.
- Its combat is excellent.
- Its exploration and set-pieces are exciting.
- Its emotional high points are present in its gameplay rather than its story.
- Its visuals and style are top-notch.
- Its soundtrack is breathtaking.
There’s something to like for all fans of action games. Whether it’s the souls-like DNA, the NieR inspiration, or you find Eve’s character model enticing, you will walk away feeling like you’ve played one of the best games of 2024 because you have. It isn’t perfect, but it knows what it wants to be and does its best to portray it to the player, and that’s all a suitable game needs.
