Stellar Blade offers players who crave something different a new perspective as it places Sekiro-like combat in a post-apocalyptic setting that is usually the staple of first-person shooters; its world, while not completely open, contains many mysteries waiting to be unlocked and discovered.
Eve or Ellie
Stellar Blade is an immersive single-player journey centered on Eve and her crusade against an oppressive regime, yet goes far beyond typical "kill everything" plotlines. From its inception, its developers put a great deal of care and passion into crafting an eye-catching world for Eve to explore. Eve and Ellie from The Last of Us share many similarities, which is especially frustrating considering Stellar Blade's focus on visuals. Luckily, however, Stellar Blade takes an interesting approach by giving Eve more lifelike features which add an air of realism that makes her more relatable while visually captivating protagonist. Stellar Blade follows Eve on her quest to reclaim Earth from an impending apocalypse through Eve's quest.
Combat
Combat is very familiar to those who played Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice, only the setting is different as this one is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action-adventure game. An effective parry does more than deflect Naytiba attacks; it fills your Beta Gauge. Slicing through Naytiba with Eve's arsenal feels immensely rewarding, and Stellar Blade's post-apocalyptic world is undeniably captivating; certain areas remain locked behind deliberately, so you must progress through its story to unlock them all.
Eve
Stellar Blade offers great promise as a post-apocalyptic gaming title with exciting visuals and a principal character that looks like a girl from the cover of a fashion magazine (in fact, Eve of Stellar Blade is modeled after Shin Jae Eun), but after the first impression, a few positives and negatives remain.
Positives
About the positives, there is nothing to complain about the combat mechanics per se, one of the best in a video game without a doubt. Also, among the positives, the post-apocalyptic visuals of Stellar Blade are impressive and they tell a story on their own (as it was the developer's intention).
Negatives
About the negatives, the lack of originality is obvious as the combat is very close to that of Sekiro. Lack of character depth and a boring story is also pregnant. Somewhat in the middle is Eve, a character that has a lot of potential but was not brought to the surface by developers who insisted on the warrior side neglecting almost entirely everything else about her.
Conclusion
So, is Stellar Blade worth your time? Yes. The narrative, while serviceable, fails to capture my interest; however, this hiccup doesn't detract from my overall experience - it adds depth and layers. Stellar Blade provides an accessible experience to players of all skill levels, giving everyone a shot at mastering its combat. As it's April 26th the game is out, now is the time to unleash your blades! Buy Stellar Blade and experience superior combat techniques: mastering the parry/evade system as well as Beta/Burst Gauges for devastating attacks as combat is one of the strengths of this game (even if not innovative by any means). Shift Up has developed an unforgettable cinematic experience that stays with players long after the credits roll!