Going into full game after playing the excellent demo, I had confidence that Stellar Blade would be able to deliver a worthy modern action title from a genre that's sorely lacking in big hits today. Outside of the usual suspects like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, Stellar Blade positioned itself as an exciting new IP that could hopefully stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greats. As the demo also proved, the combat was more Soulslike than I anticipated, and that's not a bad thing. In fact, Stellar Blade's dynamic, stylish action trumps most of its shortcomings in the end.



The story of Stellar Blade begins with humanity being driven from Earth after losing a war against mysterious creatures called Naytibas. Humans struggle to reclaim their lost home in an ongoing conflict where you assume the role of Eve, a soldier tasked with the reclamation of the planet. Things quickly spiral out of control and you're left with a mystery that unravels the true nature of Naytibas and the remnants of humankind who live on Earth as a last bastion of hope.



Stellar Blade's story draws several parallels to other games, notably Nier: Automata. It feels oddly derivative in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. Ultimately, storytelling is Stellar Blade's weakest element, not just for a lack of originality but for its weak writing in spots. The overarching story is easy enough to follow - Naytiba bad, humanity good - but Stellar Blade attempts to dive deeper into heady ideas and themes that don't always stick the landing. The narrative tries to juggle a lot of pieces and inevitably drops a few, though for the most part, the overarching plot should keep your attention.

Ultimately, storytelling is Stellar Blade's weakest element, not just for a lack of originality but for its weak writing in spots.

The dialogue and writing doesn't do the story any favours either. Character interactions unfold without much emotional investment, at least in the first few hours of the game. It's hard to get attached to a lot of key players in the story, chief among them being Eve herself who initially comes off as a bit of a blank slate before crucial character development fleshes her out, but by then, you're probably halfway through the story already. The characters do the job fine but don't expect them to stand out in any remarkable way.



The heart and soul of Stellar Blade is its excellent gameplay. Borrowing elements from Devil May Cry and seamlessly fusing them with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the game brings a surprising amount of complexity to its stylish action. Combat isn't as fast-paced as Bayonetta (and it doesn't try to be) but it gets a good rhythm going between deflecting, parrying, dodging and attacking when given an opening. To that end, parrying is arguably Stellar Blade's most important tool. The game does a good job at pacing fights so that you're never overwhelmed, always taking on foes with enough room to counter, block and dodge your way to victory.

Eve's combat capabilities can be upgraded through a fantastic skill tree. Your core skills like attack, parry, block and dodge all have individual nodes that can be improved over the course of the game, though you're encouraged to find your ideal playstyle through other abilities on offer. Beta skills unleash powerful attacks against enemies, charged by gathering Beta energy. There are a surprising handful of Beta skills to test out, and each one feels incredibly powerful to use, though they're initially limited to three that Eve can access at any point.



Burst skills offer another layer of explosive action, unlocked by charging your Burst energy only acquired through performing a successful Perfect Dodge, Repulse or Blink (which you'll be doing a lot of in combat). When paired with the stop-and-go flow of combat, both Burst and Beta skills can turn a demanding fight into a dance of acrobatic strikes and powerful bursts of energy that give you a significant upper hand. Plus they just feel really freaking good to use.

Borrowing elements from Devil May Cry and seamlessly fusing them with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the game brings a surprising amount of complexity to its stylish action.

Once you've got Stellar Blade's unique combat rhythm nailed down, I think you'll find it an incredibly rewarding experience that successfully blends fantastic action-heavy elements with a slower pace that demands you to be attentive. The counter-heavy combat will probably satisfy Sekiro fans, though it might be a bit divisive for those seeking a faster-paced action romp when instead, Stellar Blade leans more towards tactically executing dodges and parries with immaculate timing. I struggle to call it a full-fledged "Soulslike" but that's what it feels like, so you know what you're getting into.



Feedback from the demo must've been taken into account about the controls because in the full game, deflecting and dodging feels a lot more precise and snappy. It's still a bit tricky to gauge the wind-ups for enemy attacks - oftentimes you'll be just standing there spamming block like a lunatic - but when you pull it off, it's very satisfying. As a result of this, you might also be surprised at the game's difficulty spikes. There are certain boss fights that, even on lower difficulty settings, demolished me for being careless (or standing there mindlessly spamming block in a fit of panic). Naturally, unlocking new skills and upgrading your gear eventually gives you an edge, though Stellar Blade surprised me with its challenge which I warmly welcomed.

Stellar Blade's levels are presented as large, semi open-world areas that you can explore. While you'll land in different locations with various main tasks to do, there's always room to go off the beaten path and discover secrets around every corner of the world. The apocalyptic wastelands of Earth are gorgeously presented, even if they have a sense of deja vu from other similar games. Buildings are constantly crumbling as new paths are being unlocked, making backtracking and exploration feel more exciting rather than repetitive, especially since the rewards, like vital experience points to upgrade your weapons, gear or unlock new skills, are important.



Eve can rest at bonfire-esque locations called camps that provide her with all the handy tools to progress her abilities. You can tap into the skill tree from here, put some time into unlocking new outfits for Eve to wear (each with beneficial capabilities), fine-tune your weapons for greater damage or experiment with them in a helpful virtual training mode. The customisation options for tailoring Eve's appearance to your liking is pretty great, adding a degree of agency that helps you better connect with the protagonist, even when the writing isn't doing a good job of that.

It's still a bit tricky to gauge the wind-ups for enemy attacks - oftentimes you'll be just standing there spamming block like a lunatic - but when you pull it off, it's very satisfying.

Developer Shift Up also has a keen eye for cinematics because Stellar Blade is loaded with some awe-inspiring cutscenes that play out with style and confident direction. Even when spending time with characters in certain locations that I won't spoil, the cutscenes are well-crafted and high-quality with solid voice acting, living up to the standards of a modern PlayStation exclusive.



Stellar Blade's presentation overall is stunning, to say the least. I found myself stopping to admire the visuals quite a lot. Environments are packed with detail and the particle effects that explode from trading blows with Naytiba is dazzling. Eve's outfits - which I'm sure will be discussed in a civilised manner online - boast great designs too, even if a few of them lean heavily into fan-service territory. The aesthetic of the game is still excellent, polished and a good showcase for the PS5's firepower. A steady frame rate is also kept up, though you'll probably want to tinker with the best visual settings depending on your TV.

One of my favourite aspects of Stellar Blade is the soundtrack. Strongly evoking Nier: Automata's legendary score by Keiichi Okabe, Stellar Blade's tracks are breathtaking, poignant and beautiful across the board (interestingly enough, all composed by Studio MONACA which Okabe founded). The music kicks into overdrive during big boss encounters but slows things down to gentle, melodic tunes during the quiet moments of the game with dreamy vocals backing it up. I stopped in camps a lot just to pause and listen to the music. It's an outstanding soundtrack that I will gladly buy when it comes out.



If you can get on board with the unique rhythm of Stellar Blade's exceptional gameplay, you'll find a lot to love here. It's not going to win any awards for originality - many plot points just feel ripped out of other games - and you'll probably see the twists coming a mile away while trying to figure out the game's inconsistent narrative, but at its core, Stellar Blade's breathtaking action speaks the loudest. It's a visually stunning, high-octane and artistically driven experience that aims big and mostly achieves big. Just go along for the ride.

*PS5 Review code provided by PlayStation