Stellar Blade appeared out of nowhere and became the talk of the town for its heroine’s advantageous plasticity. And let’s face it. That’s all anyone remembered, even after the demo. And yet, Nikke’s creators offer us a perfect mix of Bayonetta and Nier, with a hefty dose of difficulty.
Adam and Eve.
You’ll be spending over thirty hours in the company of the beautiful Eve, and let’s not forget that you’ll be able to change her outfit as you go along, to get a character design that suits you better. But beyond that, when you see where the studio comes from. You’d think they’d come up with a whitewash game based on their experience of mobile gaming alone.
And yet, the surprise is total, and the studio can sit at the big boys’ table and tell them openly that they’ve succeeded in offering an experience that’s certainly not flawless, but totally different from what they’re used to.
With the PS5, the studio has shown that they know how to tame the beast and offer a visually stunning game. And the studio succeeded in offering a game that’s huge in terms of maps, beautiful in terms of finishes and gripping in its story. All this with a framerate that doesn’t flinch despite all the effects sent to the screen. All in all, one of the most beautiful and accomplished titles on the PS5. The downside is the lack of variety in the scenery, with more desert than anything else. It’s a pity, as the scenery could have been a little more varied or offered a change of scenery in each zone.
In search of the Alpha.
A good story, Stellar Blade doesn’t shine at first. We’re stranded on Earth, tasked with taking out a target, a Naytiba Alpha. And nothing goes according to plan for Eve, who is left to die before being saved by Adam. From there, our adventures begin, and the story gradually deepens to meet everyone’s expectations.
In terms of level construction, however, we’ll find some fairly corridor-like zones to keep the story moving forward. All inspired by Dark Souls. With control points that REZ the zone and the monsters. These points can also be used to upgrade skills and equipment. But also unlock new outfits via various materials picked up during your adventure.
The other part of the game will offer you large desert zones where various secondary quests will be proposed to you in order to inflate the lifespan. But you’ll have a lot of fun doing them, as some are quite challenging. And discoveries and quests will often provide you with the precious resources you need to improve Eve.
On a quest for truth.
Finally, in terms of gameplay, we find ourselves with mechanics we’re already familiar with, but which will require some adaptation. L1 allows you to parry, R1 to block. Square and Triangle to strike. Round to dodge and X to jump. Except that all this requires perfect timing to boost your special moves gauge or destabilize your opponents.
Depending on the difficulty level, the game will sometimes allow you to see on screen the ability best suited to countering or dodging enemies’ blows. But as the adventure progresses, you get to grips with the mechanics and realize that you’re naturally dodging at the right moment.
The only downside is the latency between Eve’s actions and the moment you press a key. You quickly get the hang of it, but at first you don’t understand why you’re needlessly taking single hits.
Finally, Stellar Blade is perhaps the biggest Next Gen surprise since the release of the PS5. Graphically beautiful, technically perfect, gripping story. We’ve got all the ingredients to keep you playing for hours. Especially since, to complete the title to 100%, you’ll need to explore everything and also finish the title in New Game mode. So, yes, there’s plenty to do, and plenty of content on all sides to encourage exploration and danger. A title we can only recommend with your eyes closed.
