With the recent release of the long-awaited Stellar Blade Demo, which is available to download from March 29, 2024, we finally get a sneak peek of what we can expect in the full release of the game, and if I were to give one word to Stellar Blade right now, it’s awesome.
So, today, join me as I break down Stellar Blade and the first impressions that the game gives me, ranging from the story, which sees Eve trying to battle the Naytibas, conquerors of Earth, and its gameplay, which reminds me of other Soulslike games, as well as the graphical aspects of Stellar Blade. Let’s begin.
Stellar Blade is available for preorder on PlayStation 5 for $69.99 and will officially arrive on April 26, 2024.
Story | Earth’s Demise
Stellar Blade‘s story takes place in a distant future where humanity flees from the Earth due to the arrival of the Naytibas, ruthless monsters who destroy everything. Humanity then has to survive in small colonies and build up their strength to face the Naytibas.
During the opening sequence of Stellar Blade, humanity sends several squads to assault the Earth to reclaim the surface. However, Eve, our protagonist, suffers a malfunction within her launching pod and has to land in a rough spot, where her fellow squad members are getting massacred by the Naytibas.
What I didn’t expect from this game’s story is how it doesn’t shy away from showing gory scenes and brutal deaths right to the players’ faces. Most people, including me, expect Stellar Blade to have a solid story, albeit with a lighter tone, and oh boy, was I wrong.
The underlying tone of this game is darker than I’d expected, but it’s such a fitting way to depict what Stellar Blade is trying to provide: A journey to recover Earth while also witnessing some of its brutal demise and the ashen rubbles that is now replacing the old beautiful cities of the Earth. The Demo kept me engaged with the story, and the protagonist, Eve, must power through the struggle and try to uncover the truth behind the Naytibas for Earth’s freedom.
An Alpha Naytiba.
Gameplay | When Nier: Automata Meets Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The next segment of this Stellar Blade first impressions will highlight its gameplay, which again, surprised me in several different ways. The most notable is how it heavily promotes the players’ reliance on Parries and Dodges to kill the enemies efficiently.
These systems remind me of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, though Stellar Blade retains its own identity as there are some twists and turns that will help Eve battle through the different Naytiba enemies.
Parry & Dodge
The first and foremost thing you must learn in Stellar Blade is parrying. You will need the Parry system a lot throughout your playthrough. And when I say a lot, it is A LOT. Every enemy you encounter, even the lowest type of Naytiba can mess up your journey if you are not careful. I tried playing on the Hard difficulty, and most enemies I meet can disrupt my Combo Attacks or catch me off-guard with their varying attack patterns.
The Parry system works by pressing the L1 button right before an enemy directs its attack on you. While this maneuver requires precise timing, you can still use the Guard system by holding the L1 button at any given time, meaning that you’ll be able to tank the enemies’ attacks at the cost of being unable to make them stagger and lose their Balance.
Meanwhile, there will be times when the enemies will try to use an unblockable attack against you, and this is where the Dodge mechanic comes into play. There are two ways of Dodging: Either press the left analog and tilt it to the bottom side while pressing the O button at the same time to step back, or tilt the left analog to the front side to teleport behind the enemy that is attacking you to deliver a blow.
Overall, while I see some resemblance with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, especially with Stellar Blade‘s Parry system, Eve’s movements are less fluid than I’d like, as she sometimes moves so sluggishly that I can’t use the Dodge mechanic in time, forcing me to go into the defensive mode (Guard and Parry) more than I expected.
Abaddon, the First Boss.
Skill Tree
It is not complete to talk about the Stellar Blade Demo without mentioning its Skill Trees. Currently, in the Demo, there are three major Skill Trees available for us to explore: Beta, Attack, and Survival Skill Trees, all of which help Eve combat her enemies in different ways.
From the get-go, we have several Skills within these Skill Trees already unlocked, though most of them are basic Combo Attacks or basic movements like Dodge. What intrigues and catches my eye is the Beta Skill Tree, which is a Skill Tree that provides Eve with special attacks by using the Beta energy, which you can gain by defeating enemies.
Overall, the Skill Trees are not necessarily unique except for the Beta Skill Tree, although we might see more lucrative Skill Trees in the full game that will make Eve more potent and dangerous for the Naytibas.
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- Survival Skill Tree.
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- Attack Skill Tree.
Graphics and Sound Design | Beautiful All-Around
Lastly, my first impressions of Stellar Blade are not complete without talking about its graphics and sound design. And I have to say, SHIFT UP succeded in creating a beautiful game that offers a wide range of aesthetics, ranging from the wonderful characters, the environment, and last but not least, the enemy designs.
Eve in particular is exceptionally beautiful and graceful, though don’t let her appearance fool you, as she is capable of killing and destroying the enemies that may arise at any time during her journey. Then we have Tachy, and although our encounter with her is brief, her on-screen presence is commanding and makes you feel that she is indeed a battle-hardened commander. Meanwhile, Adam, our new friend, has a mysterious aura surrounding him and we still don’t understand his intentions in Stellar Blade.
Besides its characters, the environment in Stellar Blade is also superb, and I can truly feel the destruction the Naytibas brought when they conquered Eearth. Traversing the map is satisfying and mesmerizing, and I oftentimes pause my journey just to take a look at my surroundings. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is… chef’s kiss. I can’t say more than that, but in every segment of the game, from normal fights to the boss fight, every piece of music subtly enhances the scenes and that makes me enjoy the combat more than I initially expected.
Overall, Stellar Blade‘s graphics and sound design have minimal criticism from me, as I thoroughly enjoy the characters and the way the game presents itself. I genuinely hope that the full game’s content is up to par, if not, better than the Demo.
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- Tachy, the 7th Airborne Squad Commander.
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- Adam, a Scavenger.
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- Resting at a Camp.
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- The Gun System.
