Stellar Blade: Dancing With Destiny - Worth the Dive?

Stellar Blade promises an immersive action-adventure journey through post-apocalyptic environments that test reflexes and inspire a kind of post-apocalyptic wanderlust that fans of the genre are so much in love with - but before diving in headfirst one important question everyone has in mind must be answered: will Stellar Blade add any meaningful new experiences or serve only to be another redundant game slog in an endless wasteland? After 30 hours of intense adventure and exploration, I am inclined to recommend Stellar Blade even if the story let me down somewhat because it is linear and very predictable.

An Action RPG: Confronting Humanity's Demise

Stellar Blade does not stand apart through its narrative but it is compensated by the fact that it is thought more like a visual story. I can say that it is not something you want based on characters either: they are more depicted as soldiers than human beings and lack depness and the emotion is rather implied than expressed. The combat, that surprisingly is very similar to that of Sekiro, offers an engaging single-player experience. This part is good yet derivative but if you are a fan of Soulslike video games, you will welcome such an experience on a different battleground.

As Eve, you are given control of humanity's last hope against monstrous creatures known as Naytiba with her Stellar Blade weapon - humanity's last hope in combat against them. As Eve traverses her environment, essentially a beautiful devastated civilization, she meets many survivors with unique tales of hardship, courage, and resilience. The idea was to create an immersive narrative tapestry crafted cinematically, hence visually, to support the combat part, or at least this is my guessing. I want to emphasize this idea: you buy Stellar Blade for combat and visuals, not for the story, and you do not expect something original or unexpected either.

I have to say that lack of multiplayer, linear characters, unpredictable story are all negatives that are not entirely offset by the qualities. Stellar Blade offers another enjoyable surprise in the form of its engaging side quests - intricately crafted side missions designed not just to fill time but delve deeper into world lore, connecting you with humanity after Earth plunged into destruction. They may reveal hidden clues that reveal additional insight into why so much happened at once. Still, not enough to forget the missing parts or have a different understanding of the story or its meaning.

Combat: Mastering the Art of Parry and Counter

Stellar Blade, as already mentioned, stands out in its combat system. Less button-mashing brawls, more strategy, and Sekiro-like defense and offense combat mechanics. Players who buy PS5 games in the likeness of Sekir: Shaddow Die Twice, will appreciate the defense-driven approach to combat. Mastering parrying and dodging enemy attacks is crucial; time those blocks precisely and not only negate damage but fill your Beta Gauge, fuelling Eve's most potent abilities such as penetrating super armor or stopping combos before they land a damaging blow.

Be aggressive, this is the best way to quickly build up your Burst Gauge. Unleash this fury to turn Eve into an irrepressible force of destruction with powerful attacks and buffs to turn the tide of battle in her favor. Combat is extremely responsive, strategic, and defense oriented. It rewards players, for example, for moments when a perfect parry connects. Than attack! Mastering this rhythm between offense and defense distinguishes true Stellar Blade masters from the rest, and you will soon be proficient, even faster if you have already played Sekiro.

Conclusion: Stellar Blade

I can see players who buy PS5 adventure games getting this game. Stellar Blades excells at design and enemy diversity with 48 types of Naytiba to confront. The boss fights are on the same note, with varied monsters to fight against. The game stays on these pilars: visuals and combat. The last one is challenging yet derivative, but at least is emulating one of the best games: Sekiro: Shaddow Die Twice. If this is enough, you will have to decide for yourself because Stellar Blades lacks substance, has flat characters and a linear story, and the RPG elements are implemented poorly.