Stellar Blade’s monsters look like they belong in a Soulslike. The game itself borrows some mechanics from the Soulslike genre, such as bonfires where the character could heal or respawn.
But one glance at the gameplay, and you might recall the Bayonetta series, NieR: Automata, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice all at once. So while partly a Soulslike game, Stellar Blade will also be an action-adventure game. If you love both of these genres, you should be psyched for Stellar Blade’s PS5 release on April 26, 2024.
It’s not just the main character Eve and her hairstyle that reminds me of a certain Umbra Witch. Minus the summons, Stellar Blade has combat reminiscent of Bayonetta. Instead of creatures from Hell, you’ll be hacking your way through invasive aliens on Earth through Eve. But that doesn’t mean you can blindly hack through aliens and clear Naytibas.
You’ll have to be mindful of parrying in Stellar Blade. If you’ve played any of the Dark Souls games, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, or any other Soulslike game, parrying often gives players advantages. Stellar Blade has a ‘balance gauge’ mechanic, which rewards players who are able to perform consecutive parries with extra damage against enemies. There are also dodge mechanics taken from Sekiro that can be included in Eve’s attack sequences.
I gave up thinking I could button-mash my way into Stellar Blade as soon as I’d seen the parry and dodge mechanics. Those mechanics alone confirm that it’s not just an action-adventure game, but mildly Soulslike too. But only time will tell if this game will put my hands through hell, the way Sekiro did with me. Nevertheless, it’s a visually stunning game set in a post-apocalyptic world, just like NieR: Automata. While I fear for the fate of my hands, my anticipation for Stellar Blade is much stronger.
(featured image: SHIFT UP)
