Stellar Blade

"Stellar Blade delivers masterclass gameplay, spectacular visuals and a compelling universe. It no doubt will draw comparisons to Nier and its successor, but what Shift Up has done is improved upon the formula greatly in creating one of the best …"

"Shift Up’s Stellar Blade stands tall as a stellar debut for the PS5 and is undoubtedly going to be a staple for many action RPG fans. Its main strength lies in its combat mechanics and boss designs, which often steal …"

"Stellar Blade is a good game, plain and simple. It feels like so much love and passion has been poured into it, and even if the story doesn&s;t quite reach the heights of NieR Automata and the like, Eve&s;s tale …"

"Stellar Blade tries to cover a lot more than it should and that ends up taking its toll, but when it focuses on the hard-hitting action and explosive sequences it&s;s a highly enjoyable experience."

"Stellar Blade is more ambitious and varied than expected, but also about as clunky as expected, resulting in a stilted action RPG with a level of jank that you just have to accept. Meet it on its terms, and either …"

"Stellar Blade is a hard game to pin down in the end. The combat really sings in its moments and the boss fights are some of the most memorable you’ll encounter in this genre, but it’s bogged down by a …"

"If you can stomach that pesky cake-carrying elephant, Stellar Blade is well worth your time. It&s;s not perfect - there&s;s room for improvement, sure - but having experienced Shift Up&s;s first venture into a triple-A console release I&s;m along for …"

"There&s;s a difficulty spike with the last couple of boss fights, but for the most part, Stellar Blade is like a breezier, sci-fi Sekiro. The near-naked main character is unsurprisingly stealing a lot of attention, but remove that element from …"

"Stellar Blade is a solid action game that blends rewarding exploration and mesmerizing visuals to create an enjoyable experience, even if the story and world leave a lot to be desired."

"Not only has SHIFT UP successfully established itself as a formidable console game developer, but it has provided PS5 players with a worthwhile AAA action game in a year that’s set to be exceptionally quiet for Sony’s first-party studios. Stellar …"

"Stellar Blade is a pretty enjoyable game to swing your hairband sword at, so long as you don&s;t mind the obvious sexualisation. There&s;s a few rough areas, but nothing to spoil things overall and there&s;s plenty of interesting story to …"

"Here is “Stellar Blade,” an authentic slice of Korean cyberpunk, like Eve, beautiful in its own absurd way."

"A strong battle system and exciting moments make Stellar Blade more than just an imitator."

"If you take just the combat and the music from Stellar Blade, you’ve got a fantastic game. Sadly, this is not the whole package."

"As a first-time console and genre effort from a developer best known for making the self-proclaimed, “one handed shooting game”, Stellar Blade is an extraordinary effort that impressed from beginning to end with an expert mix of story, combat and …"

"Stellar Blade has landed a critical hit, successfully slicing through the crowd of well-established action-adventure game giants. If you’re a fan of sleek and stylish combat, with sprinklings of Soulsborne and Nier Automata vibes, you’ll feel right at home when …"

"Stellar Blade is at war with itself in a conflict between style and substance. Sadly, style wins with merciless regularity, but there’s a strong core of genuinely good gameplay fighting through an ocean of bells and whistles. Finally, let us …"

"In a nutshell, Stellar Blade is just that – a game with exceptionally stylish combat that is both challenging and accessible. The narrative and characterization won&s;t land with every audience, but developer Shift Up has made a noteworthy console debut."

"Stellar Blade has a fair bit of weirdness, but its killer tunes and vibey, flow-state combat - plus a transformative hard mode - are enough to leave you entranced."

"In a year when Sony&s;s marquee first-party offerings seem to be almost distressingly thin, Stellar Blade&s;s dogged pursuit of an engaging and polished single-player action adventure experience is more welcome than ever - even if much of it feels like …"

"Had Eve been a character with agency and personality, who actually responded to the drooling and leering that she’s meant to embody, well, she’d be Bayonetta. If her emptiness was hiding deep existential secrets that the game revealed with patience …"

"Taking a step back from Kim Hung Tae&s;s character designs for a moment, Stellar Blade is a phenomenal action RPG that evolves from the framework of NieR Replicant and NieR Automata to become one of the next cult classics."

"In a landscape littered with lazy, poorly optimized or outright broken PC ports, Stellar Blade stands out for its attention to detail, wealth of options and strong performance. It’s a great way to experience one of the best action-adventure RPGs …"

"The further I played into Stellar Blade, the more it surprised me with the depth of its action and the breadth of play experiences. The story never clicked for me, but the world-building, top-notch art, and silky animation certainly did. …"

"There&s;s a hell of a lot going on in Stellar Blade, but it remains a surprisingly elegant and exciting adventure throughout."

"Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre."

"Exciting combat and a plethora of sexy costumes can&s;t totally save Stellar Blade&s;s middling story and occasionally questionable level design."

"Stellar Blade is a video game that, quite simply, takes the best of many works, expanding the concepts in its own way. It&s;s a warm and long-running production, satisfying and real action, which could certainly manage to do its best …"

"Stellar Blade is a good game, not a (don’t say stellar) fantastic one. Its peers do a lot of the things it does but better, though that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable in its own right. Don’t go in expecting …"

"Stellar Blade often looks great, and it features solid combat design that remains exciting throughout. It&s;s let down, though, by a dull plot and a bland cast of characters who fail to make its story consistently compelling over the course …"

"Stellar Blade is a slick console debut from a developer clearly on the rise. With an ever-evolving counter-attacking combat system, some superb art direction, and a sensational soundtrack, this is the kind of back-to-basics PS5 outing that fans have been …"

"I&s;m as conflicted about Stellar Blade as it seems to be about itself. It&s;s competent and occasionally interesting with combat as unique and rewarding as it is repetitive and frustrating. Less style over substance than it is beauty over brains, …"

"Overall, Stellar Blade is a journey worth experiencing. I feel like with some improvements in certain areas, Stellar Blade could be a legendary landmark experience like those it clearly draws inspiration from. But even in its current form, Stellar Blade …"

"Stellar Blade is a masterclass in style, but it&s;s lacking substance."

"For those who wished that God of War Ragnarok offered a bit more challenge or that Bayonetta had a bit more weight to its combat, this slick sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into …"

"Stellar Blade is one of the best action oriented experiences on PS5 and manages to meet pretty high standards in most of its aspects. However, even if Stellar Blade is able to stand on its own two feet, more often …"