Attention action and Hack'n'Slash fans! Stellar Blade, developed by Korean studio Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, awaits you on PS5 from April 26, 2024. This announcement was made at the PlayStation State of Play conference on January 31. Stellar Blade 's meticulously crafted Unreal Engine 4 promises to be an epic single-player adventure, immersing players in a third-person perspective where combat and exploration blend harmoniously. In the meantime, the demo arrives this Friday, March 29!
"Save humanity from extinction in an action-adventure game with an electrifying story! The future of humanity rests on a sword's edge. Ravaged by strange creatures of exceptional power, Earth has been abandoned, and the last survivors of humanity have fled to a space colony. A member of the 7th Airborne Squadron, EVE leaves the colony and arrives on the planet's desolate remains with a precise mission: to save humanity and reclaim the Earth from the clutches of the NA:tifs, the malevolent creatures who destroyed it. However, as she battles the NA:tifs one by one, unraveling the mysteries of the past as she explores the ruins of human civilization, she soon realizes that her mission won't be so simple. In fact,nothing seems to be going according to plan...".
In terms of gameplay, this should offer players a rich and varied experience. Gamers can expect intense battles, focusing on parrying enemy attacks and using combo skills and items to defeat opponents. In some respects, the game is reminiscent of a certain Bayonetta...
Skills are acquired via the Beta gauge, which is filled by successful parrying and dodging in combat. In addition, a Burst gauge mechanism enables buffs to be activated or powerful attacks to be used against enemies. The game also takes advantage of the haptic features of the PS5's DualSense controller, offering enhanced immersion during combat and exploration, which includes climbing and swinging on ropes to uncover hidden secrets.
Our test of Stella Blade :
Playing time: 6 p.m.
So, what is Stellar Blade, the software developed by Shift Up, worth? Well, it's particularly positive! We play as EVE, a sort of woman-android with voluptuous curves reminiscent of a certain... Bayonetta! In fact, the game draws a little inspiration from her, offering "punishments" for defeating certain enemies. The game's soundtrack is also reminiscent of the Final Fantasy franchise... A pleasant mix of genres that should delight JRPG fans.
In terms of gameplay, it's fairly intuitive, in keeping with the standards of the genre. Nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done. You'll enjoy fighting various creatures, sometimes with a sword, sometimes with a gun, thus varying the gameplay of the combat phases. And, as with any RPG, a comprehensive skill tree awaits you, allowing you to upgrade your character to defeat more powerful enemies.
As for the story, it's in the vein of what studios specializing in this type of game can do. EVE, a young female android, attempts to avenge her squad, savagely annihilated by a Naytiba Alpha, a super-powerful creature that she will try to eradicate, while trying to save Xion, one of the only cities still home to humanity. The heroine won't be alone, as she is accompanied from the outset byAdam, a young man helping EVE through a drone.
A game with solid foundations, for a studio that doesn't usually offer console games... Very promising for the future. Stellar Blade is truly a very pleasant piece of software. If you like the Final Fantasy saga, you should go for it! All you have to do is make up your own mind!
Ready to dive in, folks?
