Stellar Blade reviews are in, and it looks like Eve is more than just a pretty face – critics are mostly praising the game’s combat for its diversity in gameplay and visual splendour. It’s a good thing the combat has critics gripped, though, as many felt the story and characters fell flat. Despite this being a pretty major part of what makes a single-player game good, generally speaking, the combat is doing some pretty heavy lifting to raise Shift Up’s first entry into the console game market from just okay to a solid release that’s hitting the mark for a lot of folks.
Over on MetaCritic, Stellar Blade sits at a generally favourable MetaScore of 82 from 114 critic reviews. The lowest scored review out there right now is a 6/10, but the majority of outlets seem to have awarded the title, which released today, a very lofty 8 or above (in their respective scoring systems).
Over on Kotaku Australia, your mate and mine David Smith has put out a review-in-progress for Stellar Blade. In his review, David said that in the few hours he’d spent with Stellar Blade, he’d been left with mixed feelings. “Visually and technically, it’s a fireworks display. Again and again, a hundred different systems collide on screen to create a visual spectacle that made my jaw drop. The game itself, however, is a fairly by-the-numbers RPG brawler with Eve, a doe-eyed ingenue at its centre.” David says the “central hurdle the game struggles to clear” is that “it feels committed to its aesthetic ahead of its design.” However, as this is a review in progress, he’ll circle back after a bit more time with it to bring his fully fleshed out thoughts on the title. You can check out the full review in progress here, and keep an eye out on the website for a full review soon.
Players are just getting their hands on Stellar Blade today, so we’re likely to start seeing user reviews come in as more and more people get around the full game – after a number put in over 50 hours into the short demo, it seems there’s already quite a dedicated fanbase. For now, let’s take a look at what critics from here in Australia and around the world have to say about Stellar Blade.
The Aussies
GamesHub gave it 4 stars, calling it a “solid, engaging experience,” and saying, “All in all, although it didn’t quite hit the mark of what I’d hoped for after the demo, I vibed with Stellar Blade enough that I would willingly go back in – even just to spend some time in that rough-edged world, where dry greenery peeks through industrial carnage and the music lulls you into calmness.”
Checkpoint Gaming gave it 8.5/10, and said, “Stellar Blade bursts out of the gate looking stunning, full of jaw-dropping set pieces, intense action and gory violence, and maintains that pace throughout. Underneath this flashy action game are a lot of systems that we’ve seen before, but despite what can feel like a lack of innovation at times, it never feels stale or unenticing due to its overwhelming sense of style and polished, gratifying combat. For every familiar puzzle or annoying platforming section, there’s a brutal boss battle or incredible over-the-top sequence that pulled me back in. Stellar Blade is a joy, a deliciously crafted adventure jam-packed with dramatic thrills.”
Press Start awarded the game 9/10, saying, “Stellar Blade recalls the classic era of character-action games in truly inspired fashion. It might struggle to deliver on its core narrative, and its platforming is often more frustrating than it isn’t, but neither of those things are enough to bring down a thoroughly enjoyable action experience. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but manages to build on them in engaging fashion with a deliciously layered combat system and gorgeous presentation to boot.”
Player2 scored the game a B-, saying, “While discussion is sure to be dominated by the sexualisation of lead character Eve, looking past that, Stellar Blade provides a solid action experience for fans of the Souls-like genre.”
The rest of the world
VideoGamer gave the game a much more muted 6/10, saying, “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.”
GameSpot gave it an 8, saying, “There is a nagging question, though, that sticks in the back of my mind: Does this game rise to the heights its inspirers achieved? The conclusion I came to is no, but that it attempts so without falling on its face is remarkable enough. That it manages to be a great game in that pursuit is a true testament to the power of being galvanized by those that came before.”
IGN scored it a 7, and said, “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.”
Forbes awarded it an 8, saying, “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 a revolution, but this may be the start of a solid series and could make Eve a Bayonetta/2B-esque star. The ensuing discourse about this game is going to be exhausting, as it has been already, but divorced from that, the game itself is solid, and that’s what matters the most.”
Kotaku US said in their unscored review that Stellar Blade is “a game of dichotomies, one that’s both fun and frustrating, but in this sort of middle rut it finds a way to tell a captivating story about transhumanism at the end of the world and how even robots feel things. The platforming might suck and Eve might be unwieldy to control at times, but the stylish action makes up for the more tedious elements. It isn’t perfect, but in its best moments, Stellar Blade is still pretty stellar.”
In their unscored review, Polygon said, “Stellar Blade is one of the rare games that I feel more positively toward now I’ve finished it than I did halfway through. The rip-roaring opening and rollercoaster of a final act make up for the padded middle that, combined with a lack of combat variety, stops the game short of true excellence. But otherwise, it’s an impressive console debut that suggests a very promising future for Shift Up.”
GamesRadar gave it 3.5 stars, saying, “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 tune out or embrace the odd sexual veneer, and it’s a solid 20 to 30 hours of fun.”
TheGamer also gave it 3.5 stars, and said, “I’m as conflicted about Stellar Blade as it seems to be about itself. It’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, there is a good time to be had in Stellar Blade, but it comes at the cost of knowing there are better versions of this game that will never be realised.”
Eurogamer awarded it 4 stars, saying, “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.”
PCMag gave the game a lofty 4.5 stars, saying, “Stellar Blade is an excellent PlayStation 5 action game that blends tight defense and stylish combat in an impressive post-apocalyptic package.”
Dexerto awarded it 4 stars out of 5, saying, “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 playing Shift Up’s triumphant console debut.”
VGC gave it 4/5 stars, saying the dialogue was underwhelming, however, “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 the Souls-like genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-worn character action formula. It may lack the naval gazing intelligence of the excellent Nier Automata, but when you’re having this much fun, it’s hard to care.”
Push Square scored it 8/10, and said, “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 pleading for. A dire English dub and some trite story beats mean the studio still has plenty of room to refine its craft, but Eve’s inaugural outing is largely excellent across the board, and destined to become a firm favourite among PS5 enthusiasts.”
COGConnected gave it a 93, saying, “Stellar Blade stands out as one of the best action-adventure games of its generation. Its combat system is both deep and multilayered, ensuring that every encounter is an exhilarating experience. Offering a range of options, players can tackle enemies in several ways, be it through offensive manoeuvres or defensive strategies. Whether opting to dodge, parry, or create distance, the choices are intuitively designed. Coupled with its captivating narrative and cinematic presentation, Stellar Blade is an essential exclusive.”
So there you have it, folks. It looks like Stellar Blade has been a resounding success despite some stumbles in the story and character department, thanks mostly to its combat and visual flashiness which have many critics entranced.
Have you picked up Stellar Blade yet? Let us know how you’re finding it in the comments.
Image: Shift Up / Sony
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