Summary
As the Soulslike genre continues to grow in popularity, the arrival of Shift Up’sStellar Bladeis welcome. Despite facing some controversy surrounding the design of its character models,Stellar Bladehas proven it is much more than meets the eye, with fast-paced combat, fulfilling exploration, and plenty of rewarding activities to boot. The Sci-Fi action-adventure game pits its protagonist, EVE, against the undeniablychallenging Naytibasfor some satisfying Soulslike combat similar to other games likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Newcomers to the Soulslike genre will likely findStellar Blade’s combat difficult to master, and even some veterans may find it a steep hill to climb.
Despite all that it does to mimic the Soulslike genre, it could be argued thatStellar Bladeisn’t a Soulslike game at all. There are plenty of elements here and there that might seem to classify it as a Soulslike, but there are other features and mechanics that would suggest otherwise. In fact,Stellar Blademight be more appropriately defined as a “Soulslite,” as it is forgiving enough to warrant such a label.
Stellar Blade Is Too Forgiving to Be a Proper Soulslike
Stellar Blade Does Possess Certain Soulslike Characteristics
There are plenty of reasons why some might considerStellar Bladea Soulslike game, as it adopts several iconic characteristics associated with the genre. First and foremost to consider is its difficulty.Stellar Bladecan be a very challenging experience, especially in its late hours. It eventually becomes very easy to get overwhelmed by enemies who can quickly and effortlessly deplete EVE’s health. Also, likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,Stellar Bladerelies heavily on parry mechanics in combat, along with properly timed evasions and limited recovery items. Finally, just as it is in any proper Soulslike, when players rest atCamps or Supply Camps inStellar Blade, the enemies in the world respawn.
Stellar Blade’s Forgiving Nature Ultimately Disqualifies It From Soulslike Status
Stellar Bladecertainly follows a similar set of rules thatSoulslike gamestend to observe, but it is arguably far too forgiving to qualify as a legitimate child of the acclaimed genre. In most Soulslike games, death is very punishing. As enemies are killed, players obtain a certain resource or currency that they can then use at rest points to upgrade their character. However, if they are killed at any point while that resource or currency is in their possession, they lose it and must retrieve it from where they died before they can use it.
Unfortunately, if players die before retrieving it, they lose the resource permanently.
Unlike in a typical Soulslike game, when players die inStellar Blade, it can sometimes actually be of benefit to them. There is really no penalty to dying inStellar Blade, as it either brings players back to the last Camp they rested at with a replenished health bar,EVE’s Tumblerrefilled, and any resources restocked from storage, or it forces players to start a boss fight again with all but their resources being refilled. This means that if players ever find their health low and their Tumbler empty during a boss fight, they should just let the boss kill them and try again.
In a true Soulslike game, death needs to be more punishing than it is inStellar Blade.Stellar Blade’s forgiving nature therefore disqualifies it from Soulslike status. That being said, it is still a difficult game to master, especially forSoulslike newcomers. Players are still required to spend plenty of time in the game learning each enemy’s attack patterns and discerning the best way to overcome any situation they encounter.
Stellar Blade
WHERE TO PLAY
RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
