Stellar Blade’s review embargo officially lifted on Wednesday which means that scores have finally started coming in for the next PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Formerly known as Project EVE before developer Shift Up adopted the Stellar Blade name, the PS5 game stars EVE, an “angel” tasked with fighting off an invading species known as the Naytiba.
The combat in Stellar Blade is heavy on combos, parrying, and a mix of special moves, so from that alone, it’s easy to see why those other series come to mind.
Aside from combat and similarities to other series, much of the discussion pre-launch for Stellar Blade has also been about EVE herself and the way she’s portrayed in the game.
Even some of those more favorable reviews acknowledged some issues with narrative pacing, but many felt Stellar Blade makes up for that misstep with a refreshingly lived-in world.
Our own review was still big on Stellar Blade but had it just below those scores at a 4/5 which translates to an 80 on Metacritic.
“Considering her potential and Stellar Blade’s surprisingly deep combat system and intense boss fights, I’d be interested in seeing how she and other parts of the game evolve further if Stellar Blade ever gets a sequel,” reads a summation of our review.
Stellar Blade releases exclusively for the PS5 on April 26th.
The review embargo on Stellar Blade was officially lifted on Wednesday, which means that reviews for the upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive are now being received. The PS5 game, formerly known as Project EVE before developer Shift Up changed the name to Stellar Blade, centers on EVE, a “angel” entrusted with fending off the Naytiba, an invading species. The game drew comparisons to other series such as Devil May Cry, NieR, and Bayonetta because of its protagonist’s appearance and the combat mechanics demonstrated in gameplay and the PS5 demo.
It’s understandable why those other series come to mind because Stellar Blade’s combat relies heavily on combos, parries, and a variety of special moves. Much of the pre-launch talk surrounding Stellar Blade has focused on EVE and how she is portrayed in the game, in addition to combat and parallels with previous series. Between battle and EVE, players can equip a variety of revealing outfits that have compared EVE to NieR’s 2B and Bayonetta. As a result, Stellar Blade has had a lot of pre-launch discussion to sift through.
With the reviews now available, what are the actual opinions of critics regarding the game? As of right now, the game has a strong rating of 83 on Metacritic. With over 15 scores placing it at a 90 or above, that places it firmly in the “green” zone in terms of scores, which will help raise the average. The combat system, the stylized action scenes, and the boss and lesser enemy designs were all highly praised in many of the reviews that gave the game higher scores. Even the reviews that were more positive admitted that Stellar Blade had some story pacing problems, but many of them thought the world felt a lot more realistic.
Even though it received a 4/5, or an 80 on Metacritic, our review, which was written for Stellar Blade, was nonetheless quite positive. Stellar Blade has some problems with its more open-world sections, some awkward traversal mechanics, and in fact with narrative pacing that could be improved upon. However, the intense combat, which was surprisingly more engaging than anticipated, was a high point of our review.
An overview of our review states, “Given her potential and Stellar Blade’s surprisingly deep combat system and intense boss fights, I’d be interested in seeing how she and other parts of the game evolve further if Stellar Blade ever gets a sequel.”.
Though the sexualization of EVE was mentioned in reviews with scores ranging from low to high, it appears to have played a role in why some reviewers deducted points from the game. However, what about reviews with scores closer to the lower end of the spectrum? Rather than criticizing EVE’s design, some of the lower scores drew attention to how haphazardly chosen some of her outfits are when she appears in otherwise intense and moving cutscenes. While acknowledging the way EVE is presented, some of the more mediocre reviews echoed our sentiment, suggesting that you can either accept it and enjoy what else the game has to offer or move on if it’s not your thing.
April 26 is the only day that Stellar Blade is available for the PS5.
