Stellar Blade: A Mind-Blowing New Action-Packed Game Exclusive to PS5 – Our 30+ Hour Video Review

A gameplay between brute force and agility that has no reason to be ashamed of the big names in action

Five long years after the revelation of the first visuals of what has long been called “Project Eve”, Stellar Blade has finally joined the PS5 gamer library. Available since Friday April 26, the very first creation on home consoles from South Korean studio Shift Up has made a sensational entrance. Behind the controversy surrounding its heroine, Stellar Blade quickly showed us that there were many more things to say about substance than about form. Today, after the thirty hours spent going through the scenario and a handful of missions and questswe can say that Stellar Blade has succeeded in making its hybridization a strength.

From our first handling, we felt the many influences from which the title would draw. Of Devil May Cry over here, Deny there and a hint of Bayonetta and of Sekiro. Indeed, on paper, Stellar Blade is not the most original title there is, but the fact remains that the PS5 exclusivity manages to make itself unique and, above all, to make paid choices. Thanks to the talent tree system, remote combat using the drone, parrying and dodging, Stellar Blade has what it takes to be one of the most effective action games of recent years, especially because its gameplay, in its entirety, is very rigorous and has a great freedom of approach. Now, beyond these apparent qualities, there are also small flaws that made us tick.

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A solid experience on PS5 that lacks a little madness in certain aspects

Obviously, when we dig deeper and not just limit ourselves to the dazzling qualities of its gameplay, Stellar Blade can cause frustration. Let it be said, the Shift Up title is perhaps one of the most polished games from a graphics point of view. However, we would have liked the level design and the scenery (sometimes) to enhance this aspect more, rather than drag it down. In this case, we regret the strong presence of desert environments as well as the classicism of the construction of the levels. We would indeed have liked a little more madness! It's a shame because there are some, especially during the breathtaking finale and in the game's soundtrack.

However, as we suggest, this little grain of madness is not found at all scales. As it happens, Stellar Blade made the daring choice of a semi-open world at certain moments, but this one blows hot and cold since it is too often the framework for dispensable side quests. Fortunately, there are some that are of interest, whether in terms of Eve's rise to power or in terms of secondary stories, but we remain a little unsatisfied. This is also a criticism that can be made for the progression pattern of the main story, which is far too marked and quickly becomes redundant.. In short, despite these slight pitfalls, Stellar Blade is an experience of astonishing solidity: we did not expect it at such a level, which makes it one of the nice surprises of the PS5 catalog in 2024!