Stellar Blade (PS5, Sony)
Korea’s EPFO is no slouch when it comes to technology; Kim Jong-un’s neighbors to the south give the world aunts Samsung, LG and Kia.
But as Parasite, BTS and Squid Game prove, culture-conscious kimchi eaters are also getting into the entertainment business, and the first console game from Seoul studio Shift Up (acclaimed by Sony’s deep vault) is giving PS5 gamers the best part of the entertainment . cyberpunk action.
From the moment the demo was released, every player could tell that Stellar Blade had a super sexy edge, right down to her leather costume that unknowingly showed off her curves in ways Buffalo Bill never did. But Stellar Blade is much more than free.
When Earth is invaded by a mysterious race of Naytiba, an army of well-equipped, mechanized warriors sets out to kill their Elders.Eve, the sole survivor, teams up with local man Adam (see where this is going?) and young engineer Lily to save the people.
The melodramatic, predictable plot in a pan-Asian way is sci-fi 101, and it’s not helped by the over-the-top voice acting that begs for laughs. But battle is where Stellar Blade sings. Bayonetta meets NieR – a mix of the former system’s female swordplay and the latter’s complex RPG – plays like a good PS3 hack from the hack-and-slasher era infused with modern bells and whistles.
But compared to Bayonetta (not to mention her voice with its sultry lounge vocals and soft English), Stellar Blade is a completely different beast when it comes to meat and slurping. A diet of swinging strikes, parries and dodges – along with headshots and spin attempts – leaves the masters of the button in a bad slumber.
‘s mix of swordplay and gun-based over-the-top violence with the occasional storm and characterless hoopla is a ballet of swords and bosses that requires a handful of Ritalin to keep up.
While old-school split fights involve more bashing than bar pissing, the platformer certainly isn’t the same, and Eve’s jumps don’t let her down.
From the heart of the city, to the desert, to the sky, you will pass through all kinds of monsters, collecting random trouble sticks in your path, improving Eve’s abilities and constantly unlocking sex for our heroes.
Of course, everything looks beautiful with three-cornered eyes that choose to work, dissolve or style. It’s all polished and clean, and there are powerful pickups too.
Stellar Blade steals the best of the genre and has been this year’s best IP for IPStation, offering browsing on digital devices and one of the best combats on the binary.