Stellar Blade is growing in popularity, partly because of its comparisons to Nier, and partly because of the protagonist’s backside.
Stellar Blade is garnering a lot of attention lately. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Shift Up is the company developing the action-adventure title. And many fans of it's style and genre are calling in the Korean Nier, the Japanese action title created by Square Enix.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming game.
Stellar Blade release date and platforms
For those wanting to try Stellar Blade, you've got one option. There are no current plans for Xbox, Nintendo, or PC versions. You'll need to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 to experience this hack-and-slasher.
If you've got one, then you don't have to wait long for the game to release. Shift Up and Sony Interactive Entertainment are prepared for an April 26, 2024 launch. That's a Friday, so put in your requests for the day off now so you can enjoy it all opening weekend long.
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Stellar Blade story synopsis and main character
While Stellar Blade has clearly taken influence from other titles, which is why it is being called the Korean version of Nier, this is the first game of the IP. It isn't a sequel, so you don't have to play another game to dive in.
Per Shift Up, the story takes place in the near future. An alien raced known as the Naytiba sent humanity fleeing from Earth. Eve, the protagonist, takes a squad back to the planet to fight off the invaders. A single human city remains, which is where Eve established contact and begins her mission.
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When it comes to Stellar Blade's Eve, Shift Up scanned and designed her around Korean model Shin Jae-eun. In an interview with GamesRader+, game director Hyung-Tae Kim had this to say about creating the character:
"When it comes to the design, we put special attention on the back of the character because the player is always facing the back of the character when they're playing. That's what they see the most of, so we thought this was pretty important."
We don't know much else about Eve and her squad right now. Stellar Blade will reveal how Earth fell, her objectives, and everything else in between on launch day.
Why some are calling it the "Korean Nier"
Nier is an action-RPG from Square Enix, a Japan-based developer. Stellar Blade's developer, Shift Up, is based in South Korea. That is where fans have made the comparison of the games, calling the "Koreon Nier".
If you look at the gameplay of any title in the Nier franchise, you'll quickly see the similarities. Over the top attacks, large-scale boss fights, the third-person perspective, the setting of the near future, and so much more are very comparable.
It's not to say Stellar Blade is a ripoff of Nier, or any other game, but the developers were obviously heavily influenced during its creation. That's a good sign, as the Nier series is critically acclaimed. Expect Stellar Blade to be on the same level.
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