Stellar Blade gameplay: First deep look at combat via PS5 Demo

Taking the best from many critically acclaimed action titles, Stellar Blade’s gameplay looks incredibly impressive.

Some compare it to the souls-like games, others to NieR: Automata, and some to Bayonetta. The truth is, Stellar Blade's gameplay is no longer a mystery, but it definitely packs some cool surprises. On March 8, an accidental release of the demo showcased many future in-game features and mechanics.

As exciting as it looks, Stellar Blade is a tragic story about how the human race was decimated by the Naytiba, an alien kind that devastated the Earth and forced humankind to exist in a small outer-space colony. You play as Eve, a member of an expedition team sent to our planet with the hope of reclaiming it.

Is Stellar Blade multiplayer?

No, Stellar Blade is a single-player game. The first boss fight features a collaboration between Eve, the main character, and Tachy, her friend and superior. This scene mimics a multiplayer experience, and although you will have NPC companions named Adam and Lily, Stellar Blade gameplay is not multiplayer.

Stellar Blade demo shows that you'll fight some enemies with NPC's help.
Stellar Blade demo shows that you'll fight some enemies with NPC's help.

Combat mechanics

Stellar Blade's Eve is going to be a lot about parrying, rolling to dodge, and healing. In this aspect, many players are right to compare it to a Sekiro or Dark Souls experience, but the game is said to have different Difficulty modes to adjust to player's skills. But don't worry, you'll be able to jump too. Eve can also equip up to 30 different Stellar Blade outfits, which each have unique perks.

After playing the Stellar Blade demo, some X users also pointed out that haptics are precise and enjoyable. One of them also said that it's a pleasant experience on a 90" screen. This begs the question: How many people in the world can say they play on a 90" screen?

A quick glance into the game's interface and interactions reveal the following:

  • You'll be able to equip items to aid you in combat (Activated by L1 + right pad button)
  • A drone will follow you around, you can use it to scan surrounding enemies
  • Map interactions are available, like exploding drums on contact
  • There's a skill tree to power up Eve, not only in combat, but survival abilities
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Different in-game features for combat and levelling up (Screenshots by Esports.gg)

Camps and saving points

Like the grace points in Elden Ring, you'll be able to rest and set waypoints in camps. Camps showed during Stellar Blade gameplay also feature vending machines that will help you fill your accessories and heals. There are two types, the regular ones, and the Supply Camps, where you'll get more features and upgrading possibilities.

You can recover HP at camps, similar to Dark Souls
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Items such as grenades are purchasable in-game
Eve's outfits have gameplay mechanics attached to them
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What kind of weapons are available in Stellar Blade?

As the name suggests, it's a blades game. This doesn't mean you won't get to try other kind of weapons. During an interview, Hyung-Tae Kim, one of the game's developers, said there are moments in the game where you will be able to try ranged combat.

In addition to the melee combat, there’s a third-person shooter mode where you get to experience ranged combat, and also you get to use items. So, it’s blade-centric, but you’ll experience all different kinds of action throughout.

PushSquare's interview with Hyung-Tae Kim

But who's going to bring a gun to a blade party? If it's you, stay tuned to esports.gg for more content on what kind of ranged weapons could be released.