Stellar Blade's Combat Blends Sekiro, Jedi: Fallen Order, and Bayonetta

updated_at: 2024.02.20 05:24

published_at: 2024.02.20 05:12

In an interview with online magazine PLAY3.DE, Stellar Blade's directors from developer SHIFT UP shared more details on the highly-anticipated sci-fi action-adventure PS5 exclusive. Read on to learn more of what to expect from Stellar Blade.

More Stellar Blade Details Revealed

A Game Truly Fit for PS5

SHIFT UP CEO Kim Hyung Tae and Technical Director Lee Dong-Gi revealed more details about Stellar Blade in an interview with online magazine PLAY3.DE on February 8. The SHIFT UP directors expressed gratitude for their partnership with publisher Sony and the assistance and technical support received from them to realize the project.

According to Kim, Sony played a crucial role in helping SHIFT UP achieve their desired development approach for Stellar Blade, particularly as it marks their first venture into console development. "Our partnership with Sony has been really incredible! They love games more than anyone and for the users to enjoy the games," said the CEO, "they really look at how they can make it better, so they play together with us and improve the game."

Stellar Blade will also use many features of PlayStation's DualSense including haptic feedback, controller touchpad, and adaptive triggers.

Support Functions in Combat Can be Enabled

The interview delved into various aspects of the game, including its gameplay mechanics and target audience. Kim emphasized that Stellar Blade requires strategic thinking and an understanding of enemy patterns and behavior, featuring complex combos and skills.

However, the game was also confirmed to cater to less skilled players who want to have an easier time playing Stellar Blade. The CEO assured that the game provides support options, which can be chosen at any time, to ensure an enjoyable experience for all gamers with different levels of experience.

Combat is Comparable to Sekiro and Bayonetta

When discussing inspirations for Stellar Blade, Kim mentioned titles like NieR: Automata, Bayonetta, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, saying that fans can expect a blend of fast-paced combat and varied gameplay elements inspired by the mentioned games.

The CEO added, "You can defeat the bosses by using the skills very well and protecting yourself from the enemies, but then you also have the chance to maybe disrupt the enemy's balance." Stellar Blade will also feature a "Link Skill" that will let players defeat enemies in one fell swoop.

Stellar Blade's combat was described to be combo-oriented and requires the bread-and-butter of combat—parry and dodge. As the game progresses, players can expect the combat to become more fast-paced with a variety of melee-based and ranged fights. "And then maybe when you get to the middle part of the game, you can also experience a ranged attack mode, so users can experience different fighting styles," Technical Director Lee added.

Kim further shared, "And besides the combat, we also want to focus on other content. For example, you can go fishing or you can make your own costumes or collect items."

Semi-Open World Heavy on Linearity

The directors explained that while Stellar Blade starts linearly, it gradually introduces a semi-open world experience filled with a diverse and immersive journey. Kim shared in detail, "Once you get to a town called Xion, you experience a different part of the semi-open world, and then you can go back to more linear forms of the game, but you experience different variations of it."

The CEO accounted for the world setting to fit the narrative-driven nature of the game, saying "a completely open world might be difficult because in order for the narrative to be the focus, you need some linear elements in there." Lee shared that they combined different aspects from various genres in Stellar Blade. "We didn't want to tie it down to a specific genre, we wanted to combine everything in a balanced way and show it all," the technical director said.