Metacritic (82)
Opencritic (84)
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CGMagazine (8.5/10)Amongst the sea of action titles on the PS5, Stellar Blade manages to carve out a name for itself at the end of the day. It takes some popular conventions and translates them into a refreshingly unique and surprisingly balanced new experience despite some little missteps along the way. Action fans will surely be exploring the depths of its world for some time.
As the console debut for a relatively green studio, Stellar Blade is an incredible achievement. Despite its foibles, I was still eager to keep exploring its post-apocalyptic Earth and see what its multiple endings had in store—and likewise, I'm curious to see how SHIFT UP can follow this impressive debut.
COGConnected (9.3/10)Stellar Blade stands out as one of the best action-adventure games of its generation. Its combat system is both deep and multilayered, ensuring that every encounter is an exhilarating experience. Offering a range of options, players can tackle enemies in several ways, be it through offensive maneuvers or defensive strategies. Whether opting to dodge, parry, or create distance, the choices are intuitively designed. Coupled with its captivating narrative and cinematic presentation, Stellar Blade is an essential exclusive.
Console Creatures (Recommended)With Stellar Blade, Shift Up is making a solid case for being a stand-out console game studio. Who would have imagined a mobile gacha game developer from a country still very much only known for MMOBAs and mobile titles could provide such an incredible first attempt at something larger? Unfortunately, Stellar Blade's appeal has seemed one-dimensional so far, and its heroine will turn many would-be players off. However, if you get past that, there's a genuinely spectacular game here.
Destructoid (8/10)Overall, Stellar Blade is a journey worth experiencing. I feel like with some improvements in certain areas, Stellar Blade could be a legendary landmark experience like those it clearly draws inspiration from. But even in its current form, Stellar Blade offers a fast-paced action combat system in a unique world with a rewarding narrative. It's not quite stellar, but it's certainly solid. Solid Blade.
Gamespot (8/10)There is a nagging question, though, that sticks in the back of my mind: Does this game rise to the heights its inspirers achieved? The conclusion I came to is no, but that it attempts so without falling on its face is remarkable enough. That it manages to be a great game in that pursuit is a true testament to the power of being galvanized by those that came before.
Gamesradar (3.5/5)Stellar Blade is more ambitious and varied than expected, but also about as clunky as expected, resulting in a stilted action RPG with a level of jank that you just have to accept. Meet it on its terms, and either tune out or embrace the odd sexual veneer, and it's a solid 20 to 30 hours of fun.
IGN (7/10)Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre.
Inverse (8/10)Looking back at my time with Stellar Blade, I believe it has the potential to turn into a franchise instead of just a one off deal. There is still a good deal of story to tell involving Mother Sphere, potentially even a prequel so we can see how things got so bad on Earth in the first place. With Stellar Blade being just the second game from this South Korean studio, the future looks incredibly bright.
Noisy Pixel (9/10)Stellar Blade is an ambitious action adventure boasting a masterful boss design and compelling gameplay progression. Between the addictive exploration and finely tuned sense of weight and speed ingrained in each of Eve's swings, it's indisputable that this is a lovingly crafted journey.
PlayStation Universe (8.5/10)In a year when Sony's marquee first-party offerings seem to be almost distressingly thin, Stellar Blade's dogged pursuit of an engaging and polished single-player action adventure experience is more welcome than ever - even if much of it feels like a loving greatest hits interpretation of past genre luminaries. Nonetheless fans of gorgeously rendered, high-octane action adventures with style to spare will find much to enjoy in Shift Up's stellar PlayStation debut.
Polygon (Unscored)My playthrough clocked in at around 24 hours, having done most of the side quests in the first open-world area but barely touching the second. Stellar Blade is one of the rare games that I feel more positively toward now I've finished it than I did halfway through. The rip-roaring opening and rollercoaster of a final act make up for the padded middle that, combined with a lack of combat variety, stops the game short of true excellence. But otherwise, it's an impressive console debut that suggests a very promising future for Shift Up.
Press Start Australia (9/10)Stellar Blade recalls the classic era of character-action games in truly inspired fashion. It might struggle to deliver on its core narrative, and its platforming is often more frustrating than it isn't, but neither of those things are enough to bring down a thoroughly enjoyable action experience. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but manages to build on them in engaging fashion with a deliciously layered combat system and gorgeous presentation to boot.
Progress Bar (5/10)Stellar Blade goes so far beyond titillation or dogmatically and cynically targeting a certain type of gamer. The sexualisation is so over the top, so brazen, so shameless, that I can only deduce that to dehumanise and objectify women was the point.
Pushsquare (8/10)Stellar Blade is a slick console debut from a developer clearly on the rise. With an ever-evolving counter-attacking combat system, some superb art direction, and a sensational soundtrack, this is the kind of back-to-basics PS5 outing that fans have been pleading for. A dire English dub and some trite story beats mean the studio still has plenty of room to refine its craft, but Eve's inaugural outing is largely excellent across the board, and destined to become a firm favourite among PS5 enthusiasts.
Shacknews (8/10)Not only has SHIFT UP successfully established itself as a formidable console game developer, but it has provided PS5 players with a worthwhile AAA action game in a year that's set to be exceptionally quiet for Sony's first-party studios. Stellar Blade might not pack a narrative punch, but it's a competent soulslike with satisfying combat and mechanics that make it an exciting challenge from beginning to end.
Siliconera (9/10)Stellar Blade is a thrilling action RPG with stylish combat and nail-biting encounters that offer players a real challenge. While the game tackles familiar sci-fi themes, it's anchored by lovable protagonist EVE and her sidekick Lily. While it doesn't surpass NieR: Automata and Bayonetta, fans of those beloved games should check out Stellar Blade as it's a good companion title that will scratch the same itch.
Techraptor (9/10)Let's not disregard the fact that, as a studio, this is Shift Up's first console game release. It's an impressive feat, to say the least, when you consider the quality of Stellar Blade as a title. It's certainly an amazing-looking and sounding game, but even more than that: I can confidently say Stellar Blade stands toe-to-toe with the greats of the genre.
The Sixth Axis (7/10)Stellar Blade is a pretty enjoyable game to swing your hairband sword at, so long as you don't mind the obvious sexualisation. There's a few rough areas, but nothing to spoil things overall and there's plenty of interesting story to uncover as you fight your way through giant monsters with circular saws for heads and weird tentacles for legs.
VGC (4/5)For those who wished that God of War Ragnarok offered a bit more challenge or that Bayonetta had a bit more weight to its combat, this slick sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into the Souls-like genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-worn character action formula. It may lack the naval gazing intelligence of the excellent Nier Automata, but when you're having this much fun, it's hard to care.
Washington Post (3/4)"Stellar Blade" doesn't make the strongest first impression, but it leaves a lasting one. What's more important, it's actually able to carve out its own distinguished identity by the end, much like Eve. Over the years there's been critical discussion about how cyberpunk fiction is rooted in xenophobic fears, and that the genre appropriates Asian culture. Now here is "Stellar Blade," an authentic slice of Korean cyberpunk, like Eve, beautiful in its own absurd way.
Wccftech (9/10)Taking a step back from Kim Hung Tae's character designs for a moment, Stellar Blade is a phenomenal action RPG that evolves from the framework of NieR Replicant and NieR Automata to become one of the next cult classics.
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