Stellar Blade’s Demo Is A Tasty Amuse-Bouche Of Stylish Action

All of you, stellar blade The demo is finally live On PS5. This is a small vertical slice of developer Shift Up's character action game, so while we still need to see a lot before we can draw any conclusions, I can at least say that the demo has me on my toes for the full release. has prompted. Why? well like Preview from earlier this week have said, stellar blade Slightly bayonettaLittle Devil May CryLittle Nierand a little Sekiro, In short, based on this brief two-hour experience, I think Shift Up has a banger on its hands.

Read more: Everything we know about the stylish action game stellar blade

The demo begins with the protagonists Eve's regiment, Airborne Squad 7, landing on a subsection of Earth called District 3. The plan is to stop an invasion of alien monsters known as Nayatibas, but, as is wont to do, everything goes awry. , Airborne Squad 7's transport ships are blown out of orbit. Eve and the rest of the team breach the atmosphere in drop pods, only for most of them to perish during descent. Hell, Eve barely survives as the pod's hatch won't open due to catastrophic damage to the exterior door, although she is rescued by a fellow survivor named Tachi. It seems as if everything is destroyed as the buildings around the two begin to burst into flames while Naytiba continues his ruthless attack. It's a cinematic opening that brings to mind the mind-sets of games like Crystal Dynamics. tomb Raider Franchise and Naughty Dogs unresolved series.

But while the opening moments are quite cinematic, stellar blade No problem throwing you into battle right away. During these first 10 minutes, you'll experience the basic principles of gameplay: attacks, dodges, parries, specials, and so on. You'll fight some fodder enemies, such as the slug-looking Nayatibas that walk on two legs, as well as some tougher enemies, such as the humanoid-like Nayatibas: a bloated beast with two legs for its hands, before facing the tutorial boss. There are wrecking balls. Despite its size, it's still an easy fight that results in some stylish finishing attacks not unlike those seen in 2013. DMC Devil May Cry, And surprisingly, stellar blade It seems like DMCVery.

Stellar souls may cry twice

I know it's a strange comparison, stellar blade To DMC Devil May Cry, but listen to me. Capcom reimagines it Devil May Cry Series in partnership with saga of senua developer Ninja Theory a decade ago. This game had all the characteristics of a traditional game Devil May Cry entry, but DMC A little less button-mashing and a little more thoughtful play is required when it comes to attack and positioning. stellar blade Does something similar. it's not that fast bayonetta 3 Or devil may cry 5, However, it is not as slow as some dark Souls Or P's lie, one of two. The action game strikes a nice balance between extremes, allowing you to find a rhythm in combat to do some button-mashing, while still expecting you to be aware enough to know where your Where to best position yourself for the next attack.

Nowhere is this balance more evident than in attack-canceling. Interrupting your attacks to execute another move, whether it's a block or dodge, is something you often see in fast-paced action games. Soulslikes often don't allow you to cancel your maneuvers, locking you into your animations, for better or worse. stellar bladeHowever, it does, which means you can dodge your opponent by attacking at the same time and immediately press the block or dodge button to stop your attack to avoid, defend, or block your enemy's attack. . Thus, there is more equality in the game Devil May Cry from one alden ring, It feels even more mechanical Devil May Cry instead alden ring, because Eve has a variety of combos, specials that are charged by blocking or parrying, and skills that you unlock through EXP that you earn during battle. And it looks good too, with crisp effects and flashy animations whenever attacks take effect.

A small but sweet appetizer

Although brief, the demo consists largely of exploration and platforming. After the opening sequence, you'll wander around Eidos 7, a lost city that was destroyed by Natyba and overgrown with foliage. Your goal is to search the Hall of Records to uncover information about Alpha and Elder Natibas who are behind the alien invasion. There are dilapidated buildings, run-down bars and hospitals, wrecked cars, and enough bodies to fill a morgue. It's all very grand and intense, with enough collectibles and advanced materials to make you want to turn over every stone.

Unfortunately, despite her slim body, Eve looks like she's gaining several pounds of muscle. His jump, although relatively high, is not reliable, especially since you can't adjust your trajectory much once you're in the air. Similarly, dodge, although great for avoiding certain destruction, only covers a short distance, meaning you're bound to get hit if you don't dodge accordingly (especially since it doesn't have any). invincibility frame, I'm also not a big fan of the swimming or swinging sections, which feel stiff and floaty, respectively. Still, the movement feels good when there's no platforming, and I think it'll only get better as you unlock additional abilities like the double jump.

It all culminates with what I believe to be the game's first real boss: a double-sword-wielding pincer-looking Naytiba called Abaddon. This enemy will test everything you've learned, and ask you to dodge and dodge more than usual. It has a substantial health bar, delivers powerful strikes, performs some unexpected combos, and even electrifies its blades during the second phase.

However, surprisingly, Abaddon isn't that difficult despite its intimidating design. I beat the boss in maybe 5 or 10 minutes on my first try and that was on “Normal Mode”, “the game's default difficulty setting for players who enjoy combat.” I enjoy combat, but Abaddon felt like a complete jerk. Even after a few good licks here and there, Abaddon couldn't do anything when I cornered him. It's ridiculously easy, as was the rest of the nearly two-hour tutorial. However, don't think it's a walk in the park, because when you defeat Abaddon, a “boss challenge” opens up so you can face a tough dog-like monster known as the Stalker. I even beat this boss on my first try, but it definitely made me sweat and expend every single resource I had in my arsenal. If this is the amuse-bouche for the game's enemy encounters, I can't wait for the full course when stellar blade Launch.

Read more: stellar blade There are some absolutely wild outfits

So, yes, I feel great stellar blade Now. Combat is excellent, full of flashy combos and stylish execution DMC A run for your money. The story feels quite compelling, with some interesting characters and a lot of world-building through environmental details like abandoned camps and discarded notes. And the rest of the package, from the graphics to the soundtrack, all create a captivating world that I can't wait to see. stellar blade Will hit PS5 on April 26th and if you play through the demo, your save data will be carried over to the full release.