Stellar Blade Preview: Sekiro Meets NieR: Automata?

Summary

Stellar Blade emerges as a nerve-wracking action game that defies initial expectations of a casual play similar to Nier: Automata. Inspired by the latter, its director, Kim Hun, crafts a post-apocalyptic world where mastering defensive skills like parrying and dodging is crucial. The game introduces unique mechanics like blink and repulse, rewarding players who learn enemy attack patterns. With a blend of offensive and defensive skills, Stellar Blade encourages a balanced combat approach, allowing for personalized strategies against varied enemies. The game also features exploration, puzzles, and a focus on story development through camps. Set for release on PlayStation 5, it promises depth, challenge, and engaging combat.

Takeaways

• 🗡️ Stellar Blade is an action game inspired by Square Enix's 2017 hit, with a focus on stylish combat.
• 🛡️ Defensive skills, such as well-timed parries and dodges, are crucial for success in combat.
• 🌟 The game introduces unique dodging skills like blink and repulse, which can counter specific enemy attacks.
• 💡 Mastering attack patterns and enemy behavior is rewarded with satisfying counterattacks and a deep combat experience.
• 🔥 Both offensive and defensive tools are available, allowing players to develop their own unique combat style.
• 🔍 Exploration is encouraged with hidden treasure chests, optional enemies, and a city called Zion to discover.
• 🔧 The game features a beta skill system that can be utilized once a gauge is full, offering additional combat options.
• 🎮 Stellar Blade offers two difficulty settings, Normal Mode and Story Mode, catering to a variety of player preferences.
• 🏆 The game includes accessibility options like action assist, which helps with timing for parrying and dodging.
• 🌌 Stellar Blade provides a rich world with lore through camps, where players can rest, listen to music, and interact with characters.

Q & A

What is the main inspiration behind the game Stellar Blade?

The main inspiration behind Stellar Blade is Square Enix's 2017 hit game, as mentioned in the script.

How does the combat in Stellar Blade differ from other action games?

Stellar Blade puts a significant emphasis on defensive skills, including well-timed parries and dodges, which are as important as offensive actions.

What are the unique dodging skills introduced in Stellar Blade?

Stellar Blade introduces two unique dodging skills: Blink and Repulse. Blink is used by pressing the circle button and moving the analog stick forward, while Repulse requires pressing Circle and moving backwards.

How does the game reward players for learning enemy attack patterns?

The game rewards players for learning enemy attack patterns by allowing them to perform a special attack called Retribution after successfully parrying or dodging a series of attacks.

What is the Beta skill in Stellar Blade and how is it used?

The Beta skill in Stellar Blade can be utilized once the player's gauge is full. It can cancel an enemy's attack if the timing is right, and there's also an attack that allows the player to quickly get close to the enemy after dodging from a distance.

How does Stellar Blade balance defensive and offensive skills?

Stellar Blade provides players with both great defensive and offensive skills, allowing them to adopt different strategies depending on the enemy type, which contributes to the game's depth and variety.

What is the significance of the long-range gun type weapon in Stellar Blade?

The long-range gun type weapon in Stellar Blade is significant as it provides an additional combat option, especially in instances where its use is required to advance in the game or to deal heavy damage to specific weak spots of bosses.

What are the two difficulty settings in Stellar Blade?

Stellar Blade has two difficulty settings: Normal mode and Story mode. The latter is more forgiving and includes an accessibility option called Action Assist, which guides players on the right timing for parrying and dodging.

How do camps function in Stellar Blade?

In Stellar Blade, camps serve multiple functions. They restore health, refill potions, provide shortcuts, and act as a place for relaxation and exploration. They also allow players to buy items, learn new skills, and access additional content like conversations and flashbacks.

What kind of puzzles and platforming elements can players expect in Stellar Blade?

Players can expect simple puzzles and platforming elements in Stellar Blade, such as entering codes to open doors or moving wooden boards on water surfaces to create a path forward.

How does Stellar Blade handle exploration and optional content?

Stellar Blade takes exploration seriously, offering detours with hidden treasure chests and optional enemies. In the main game, players can explore a city called Zion and less linear areas, suggesting a focus on providing variety and depth to the player's journey.