Stellar Blade: Everything We Know

What initially started out as Project Eve has now been given the name of Stellar Blade, an upcoming hack-and-slash RPG that will supposedly connect the likes of Bayonetta with Devil May Cry. And while developer Shift Up has yet to formally announce a release date for the PS5 exclusive, the fact is, it's still arguably one of the most anticipated games on our radar to date.

It may still be a ways off yet, but Shift Up has nevertheless taken the liberty of laying the foundations for the DmC clone, mostly through trailers and a rather in-depth blurb outing the plot. Need we say more? Here's everything you need to know about it in 2023. Stellar Blade: what, when, and why?

What Is Stellar Blade?

Stellar Blade is an upcoming hack-and-slash RPG by Korean developer Shift Up. Its story, which takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth, will send you up against NA:tives—enormous alien creatures that cloak the remaining fragments of the planet and threaten to wipe humanity from existence. This is where you, a rather flexible heroine, will make your stand as one of humanity's final hopes. Ring any bells?

So, what can you expect from the RPG, other than bulbous aliens and non-stop combat? Well, according to Shift Up, Stellar Blade will make use of PlayStation 5's powerful DualSense capabilities, mainly by way of exploiting its haptic feedback and the console's graphical enhancements.

Story

Going by what we've seen so far, Stellar Blade will cast its focus on Eve, a protagonist who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in which an alien species known as NA:tives shroud its borders. In a bid to drive back the evolving species, Eve is sent to travel between stations via an underground subway system, after which she is tasked with employing a high-powered arsenal and, well, obliterating the NA:tives in a traditional hack-and-slash fashion.

Of course, there is still much that remains unclear; how Earth succumbed to the NA:tives and reached its downfall, for example. Whatever the case may be, here's hoping Shift Up sheds a little extra light on the narrative ahead of its loose 2023 release.

Gameplay

Fortunately, Shift Up did release a gameplay trailer late last year—a nine-minute preview that showcased its photorealistic visuals and its slinky yet surprisingly in-depth Soulslike combat. And that's just it — Stellar Blade is a unique blend of Devil May Cry meets Dark Souls; Bayonetta meets Bloodborne. To this end, players can expect to see numerous boss fights, flashy combos, and lightning-fast action, all of which will no doubt come enveloped in an semi-open world post-apocalyptic setting.

There is a distinct difference between Stellar Blade and Dark Souls, however, and it comes in the form of the fluidity of the controls. Unlike the latter, which opts for having a relatively sluggish hero and drawn-out attacks, Stellar Blade favors a protagonist who is robust—a parkour-loving bolt who can execute a thread of moves in mere seconds with nothing but finesse and grace. So, does than mean less parrying and more full-frontal combat? You bet it does.

Development

In their own words: “Shift Up is an all-in-one game design and development studio that crosses various fields from game production to promotional video and music production based on original illustration and solid planning and programming skills.”

Announced back in 2019, Stellar Blade (or Project Eve, as it was originally known) was initially supposed to be a triple-A title for both consoles and PC. In 2021, however, PlayStation purchased the rights to the game, ultimately making itself the sole publisher and, as a result, locking out any additional platforms i.e Xbox, Switch, and PC.

It's been a rather long road for the Korean developer, what with the change in platforms and the pandemic causing the studio to endure unwanted delays and internal issues. But in spite of everything, Project Eve has still managed to catch the attention of the community by way of publishing various trailers and announcements. And while we still don't have a release date set in stone, we do know that the game will be shaping up for a hopeful 2023 launch, and on PlayStation 5.

Trailer

Hungry for more? You're in luck, as Shift Up did actually release quite the meaty trailer a little ways back at the PlayStation Showcase 2021. Since then, the studio has released a slew of previews, many of which have gone on to outline the characters, plot, and even the gameplay features. You can check out the initial announcement trailer above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Stellar Blade will be launching exclusively on PlayStation 5 at some stage in 2023. Does this mean there are no chances it'll come to Xbox and PC in the future? At the moment, no, though the original announcement did go on to say that it would be available on both, as well as PlayStation 5. Since then, however, Shift Up has said stated that it wants to “take full advantage” of the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and graphical capabilities. So, an Xbox port does seem rather unlikely right now, unfortunately.

We can't say for certain, but from the looks of it, Stellar Blade won't launch with any special or deluxe editions outside of its standard one. If anything of the sort does come about, though, then the PlayStation Store will no doubt get first dibs. Until then, you'll have to settle for adding it to your wishlist here.

For more information on the Stellar Blade launch, you can check in with the official social feed here. If anything changes ahead of its eventual release, we'll be sure to let you know all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Stellar Blade when it drops? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.