The following contains spoilers forStellar Blade.
One ofStellar Blade’s most endearing qualities is that it doesn’t take things too seriously. From beginning to end,Stellar Bladeis chock-full of over-the-top, dramatic moments, including enough slow-motion acrobatics to rival aMichael Bay film. All of this is what makesStellar Bladethe unique experience that it is, and it simply wouldn’t be the same otherwise. Even so, there are times whenStellar Bladeproves that it could be a little more earnest if it tried. In fact, it could stand to lean more into a slight shift in genre, as it shows the potential to do that fairly early on in the game.
Stellar Bladedoesn’t have dungeons in the traditional sense, but it does have dungeon-like Levoires — underground research facilities where experiments were performed on humans in an effort to “revolutionize humanity.” As one could expect in a place such as that, each Levoire is filled with horrific creatures and blood-spattered walls. Unfortunately, any potential for a genuine horror experience is largely wasted here, asStellar Bladeultimately toes the line between horror and everything else. However, a sequel should arguably take this feature and run with it.
Levoires Prove the Horror Experience Stellar Blade Could Be
Stellar Blade’s Levoires Are Full of Horrific Creatures
In proper Sci-Fi fashion,Stellar Bladeeventually takes players to dark, mysterious underground research labs known as “Levoires,” where horrific creatures roam the halls awaiting their next victim. Many of these creatures resemble various evolutions of theInfected fromThe Last of Us, and there are plenty of moments where hastily rounding a corner could also mean being suddenly grappled by one of these mutated enemies and needing to repeatedly press Square to escape it. While all of this makes each Levoire a unique experience forStellar Blade, it’s the gameplay that ultimately sets it apart.
While in a Levoire, players don’t have access to EVE’s signature blade. Instead, they are required to rely solely on the gun attached to the Drone through which her faithful companions, Adam and Lily, maintain contact with her. As Levoire horrors lunge at EVE from out of the darkness, she then has only the gun to fend them off, essentially turningStellar Bladeinto athird-person shooter similar toDead Space. As players expose and target each creature’s weak point, the creature eventually explodes into a gruesome mess. To top it all off, players will occasionally encounter human experiments, still in body bags, crawling on the ground who will explode into fire when they get too close. It’s an obvious taste of horror in an otherwise often hilariously exaggerated experience.
Stellar Blade Could Ramp Up Its Horror Atmospheres in a Sequel
WhereStellar Blade’s Levoiresfall short of true horror is in their atmosphere. Each Levoire is very dark — so dark, in fact, that the only real light comes from EVE’s flashlight, any electronic consoles left intact, and the occasional flickering overhead light. Unfortunately, despite the horror atmosphere this could create, it doesn’t do much but serve as a way to limit visibility. The atmosphere feels far from threatening, especially as semi-upbeat electronic music continuously plays in the background, covering up what could have been an unsettling ambiance. It’s a shame, considering the number of jump-scares and spine-tingling moments that could be produced otherwise.
Stellar Blade’s director, Hyung-Tae Kim, has already teased a sequel to the action-adventure game, even ahead of its release. As such, it might do well forStellar Bladeto delve deeper into its horror side with the next game. The potential for an entirely different experience is clearly there. It wouldn’t need to be a full-fledged horror experience by any means, but a genuine horror sequence here and there would break up the gameplay and possibly increaseStellar Blade’s seriousness in the process.
Stellar Blade
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RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
