4/5 ★ – Niebeer's review of Stellar Blade.

Stellar Blade has been advertised as an action game inspired by Nier and Sekiro. While it does not reach the level of quality that those games have, I still found myself really engrossed in Stellar Blade. The story is probably the weakest part, as I was able to see its twists coming right from the beginning of the game and the characters aren't really developed enough for me to feel too much for them. However, its post-apocalyptic setting is gorgeous and varied, from wastelands to deserts and decayed urban areas. The monster design is grotesque, and they're animated extremely well. The character art is fantastic, evoking both cyberpunk and post apocalyptic tropes. EVE herself is a fantastic design thanks to the multitude of outfits you can find, from sleek futuristic military attire, fashionable casual wear, or just fan service outfits like swimsuits. So even tho I didn't find her character all that compelling, I still found her badass thanks to her visual design, animations, and combat abilities. Combat is easily the highlight of the game. It feels fantastic, smooth and engaging. You unlock a whole bunch of abilities, and most of them seem useful. EVEs animations are so well done that watching her fight all these ugly monsters is a delight, her moves both convey grace and deadly precision. I kinda wish the game was a bit more challenging, and some of the annoying platforming be trimmed down or removed altogether. But overall I enjoyed my time with Stellar Blade alot, and will return for another playthrough sometime this year. I'll be keeping my eye on the developer, Shift Up, and will most definitely play a sequel to this.