Stellar Blade

Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game developed by South Korean studio Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 5. It launched on April 26, 2024, after its 2019 announcement under the working title Project Eve. The game was directed by Shift Up founder Kim Hyung-tae, whose prior work includes character design for Magna Carta and Blade & Soul. Stellar Blade follows Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, sent from an off-world colony to reclaim Earth from the Naytiba. Its third-person combat emphasizes parries, dodges, enemy pattern reading, and Eve’s Beta and Burst skills, rather than solely ranged attacks. Players use Eve’s sword, Blood Edge, while a drone companion supplies a gun and scanning functions. The story begins with Eve’s landing operation going disastrously wrong, leaving her separated from the larger force. She subsequently reaches Xion, the last surviving human city, where she works with Adam and the engineer Lily. From Xion, Eve travels to devastated regions including the Wasteland, the Great Desert, Matrix 11, and Eidos 7. These areas contain quests, supplies, camps, and documents that expand the history of humanity, the colony, and the Naytiba. The camp network also provides saving, restocking, and fast travel points. Stellar Blade’s exploration includes environmental puzzles and traversal tools, such as ropes, ledges, climbing routes, and a double jump acquired during the campaign. Eve can collect gear and upgrade materials to improve her equipment, while Nano Suits change her appearance. Its enemy roster ranges from ordinary Naytiba to bosses with distinct attack patterns. The game uses several endings determined by a major late-game choice and by the player’s completion of Lily’s affinity progress. The plot eventually reveals crucial information about the origin of the Naytiba and the role of Mother Sphere, the entity revered by humanity on the colony. Before release, Shift Up presented the title in multiple PlayStation State of Play broadcasts and issued a playable PlayStation 5 demo on March 29, 2024. The demo lets players experience Eve’s opening mission and an early boss encounter. Post-launch updates added a Boss Challenge mode and New Game Plus, allowing players to revisit combat encounters and carry progression into another playthrough. In November 2024, Shift Up released a collaboration expansion with NieR: Automata, featuring Emil’s shop and cosmetic items inspired by that game. Stellar Blade was Shift Up’s first console game, following the studio’s mobile title Goddess of Victory: Nikke.