Formally known as Project Eve, Stellar Blade is an upcoming action RPG that looks like Bayonetta meets Dark Souls. From its confirmed release date, demo, and trailers, here’s everything we know about Stellar Blade so far.
Stellar Blade is a hack-and-slash action-adventure game being developed by Korean studio Shift Up and was revealed during the PlayStation Showcase event in 2021. Before this, the game had been rumored since 2020 but unconfirmed. The title was originally revealed under the name Project Eve, but this was changed to Stellar Blade in 2022.
The game shares a lot of similarities with titles like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, but its aesthetic looks a lot like something out of a Souls game, especially Soulslikes such as Code Vein. However, the action looks a lot more frantic than the methodical duels of the Souls series.
With Stellar Blade now nearing its release, here’s the full rundown on everything we know about the highly anticipated title.
Contents
- Does Stellar Blade have a release date?
- What platforms will Stellar Blade be on?
- Stellar Blade demo
- Trailers
- Gameplay and style
- Plot and character details
Does Stellar Blade have a release date?
Stellar Blade is officially set to launch on Friday, April 26, 2024. This date was locked in during Sony’s most recent State of Play event.
Although the game was announced years prior, even with a 2023 release window as the initial target, a concrete date wasn’t confirmed until the start of 2024.
What platforms will Stellar Blade be on?
The game has been confirmed to be a PS5 exclusive. However, that wasn’t always the case. Its original announcement also listed Xbox consoles and PC at the time.
On PS5, the developers have said that Stellar Blade will “take full advantage” of the DualSense controllers’ haptic feedback and the console’s graphical capabilities.
Stellar Blade demo
A gameplay demo for Stellar Blade will be available for fans to download on the PlayStation Store from March 29, 2024, at 7am PDT / 2pm GMT. The demo is set to take place at the start of the game when Eve is sent to Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the Naytiba. You’ll get to experience the early stages of the game including the first boss fight. According to the official PlayStation Blog, there’s also a “little surprise included for players who complete the first stage.”
Fans will also be pleased to know that any progress made in the demo will carry over into the full release of Stellar Blade when the game launches on April 26, 2024.
Stellar Blade: Trailers
PlayStation Showcase 2021: Gameplay Trailer
There was so much in the original Stellar Blade (Project Eve) trailer that it took us multiple viewings to digest it all. At first glance, the title looked like something Platinum Games would develop. However, upon closer inspection, we spotted DNA from various genres and franchises.
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Eve was fighting zombie-like mutant enemies known as NA:tives, and the trailer showed off some impressive locations and combat sequences. Many of which would be at home in a recent Final Fantasy title.
Our latest deep dive came during the January 31, 2024 State of Play event where a roughly six-minute overview delved into everything from story to gameplay to customization.
Finally, a 30-second demo teaser was released on March 25, 2023, that gave fans a look at what they can expect during the game’s playable demo.
Gameplay and style
The protagonist, Eve, reminded us of Bayonetta, although the art style was decidedly different from Capcom’s series despite the similarities in gameplay. Stellar Blade is aiming for a more photoreal, if not slightly anime, design. Yet, one that’s a world away from Bayonetta’s over-the-top stylishness.
Stellar Blade also appeared to channel the Souls games at times during the trailer, or at least the games they inspired, such as Code Vein and From Software’s own Bloodborne. The timing of strikes looks to be important, rather than the game being simply a mindless hack-and-slasher.
Plot and character details
Eve exists in a post-apocalyptic world, one in which alien monsters appear to be growing around space stations. The trailer suggests that Eve uses a subway system to move around but regularly needs to defend herself against invading NA:tives.
There also appears to be someone giving Eve instructions, alluding to a wider cast of characters.
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