In a new Famitsu interview, Shift Up CEO and game director Kim Hyung Tae revealed more details about Stellar Blade, including its influence from NieR: Automata and the costumes that the protagonist may wear. Several details about the game’s mechanics and overall game flow were discussed as well.
During the January 31 State of Play, PlayStation and Shift Up confirmed that Stellar Blade will release on April 26. In addition, the official PlayStation Store page for the game confirmed that pre-orders open on February 7. Before fans pre-order Stellar Blade, the game’s director discussed the development and his influences.
Stellar Blade – Development, Influences, Total Playtime, and Costumes
While speaking to Famitsu, Kim Hyung Tae revealed that he determined PlayStation 5 would be the platform of choice for Stellar Blade since it offers the most optimal gameplay experience. He attributes his choice to the original PlayStation, which shaped his personal values about gaming. Kim also states that NieR: Automata was a major influence behind the game, making him realize that he really wanting to make an action game in Stellar Blade. God of War, Bayonetta, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order also served as inspiration for the game.
Regarding the game’s action, Kim started with the idea of wanting to express everything a female character can do with a sword. The development team also wanted to make the combat fun with speedy, flashy movements that didn’t make battles feel one-sided. At the beginning of game, players will mostly be using combos, but more intricate techniques like perfect parries and evasion will be useful later on. Once more, Kim confirms that Stellar Blade is a single-player game with a semi-open world feel and linear gameplay.
While speaking to Korean outlet Ruliweb, Kim revealed that Stellar Blade will be roughly 25 hours long for the main story alone. When factoring in 100% completion (side content, trophies, etc.), the game will be roughly 30 to 50 hours long (Thanks, Genki).
As players progress through Stellar Blade, they will obtain materials and design documents for costumes. Costumes may also be purchased in the village, allowing the protagonist Eve to acquire and change between various outfits. In total, the game will feature 20 to 30 costumes. Eve’s companions, Adam and Lily, will also have costumes.
Lastly, Stellar Blade will be available on April 26 worldwide for PlayStation 5.
