Over the weekend, my partner and I decided to try the demo for the upcoming sci-fi game “Stellar Blade.”
The game’s demo starts at the very beginning as you follow Eve, a human and member of the 7th Airborne Squad, whose mission is to reclaim the earth for humanity from an alien race known as the Naytiba. Eve’s escape pod crashes onto earth and she follows her friend and comrade Tachy through the wreckage while learning how to fight and heal — overall, a tutorial section.
The Naytiba are awesomely disgusting, especially one minor boss you face in the middle of the tutorial section with giant, red fingerless fists fused at its wrists with veinlike vines. However, the Alpha Naytiba was the most detailed, resembling a deformed crow-person with a skeletal mask-like face. She pretty much lands on the scene and ruins everything for Eve before the demo switches to another point in time.
While the graphics were beautiful and the Naytiba were well-designed, the plot seemed to lack individuality. As we were playing, we agreed that it had the same niche as any other sci-fi game centering around reclaiming the earth from aliens. Plus, the scenery left much to be desired, as it looked like any other destroyed futuristic city. I would not have been able to pick apart this setting from those of Destiny, Mass Effect or Halo.
The one thing that seems to draw people to this game and give it that wow factor is the physique of the characters. What first caught the general audience’s attention — and I’ll admit my own — was the emphasis on animating Eve and Tachy’s figure. Their proportions are somewhat comical and unrealistic, as is especially demonstrated by a clip of Eve climbing a ladder.
There are even discussions about whether or not Eve should be the main character solely based on her looks, as some agree that Tachy looks better. They find her design to be more compelling with her black and yellow suit, and the awesome style fits as a protagonist more than Eve, who can come off quite plain.
However, should the characters’ designs be the only thing that really draws attention to a game? I think not. Therefore, this demo overall failed in convincing me to continue when the rest of the story releases. I’ll still look out for clips or pictures of the Naytiba, as they were the most interesting part of the game, but otherwise, I’ll pass.
For those who are interested, though, “Stellar Blade” will officially be released on April 26, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
2/5 Stars
pbortner@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Play Station
