Stellar Blade‘s enemies, the Naytiba, have a gruesome, horrifying look about them. Some of these creatures look very alien-like, while others resemble humans mixed with various animal parts. Regardless, they’re a very interesting foe that Eve must face after she descends to Earth.
In a recent interview, Shift Up’s studio and monster designer, Hee-Cheol Jang, and CEO Kim Hyung Tae provided some interesting information about these unique enemies.
Stellar Blade’s Enemies Hold a Dark Secret to Them
During the interview with PlayStation, when asked about the personal fears that influenced the creation of the Naytiba, Kim highlighted the unsettling nature of a certain facet of these creatures. He remarked:
I think for me, it’s the human element. Something that’s human but different, that’s more terrifying than just an ugly lump.
Delving deeper into the design process, Kim shed light on the decision-making behind the creation of Eve’s adversaries. He revealed that the Naytiba was intentionally crafted to be eerie and unnerving, with unsettling features such as missing eyes and faces disfigured beyond recognition.
When questioned about his choice to go with the cosmic horror aesthetic, Kim explained that the decision came from the desire to create entities that transcended reality. He exclaims that, while the creatures may appear alien, examining them closer would reveal some similarity with earthly life forms, and ends his statement with:
I think you’ll see why when you play the game.
So far, what we know about the Stellar Blade’s plot is that the Naytiba ‘invaded’ Earth, with the remaining survivors of humanity running to ‘the Colony’ in outer space. Our protagonist, Eve, is part of the Colony’s armed force that’s been tasked with ridding the Earth of the Naytiba and reclaiming the planet.
Behind-The-Scenes of Naytiba’s Design
The Naytiba were originally called “NA:tive.” Given the physical resemblances some Naytiba bear to humans, it could be that they may have once been Earth’s native population and have been infected by some alien disease or parasite that’s turned them into what they are now.
My bets are on a super-secret government organization that was experimenting on aliens to transcend humanity screwing things up and causing the cataclysmic event, leading to the current setting of the game.
Interestingly enough, the team at Shift Up went with sculpting the Naytiba out of clay in real life before translating their designs into the digital realm. According to the concept art lead, ChangMin Lee, clay sculpting helps teams communicate better and understand creature designs.
It also makes artists think about real-world things like gravity. For example, if a creature’s head is too big, it could make the clay crack or fall off, so artists have to make sure everything fits properly. This makes Stellar Blade‘s creatures feel more believable.
What you do think about Naytiba in Stellar Blade? Do you have any theories of your own as to what these formidable enemies might be? Let us know in the comments below!
