Now that Rise of the Ronin has released, Sony only has one more PS5 exclusive with a confirmed 2024 release date. That game is Stellar Blade, it is being developed by a studio Shift Up who are mostly known for mobile titles prior to this, and you can check out the demo for it this Friday, on March 29 2024 at 7 AM PDT.
Stellar Blade was formerly known as Project Eve, before receiving a title tweak and is highly anticipated by PlayStation fans. The reason that the anticipation is so high is partially due to the fact that this is an exciting new IP, partly because it is a rare Sony exclusive with a confirmed release date, but mostly thanks to the notoriety the game has already garnered thanks to its character design.
The look of the game’s protagonist has turned out to be rather controversial, with some embracing the boldness of it, and others claiming they will boycott Stellar Blade altogether. The character in question is called Eve and she is a part of the 7th Airborne Squad, who are on a mission to reclaim planet earth from a hostile group of alien invaders.
The demo was announced via a PlayStation Blog post, and seems well timed to give players an idea of what they can expect from the third-person action title when it launches next month. The launch window itself is also very well timed, with April being a fairly dry month in terms of notable big budget game releases. Besides the Sea of Thieves PS5 port launching at the end of April, Stellar Blade should have a pretty clear run.
Eve’s design in Stellar Blade has raised a few eyebrows
The Stellar Blade demo will allow players to dive into the game from the very beginning, beginning with the tutorial, which will allow players to get a feel for the basic movement and combat mechanics required to beat the game. Following this, you will be able to play through the first mission in Eve’s quest to reclaim Earth from the Naytiba, exploring the post-war city of Eidos 7, which is infested by these alien creatures.
Possibly the best thing about this demo is the fact that any progress made by the player will be carried over into the main game when it drops on April 26. This is welcome news, as it saves playing through a boring tutorial sequence more than once. As someone with limited free time on my hands, I appreciate when a developer has respect for the player’s time.
In this day and age, it is actually becoming something of a novelty to get to play a demo prior to the release of a game. Although playable demos used to be the norm in years gone by, they have become something of a rarity in recent times. Stellar Blade’s director has also made mention of a “surprise,” for players who complete the first stage of the game within this demo, making it even more enticing to play through.
Many fans are hoping that Stellar Blade will result in an experience similar to that of 2017s modern classic, Nier: Automata. Only time will tell whether Stellar Blade will live up to those high expectations. Will you be checking out the Stellar Blade demo when it drops this Friday, or are you one of those planning to boycott the game due to its lewdness? Let us know down in the comments section below.
