The long-awaited Stellar Blade is just around the corner. The first AAA game by Korean studio Shift Up, the title went through quite a bit of turbulent development until Sony swooped in and saved the project in 2021, striking a deal with the studio to fund and publish the game exclusively for PS5.
Shift Up is on the home stretch now, with launch slated for April 26. They also released a demo for the game recently, which has been garnering a lot of acclaim. On the flip side, a subset of fans wonders why Eve and Lily, the main characters, look very young. They’re actually full-fledged adults, but creative director Kim Hyung-tae has justified the design choice.
All Stellar Blade Characters Are Adults
In an interview with Famitsu, Hyung-tae explained that the reason behind Eve and Lily looking younger than they are is simply a matter of cultural difference:
Asian people around the world tend to look younger than their actual age, so we take this into consideration when designing. All the characters are adults, so they may be older than you imagine.
When it comes to video games, age portrayal can vary greatly depending on the region. American games often depict older characters more realistically, complete with wrinkles, thinning hair, stooped postures, and more.
However, Asian games frequently feature characters with smooth complexions, larger eyes, and more stylized, exaggerated features that can make them appear younger regardless of their actual age. This stylistic choice has been commonplace in Japanese games for years, but it can understandably be confusing for players unfamiliar with it.
Eve’s True Age May Be Revealed In Stellar Blade 2
In some parts of Asia, retaining a youthful appearance is rather important. For this reason, many Asian people take great care of their skin, and some even undergo special treatments to maintain a youthful appearance.
This cultural emphasis on youth can naturally influence character design in games developed in that region, leading to characters like Eve and Lily who appear younger than their years.
However, character design goes beyond just looks. Voice acting, dialogue, and the overall storyline play a crucial role in establishing a character’s age and maturity. Stellar Blade doesn’t detail Eve’s and Lily’s exact ages, but Hyung-tae strongly implies that we could find out in “the next one”.
Thanks to the confirmation of Eve and Lily being adults, concerned Stellar Blade players can rest easy. As it turns out, the appearances of the characters looking younger than they should is simply a matter of being truthful to the way Asian people age. No potential cultural misreadings here.
Hyung-tae’s clarification ensures that players around the world can appreciate the characters of Stellar Blade for who they truly are, regardless of their initial visual impression. Not that visual impressions will be a problem, since Eve’s character model is one of the most-talked about aspects of the game.
