Stellar Blade is currently in the news for a wide variety of reasons. The latest game from Shift Up has struck a lot of nerves but also won many hearts. Embroiled in multiple controversies at once, the game is nothing if not polarizing in the community and will continue to be a part of the culture for a while to come.
The PlayStation exclusive, despite the controversies and setbacks, is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the gaming space. Hyung-Tae Kim set out with a vision and it seems many players can relate to it, as Stellar Blade has managed an achievement few modern-day games have been able to acquire.
User Reviews Sway Heavily in Favor of Stellar Blade
For those familiar with Metacritic’s scoring system, there’s one score that averages out the scores awarded by critics and one by users. These are scores from real people who have played the game. It’s this score that has placed Stellar Blade at the top of a chart.
Not many games have been able to breach the score of 9 when it comes to user reviews. So, Stellar Blade’s 9.2 user review score on Metacritic has placed it in an elite club, despite the recent calls for a refund. The other members from the PlayStation 5 camp to reach such a score are Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways, and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.
Now, Metacritic’s reviews are not to be taken at face value. The site has not been able to do much when it comes to manipulating scores. However, the site is still used by many to understand the community sentiments. Stellar Blade’s score has ranked it above even Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
It appears Hyung-Tae Kim’s vision for the game has paid off, even if it has ruffled some feathers. While some do not appreciate the exaggeration in the character design, others are not happy with how the game has been censored. Given the Metacritic score, however, the game is pulling in numbers quite consistently.
Stellar Blade’s Achievement Flies in the Face of Recent Controversies
Gamers have been coming at Shift Up from all angles. The ones who feel the game utilized false advertising to draw people in are demanding a refund from Sony. Others have taken offense at the gratuitous jiggle physics in the game, blaming Kim for overly sexualizing Eve in both movement and appearance.
Kim has been adamant the title is entertainment aimed at adults. Stellar Blade offers not only exaggerated character designs but over-the-top action and elements of gore as well. Facing off against the Naytiba is no small task, and there’s plenty of blood that flies, even with the censoring in place.
Stellar Blade has been out for four days so far, and even received a Day One patch. The patch introduced New Game+ but also changed an unfortunate graffiti design found in-game that caused some chatter online. People who have brought the disc version can enjoy the pre-patched version but will miss out on NG+.
Have you played Stellar Blade yet? What rating would you give it? Let us know in the comments below!
