Stellar Blade has been released and the gaming community is delighted to see what Shift Up was able to come up with. The South Korean developers were strangers to console gaming but succeeded by ensuring its first attempt was perfect with a heavier emphasis on combat.
The game was a great first attempt and a lesson for the developers who want to do it right. Players are more interested in the gameplay than the narrative which prompted the team to focus more on the combat. The sacrifice paid off tenfold with universal praise from the community.
Stellar Blade’s Combat Was a Priority for Shift Up
The developers should feel great about the achievements and milestones the project has received from various outlets. The game currently has the highest user score on Metacritic and is the highest-rated game on the PlayStation 5 platform. It is rare to see a brand-new idea be well-received by the gaming community.
Stellar Blade details from the Korean launch day event! #StellarBlade
– Boss Challenge Mode is being considered and the will try to deliver it asap
– Ponytail is not removable as it stores Eve’s Sword. But if there is a next game they will make the ponytail removable
– The story… pic.twitter.com/3PtkD5a1JK— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) May 13, 2024
The developers knew it was now or never, and took a leap of faith by jumping from mobile game development to triple-A quality console games. While console games are non-existent in South Korea, the developers received their fair share of doubts and skepticism from the people around them but director Hyung-Tae Kim did not let it bother him and his creative vision.
Kim wanted the game to have a similar vibe and feel to other successful games from the Soulslike genre, perhaps it is the reason why the free demo did incredibly well and even better than the demo of a well-known game like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The influences of the Soulslike genre benefitted the game and Kim was wise enough to take inspiration from them and make it better.
The Story of Stellar Blade Was Swept Under the Rug
Unlike most game developers, the team put a lot more emphasis on the gameplay than the story because Kim was able to read the gaming community and understood that the combat would define the overall project and have a lasting impact. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware did the opposite for Elden Ring, the director usually prioritizes the combat and polishes the story afterward but he stepped out of his comfort zone and it worked well in his favor.
It is bizarre to see the developers weigh the combat of the video game way higher than the narrative but it seemed to be the right move. The story does not necessarily need to be complex or convoluted to keep players interested and opt to exert more effort and time in perfecting the combat that will most likely keep players invested and entertained.
The success of this game has given the developers the confidence to create even more in the future, perhaps a sequel is now being discussed within the studio and Sony will give them the support they need. Perhaps the next game will have a perfect balance between combat and story.
What are your thoughts about Shift Up’s Stellar Blade? Let us know in the comments section below!
