Even before Stellar Blade hit the shelves, it was a topic of controversy in the gaming community. Some felt the exaggerations to the character’s body and the added focus on the jiggle physics were all the game had to offer. The idea was that the game would be a shallow fan-service title.
When the game was finally released, there were a slew of other controversies regarding the title. A lot of the positive and negative reviews were knee-jerk reactions that could not be counted as true opinions. However, as the dust has settled, people are beginning to appreciate Hyung-Tae Kim’s vision.
Stellar Blade Shows It Boasts Both Style and Substance
Fan service as a way to sell games is an unfortunately common tactic in the gaming industry. Despite the offending titles not offering anything amazing gameplay-wise, they still fly off the shelves. When people first saw Stellar Blade, many felt it would go down the same route, offering only eye candy while being a generic slasher at best.
The demo was the first time players went hands-on with the title, and that was enough for most fans of the game to solidify their decision to buy the game. It showed Shift Up had worked on not just a beautiful game, but one that had solid mechanics and an interesting world that compelled players to explore.
The jiggles might have been what got some peoples’ attention, but it was the game quality that got our money
byu/smithbc001 instellarblade
Redditor smithbc001 hopes other developers can learn from Stellar Blade’s development. While the marketing did push the fan-service angle hard, it also helped to get people interested in the game. The inclusion of Korean monster movie legend Hee-Cheol Jang in designing the Naytiba creatures further helped get more eyes onto the title.
Aside from the pre-launch marketing, the game itself is a solid entry on the PlayStation exclusive list. The title launched with minimal bugs and featured no live service or microtransactions. Great graphics, gameplay, and level design further helped create an engaging experience. The game has proven it has more to offer than just jiggle physics to justify the $70 price tag.
Fans Praise Shift Up for Delivering on Promises
One comment on the thread says it is a common Shift Up strategy to lure people in with fan service, and those who stick around enjoy a truly memorable experience. Given the game has been Hyung-Tae Kim’s vision for over a decade now, and the man is a talented game designer, it would be strange that the title offered nothing more than fan service.
While the fan service was one aspect that landed Stellar Blade in some hot water, it’s not the only controversy the game has faced. Shortly after launch, many decried the censorship that was added to the title via the day one patch. It got so bad that some people were even asking for a refund, claiming false advertising!
Sony is not known to give out refunds easily, so the fact that such appeals were being honored was a big deal. However, most people who have stuck with the game are happy with what Shift Up has created, and the 9.3 user review score on Metacritic is a testament to this fact.
What was your first impression of Stellar Blade when it was revealed? Let us know in the comments below!
