Stellar Blade, Shift Up’s upcoming game, is set in a science-fiction setting in which humanity’s future hangs in the balance. In the game, the female protagonist Eve, is assigned with her team to fight an alien race and reclaim planet Earth. Fans got to see a glimpse of the gameplay in the form of an official demo which came to the PS5 on March 29.
Ahead of its release, Stellar Blade has generated a lot of buzz around it. Much of this has to do with the design of the characters, especially Eve. Eve’s design has left fans in admiration, from her stunning appearance to her long flowing hair. However, her appearance has sparked criticism from several quarters.
Stellar Blade players need to keep in mind Eve’s costumes
Stellar Blade has been criticized for portraying its female character Eve in a highly s*xualized manner. While it is not anything new to gaming, many developers are now trying to do the opposite and de-s*xualize their characters. Due to the controversies surrounding Eve’s character design, Stellar Blade has been given an adult rating in South Korea due to its depiction of violence and nudity.
In his defense, Hyun-Tae Kim had previously in an interview with GamesRadar stated, “Honestly, when I play a game I would like to see someone who is better-looking than myself. That’s what I want. I don’t want to see something normal; I want to see something more ideal.”
Additionally, during an interview with Famitsu, Hyun-Tae Kim spoke on how they went about developing Eve and what influenced their decisions. Kim also spoke about Eve’s costume and how it was inspired by the narrative and the setting of the game.
Kim added, “Since it’s a sci-fi story, I wanted to incorporate something which would be difficult to realize with physical costumes.” He also explained, “We actively used glossy and luminous lighting elements to create a futuristic design.”
The developers kept in mind all of these and will offer players high customization when it comes to Eve’s outfits. However, while speaking to Famitsu, Kim warned players to be mindful while choosing her outfits.
He added,
so we recommend you wear clothing as much as possible
Kim explained that despite the amount of glittering, skintight outfits available in the game, players should not get overly obsessed with Eve’s Skinsuits as they do not have any defenses. Therefore, even though it might be less glamorous, players should make Eve wear more clothes, or else the gameplay will get more and more difficult.
Stellar Blade is now available for preorder
Stellar Blade, which is scheduled to come out on April 26 will be made available in two editions: standard edition, and digital deluxe edition. Both the editions will come with preorder bonuses which are mentioned down below.
Standard Edition
The standard edition of Stellar Blade will have a price tag of $70 and will include the base game. Players preordering this edition will get the following bonuses: early unlock of the planet diving suit for Eve, classic round glasses, and ear armor earrings.
Digital Deluxe Edition
The digital deluxe edition of Stellar Blade will have a price tag of $80. Apart from the base game and the preorder bonuses available with the standard edition, this edition will include the following preorder bonuses: stargazer suit, half-rim glasses, quadruple rectangle earrings, stargazer wear, stargazer pack, 2,000 SP EXP, and 5,000 Gold.
