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Stellar Blade

8.4
Developer: Shift Up
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Released: 2024
Metacritic: 80
25-50h
Avg. Playtime
1 DLC
Expansions
Solo Only
Multiplayer
$49.99
Best Price
PS5
⭐ Read Review 📖 Beginner Guide 💸 Best Price

About Stellar Blade

Stellar Blade is Shift Up's stunning PS5 exclusive action game — a technically impressive third-person action game that synthesizes elements from NieR: Automata, Sekiro, and classic action games into a polished, stylish package. You play as Eve, a soldier from an orbital colony deployed to reclaim Earth from monstrous creatures called Naytiba. Alongside native survivor Adam and AI companion Lily, Eve battles through a post-apocalyptic Earth with exceptional combat and some of the most technically impressive PS5 visuals available.

The combat system blends parrying (called Perfect Parry), dodge timing (Beta Skills activated on perfect dodge), and a combo system that builds Beta Energy for powerful ability use. Eve's moveset grows substantially across the game as she learns new skills from defeated enemies and environmental discoveries. The Burst system (activated at full energy) enhances damage and abilities temporarily, creating clearly telegraphed windows for maximum output.

Xion, the survivor settlement, serves as the game's hub — a surprisingly warm, lived-in community whose restoration is one of the game's emotional throughlines. Side quests involve helping individual survivors, and the world-building through environmental storytelling and collectible records creates a rich sense of Earth's fallen history.

Why Players Love It

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Perfect Parry System

Precisely timed parries create counter opportunities and fill Beta Energy for powerful skills — mastering the parry window is the combat ceiling.

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Beta & Burst Skills

Beta Energy (from perfect parries and dodges) powers devastating skills; full Burst mode enhances all abilities temporarily for maximum damage windows.

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Xion Settlement

A survivor community that grows as you complete side quests — restoring services, helping individuals, and uncovering Earth's pre-invasion history.

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Extensive Cosmetics

One of the most extensive cosmetic customization systems in any action game — outfits, accessories, and hairstyles for Eve across dozens of options.

Overview Video

8.4Great

Our Verdict

Stellar Blade is a beautiful, technically impressive action game with a satisfying parry-focused combat system and one of the PS5's most visually striking worlds.

Gameplay
8.5
Combat
8.5
Story
8.0
Graphics
9.5
Performance
9.5
Value
8.5
Read Full Review (1,500+ words)
Complete Beginner's Guide
⏱ 15 min · 📊 Medium · ✅ Progress tracking
Start Guide
Best Builds & Character Tips
⏱ 10 min · 📊 Easy · 🔧 Build Guide
View Guide
First Boss Guide & Strategies
⏱ 8 min · 📊 Hard · ⚔️ Boss Guide
View Guide
Tips & Tricks for New Players
⏱ 6 min · 📊 Easy · 💡 Tips
View Guide
Update 1.07 — New Game+
Jul 2024
  • New Game+ mode added with enhanced enemy variants
  • New outfit and cosmetic rewards exclusive to NG+
  • Hard Mode difficulty added
  • Several story cutscene additions in late game
Launch Patch 1.02
Apr 2024
  • Fixed several quest state tracking bugs
  • Improved performance in the Wasteland area
  • Adjusted parry window consistency across all enemy types
  • HDR calibration improvements

Community Tips

“Perfect Parry everything. Stellar Blade's combat is built around the parry — even if you can't execute it perfectly on bosses, training on basic enemies builds the timing muscle memory.”
— EVEMain · 1543 upvotes
“Unlock the Skill "Counter Beta" early. It activates a Beta Skill automatically after a perfect parry, which dramatically increases DPS without requiring separate inputs.”
— ShiftUpPro · 1234 upvotes
“The Crow outfit is unlocked by completing the optional Eidos 7 secret area. It's the best-looking optional unlock and the area has some of the game's best lore collectibles.”
— StellarVet · 876 upvotes
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